Gay Vicar Watch: Coronation Street

Daniel Brocklebank plays a gay vicar Billy in Coronation Street and hopes that the latest development in his storyline will highlight issues.

Anthony Cotton, who plays Sean Tully on the soap, joined Daniel on the This Morning couch to talk about how the soaps' writers used real life as inspiration.

Eamonn caused everyone to burst out laughing when he started to introduce the pair before being cut off by wife Ruth: "What do you get when you cross a knicker-maker... Well you get a soap romance from heaven."

Daniel said about the storyline: "It's been quite interesting. I knew very little about the Church of England's stance on gay clergy or anything of that nature.

"That's what soap is for, to highlight issues. It's predominantly about entertainment but if we can educate and broaden people's horizons."

The storyline sees Daniel and Anthony's characters go to a B&B to stay but are refused.

Daniel said it something similar like that happened to him several years back when he and an ex-partner of his experienced the similar situation where he was refused a room to live in.

Daniel recently shared he has faced a backlash from the soap’s fans and churchgoers over his gay vicar role.

He revealed viewers have given him verbal abuse off screen while others have hit out at the Street’s producers.

But defiant Daniel, gay in real life, doesn’t care – and hopes his storyline will change attitudes.

He says: “We’re here to cause some sort of stir and you’re never going to please everyone. Some of the religious viewers so far have not been too happy.

“A woman came up to me in a supermarket three days ago telling me I was going to go to hell playing a gay vicar. The show itself has had a backlash.” ...

Mirror.

Fagburn presumes Jonathan Harvey is behind this storyline.

PS Can't embed the video, but it is here.

Update: Coronation Street should clear out the dead wood and Antony Cotton is one example, Mirror. Sean and Billy story 'poorly handled'. 'The whole storyline – borrowed lock, stock from a real-life news story, by the way – felt far too shoehorned in. As if Corrie was playing for maximum outrage at the expense of credibility...'

Coronation Street: Gay Vicar Watch

Corrie star Daniel Brocklebank has faced a backlash from the soap’s fans and churchgoers over his gay vicar role.

He reveals viewers have given him verbal abuse off screen while others have hit out at the Street’s producers.

But defiant Daniel, gay in real life, doesn’t care – and hopes his storyline will change attitudes.

He says: “We’re here to cause some sort of stir and you’re never going to please everyone. Some of the religious viewers so far have not been too happy.

“A woman came up to me in a supermarket three days ago telling me I was going to go to hell playing a gay vicar. The show itself has had a backlash.”

Shakespeare In Love star Daniel, arrived on the cobbles as Rev Billy Mayhew in December and has been involved in an on-off romance with Sean Tully (Antony Cotton).

But the storyline has split viewers into different camps.

Andrea Williams, Director of Christian Concern, said: “There’s an agenda here to normalise something contrary to the Bible.

"I look forward to the day when Coronation Street introduces a vicar who cares about pointing people away from sinful behaviour.”

Sunday Mirror.

Well said concerned Christian lady!

Gay: OK

Gay OK? Well, it's certainly something to think about.

Update: The cast and crew of Coronation Street have made a video for Manchester Pride! Okay...

Coronation Street: Weatherfield's Disgrace

Coronation Street star Antony Cotton has spoken about the abuse he faces over his camp soap character - from young gay men.

Speaking at Manchester Pride's fringe festival on the subject of gay characters in Coronation Street, he says he's faced stick for years from the gay community - about his soap character, knicker-stitcher Sean Tully.

He told a packed audience at The Lowry centre: "I get a lot of stick from people who say, and these are people who are 21 years old, 'you've put the gay cause back 21 years.'

"Or they say 'you're a disgrace to this village'. You'd be surprised how many kids say that to me."

In defence of his soap character, Antony said: "Sean has never had to explain who he was, he never had to come out, he was just accepted into the community of Weatherfield from the start.

"So for every one of those people who say to me that Sean's a stereotype, and that he doesn't have a political storyline, actually the fact he's never had to explain himself makes him the most political gay character in soap." ...

