Coronation Street to introduce gay vicar in ‘modern relationship’ storyline

PinkNews logo with white background and rainbow corners

Coronation Street is set to introduce a gay vicar character into Weatherfield.

The vicar, named ‘Billy’ will be played by Daniel Brocklebank, known for starring in ‘Shakespeare in Love’.

The character will join Emily Bishop at the St Mary’s church in Weatherfield, and will start a relationship with Rovers Return barman Sean Tully, played by Antony Cotton, after they meet on a night out.

Producer Stuart Blackburn said: “We will be exploring this very modern relationship in the coming months and are delighted to have Daniel on board to play Billy.”

It is thought that the character Billy is the first gay vicar character in a UK soap.

Coronation Street has seen over 102 on-screen weddings in its 53 years on air, but Paul Johnston and Andy Daniel from London last month became the first real-life couple to marry at the Rovers Return Inn.