Corrie to get first lesbian character

Coronation Street producers are to introduce the soap's first ever lesbian character.

Bosses had originally intended barmaid Violet Wilson – played by Jenny Platt before she left the Manchester-based soap earlier this year – to be gay when she joined in 2004. However, her romances with on and off screen love Jamie Baldwin (Rupert Hill) and Jason Grimshaw (Ryan Thomas) proved popular with viewers.

A Weatherfield source told the News Of The World: "Executives want to create a soap which is representative of society in 2008 and they are acutely aware they need more gay characters.

"Violet was pinpointed as the one character they could take down that route but they went cold on the idea and cast her as straight."

The insider added: "It does seem ridiculous it has never been explored on Corrie but that's all about to change."