Daily Mirror -

FAGBURN SAYS: DEATH TO THE BED
WETTING PEARL-CLUTCHING ANTI-CAMP HETERONORMATIVE GAYBORES!!!

PS The Mirror explain 'This article originally appeared on the Manchester Evening News website'.

It was then cut-and-pasted and run in The Independent without acknowledgement by someone called Jenn Selby.
Fagburn would consider this worthy of a printed apology, and it's also surely a disciplinary offence.
But it's The Independent, so don't hold you breath.
Journalism!

Coronation Street creator, the wonderful Tony Warren (above right), was also on the panel.

He recalled some hoo-ha at Granada Stuidios back in the 60s.

"I remember sitting in a script meeting and hearing these men describe one actor as a poof, a storyline described as poofy, I just said to them: 'Without a poof none of you would be in work this morning'."

Update: Antony was wearing a Pansy Project t-shirt on tonight's Corrie! Via Emma.

Antony Cotton: Covered Up

Ironic that Regent Road store known as "Gay Sainsbury's" is doing this. What's the reason @sainsburys? RT pic.twitter.com/zwrvWZz0g4
— Antony Cotton (@antonycotton) April 1, 2014 

Oh, but wait my friend, if the new sex police have their way you'll soon have to ask for fag mags behind the counter... 

Coronation Street: Bizarre Love Triangle

The Sun explain Corrie's EXPLOSIVE love triangle with the help of a handy easy-to-understand diagram.

GAY Todd Grimshaw is set to cause mayhem when he returns to the Coronation Street cobbles.
Eileen’s son will steal bisexual Marcus Dent from girlfriend Maria Connor — breaking knicker-stitcher Sean Tully’s heart along the way.
Todd, played by Bruno Langley, was the Street’s first openly gay character when he was introduced in 2001.
His dramatic exit in 2005 saw him attack ex-girlfriend Sarah-Louise (Tina O’Brien) when he found her in bed with his brother Jason (Ryan Thomas), following his own secret sex romps with a gay nurse.
But he returned for two brief stints in 2007 and 2011.
Now he’s back again in an explosive new storyline beginning on November 4. He is hiding a big secret and showing no signs of having learned lessons from his colourful past...

Confused? You won't be after this week's episode etc etc...

As ever Fagburn wonders, what would Brian Sewell say?

Coronation Street: Shock News - Something Happened

Bosses on Britain’s most-watched soap have now pinned a memo to the wall of the iconic studios, ordering actors and crew that anti-gay slurs will not be tolerated.
The memo says: “We have just been made aware of ­several recent instances of homophobic remarks being made on the studio floor.
“We are sure the vast majority of people working on Coronation Street find such behaviour unacceptable.
“But we’d like to make it absolutely clear that this is completely unacceptable. ITV has a bullying and harassment policy which clearly states that such behaviour may lead to disciplinary proceedings.”

I really can't see why this is front-page news.
So someone is supposed to have said something bad about The Gays.
Yes, that is bad.
Is there a company in Britain that doesn't put up such warnings about bigoted and aggressive behaviour?
Good for them.
In other news, here's Mary Berry and a cake.

Update: Antony Cotton defends the show - Manchester Evening News.

Antony Cotton: A Reply To Mr Brian Sewell

"Meanwhile, Brian Sewell continues to think there's a single person who gives a flying fuck what he thinks.
"The irony of him talking about LGBT people in Coronation Street. This coming from the biggest, spineless Mary Ellen in town. What a tit.
"For the record - without a gay man there would be no Coronation Street. End. Of. Story.
"Without gay people there would THE dullest film, fashion, television, literature, ENTERTAINMENT. The world's lives would worse without us.
"Enough with the naff, ridiculous, archaic, bigoted anger toward a community that forms such an important and essential part of society
"Some people are gay, for fuck's sake, get over it. Young people couldnt care less. Enough is enough."

