Special Sub-Topic: Homosexuality in British Soap Opera Click Here To Play: Homosexuality in British Soap Opera

Homosexuality has existed in culture even before the Romans and ancient Greeks, however, British soap had almost neglected the existence of the gay population. In 2003, 'Coronation Street' introduced its first mainstream gay character. What was his name?

Todd Grimshaw. Todd Grimshaw was offered a place in Oxford University where he would study law. He turned this down though as he said it didn't feel like he was doing it for the right reasons. His struggle to accept his sexuality was an interesting storyline. At the time his brother, Jason Grimshaw, who has been described as a bit of a caveman, was very unaccepting and it took him a long time to come around to the fact that his brother was gay. The scene that I found extremely interesting was where Nick and David Platt assaulted Todd and Jason decided to defend his brother. Later it was discovered that the only reason he did that was because if he hit his brother, he was not sure whether or not he could stop himself.

The introduction of the first full-time gay character to 'Coronation Street' was well overdue. At the time he was in a relationship with a pregnant girlfriend. What was the name of his girlfriend?

Sarah Platt. Sarah Platt is one of those characters who has a perpetually bad life. She became pregnant at the age of 12 and gave birth to a baby daughter, Bethany, at the tender age of just 13. She also had to endure the wrath of Richard Hillman, one of the most infamous characters ever to arrive on the street. He was responsible for the murder of many characters including Maxine Peacock. So, when she found out that her boyfriend was gay, she must have thought her life couldn't get any worse. Her marriage was off, she was now a single parent again and would have to move back to her mother's home. However, this was not the end as her baby, Billy, died due to an abruption in the placenta.

The first regular gay character in 'Coronation Street' fell in love with a man named Karl Foster. What was Karl's profession?

Nurse. Karl Foster, played by Chris Finch, was a nurse who threw Todd's mind into an incomprehensible whirl of mixed emotions and feelings. Todd had an affair with Karl whilst being in a relationship with his pregnant girlfriend, Sarah Platt. Todd was indecisive and did not know what he wanted from life and was still confused as to whether he was straight or if he was indeed gay. This storyline is indicative of the struggle many young people go through in an attempt to discover their real self. Furthermore, it portrays the moral dilemma and the way society views homosexuality. Todd eventually found the strength to admit his sexuality, initially, to a somewhat hostile reception.

In 'Coronation Street', the first on-screen kiss between two gay male characters was filmed at which location in Manchester?

Canal Street. Aptly enough, the first kiss between two gay men on 'Coronation Street' was in Canal Street. Canal Street is well known for a wide selection of gay clubs and bars and is also a centre of gay culture in England and also the United Kingdom as a whole. The kiss itself was between Todd Grimshaw, played by actor Bruno Langley, and Karl Foster. It was a rather confusing moment for Todd - did it mean anything or not? He later admitted that it did mean something and made his feelings for Karl clear. Todd was nearly caught kissing Karl by his girlfriend Sarah Platt, however, he spotted her in time.

Sean Tully, played by actor Antony Cotton, is what one would describe as a stereotypical gay. In fairness, he played the part VERY well! However, in which of these 'Coronation Street' establishments has he worked?

Knicker Factory. Sean worked for a knicker factory called Underworld. The ownership of this establishment has changed hands many times since the death of the long-time owner Mike Baldwin. After Mike's death, it was initially run by his son Danny Baldwin, played by the former Brentford football (soccer) player and quiz show host, Bradley Walsh. Sean has had many scenes where he is dating men, including, his relationship with a sonagrapher from Weatherfield General hospital, Marcus Dent.

'Eastenders' is known for its controversial storylines, many of which are very depressing and grim. However, the BBC received 211 complaints for the lesbian storyline between Sonia Fowler and which other character?

Naomi Julien. At the time Sonia, played by actress Natalie Cassidy, was with a long time love Martin. The news that she had left Martin to go and stay with Naomi, played by Petra Letang, was a shock to Albert Square. A huge parallel between the story in this soap and that of examples in real life, is the struggle for acceptance from not just friends but even families. Sonia's grandfather, for a time, refused to speak to her after he found out that she was involved in a lesbian relationship. This happens around the world including in the more liberal countries. Many youngsters get extremely anxious when they discover they are gay and are afraid to tell anybody, leaving themselves to deal with this big personal issue alone. The fears are different for each child in this situation, whether it be because of the religion of an area or even because the family in which they were brought up were socially conservative.

Pat Evans was a long time character on the British soap 'Eastenders', however, what is the name of the actress who plays her?

Pam St. Clement. Pam St. Clement declared that she was bisexual and that she is very much in favour of gay rights, actively campaigning against the unpopular and oppressive Article 28. Furthermore, she joined in the protests which wanted the legal age of consent for homosexuals to engage in sex reduced, so that it was brought in to line with the age of consent for heterosexuals. Actor Ian McKellen also took part in these protests as he is a major part of the Stonewall movement. In 'Eastenders', Pat Evans was one of those characters who was stuck in a time warp. Her clothes were so outdated that it often brought me to hysterics! The decoration of her house was also just as ancient. Pat Evans, was a heterosexual character with many failed romances to her name.

'Emmerdale' has had its fair share of homosexual characters. Paul Lambert, played by actor Mathew Bose, was somewhat camp and followed the gay stereotype. Which of the following was a place where he worked?

Pub. The name of the fictional pub in the soap 'Emmerdale' is the Woolpack and this was where the character Paul Lambert worked. Paul Lambert had an on-screen romance with Jonny Foster, played by actor Richard Grieve. The character of Jonny Foster was rather interesting. He was a farrier by profession and admitted to Paul, his then boyfriend, that he suffered from eating disorders as a teenager. Paul Lambert's previous relationships on 'Emmerdale' were with men named Enzo and Ivan. The actor who played Paul, Mathew Bose, is also gay off screen.

The Channel 4 soap 'Hollyoaks' has been criticised in the past for its severe shortage of gay characters and storylines. What was the name of the character played by Darren Bransford between 2001 and 2004?

Nicholas O' Connor. Nick O' Connor's character was one of indecision and confusion. 'Hollyoaks' also brought viewers to the attention of violence shown towards gay people. The 'Hollyoaks' fictional pub is called The Dog in the Pond or The Dog for short. Outside this location Nick was beaten up for being gay.

In 2007, 'Hollyoaks' saw a gay relationship involving the character Craig Dean. What was the nickname of the other character involved in this relationship?

JP. JP was the nickname given to the character John-Paul McQueen. This was evidently because of his initials. His character was played by the actor James Sutton. Craig Dean was played by actor Guy Burnet. Guy Burnet later admitted that he found playing a gay character quite difficult and sometimes uncomfortable. He had doubts about whether or not the sexuality of his on-screen character could be focused on, as, previously, the possibility of this character being homosexual was never alluded to. Well, I hope you enjoyed this quiz - feel free to give me any feedback! Thanks.