Antony Cotton - "Actor. Barmaid. Factory Worker." - tweets his thoughts about Brian Sewell's bizarre Daily Mail tirade about all The Gays in Coronation Street via Twitter.
Brava, Mr Cotton. Brava!
As the younger someone is the more likely they are to like The Gays, Fagburn say "Keep Coronation Street well before the watershed - and rationally show it during Kids' TV!"
Or - conversely - why not start a channel just for old cunts like Brian Sewell?

Update: And another smashing reply, by Paul Flynn in The Guardian Online; Is Manchester the Sodom of the north? Well yes, a bit. Sorry. Brian Sewell's anti-gay diatribe shows how little he knows about Coronation Street - or Canal Street, for that matter


Update 2: No wait, there's more. On the Comment pages of The Guardian on Thursday, Charlie Condou - ie Marcus Dent on The Street - detailing Brian Sewell's stunning ignorance; We're Not Too Gay For Telly.
Kudos to Antony, Paul, Charlie and The Guardian.

David Cameron: "No Call For Gay Kiss Ban"

David Cameron has indicated he will not support any calls to ban gay kissing on TV before 9pm.
It follows newspaper claims that the prime minister didn't want images of same sex kissing shown before the watershed.
Last year the government asked the chief executive of the Mothers' Union, Reg Bailey, to carry out a review into the way children were 'sexualised' by things like TV shows, music videos, clothing and adverts.
The review is due to be published later this month.
Some newspaper reports claimed it could call for a ban on same sex kissing on TV in the early evening, leading to criticism from soap stars.
Coronation street actor Anthony Cotton, who plays gay father Sean Tully, said David Cameron was "not in touch with people" after reports he would support the review's recommendations.
But a spokesman for the prime minister has told Newsbeat: "Those suggesting that the PM is looking at a ban are both wrong and being irresponsible."
He said the review's remit "doesn't include making recommendations as to what should or shouldn't be shown on TV".
However the Department for Education's website says Reg Bailey's review will be looking into how parents can tell broadcasters about the "things they are unhappy about".
Earlier this month, Mr Bailey tweeted: "Don't believe everything you read in the press. Brookside kiss has never been mentioned in anything the review has looked at."

Newsbeat, BBC Radio 1.
Please let this be the end of this ridiculous Daily Mail-invented fairy tale.
Oy vey!

Gay Kiss TV Watershed Ban: "It's Utter Nonsense"

Coronation Street's Antony Cotton has said Prime Minister David Cameron is "not in touch with the people" for backing a proposed ban on showing same-sex kisses before the watershed.
The actor, who plays gay father Sean Tully in the soap and is gay himself, said the policy was "nonsense" and "unenforceable".
Speaking at the British Soap Awards, Cotton said: "That just goes to show that the man doesn't know what he's talking about and he's not in touch with the people.
"As for that policy, it's utter nonsense. And one would hope that in 2011 it's entirely unenforceable because it's a nonsense."

This is from a Press Association story that's just gone out.
It'll probably appear - exactly as above - in your local paper tomorrow.
A few points: Antony Cotton doesn't now what he's talking about.
Talking about "that policy" is "utter nonsense" - because there is no such policy.
Nor is there "a proposed ban".
We are waiting for an independent report on children and TV that has not been published yet.
We have no idea what it says about same-sex kissing - this was a fantasy dreamt up by the Daily Mail - or indeed what it says about anything.
David Cameron has not "backed a proposed ban on same-sex kissing before the watershed" - firstly because no-one has proposed one, and secondly because he has not seen the report and has not made any comment on it.
And, yes Antony, a ban on gay kissing but not straight kissing would probably be unenforceable as it contravenes the Equality Act.
Will any journalist bother checking this stupid story?*
FOR FUCKS SAKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

* Credit where credit's due - one journalist has bothered to check this story with Downing Street - James Park at Pink News.

Coronation Street: Wedding Balls

"CORONATION Street will screen its first gay wedding the day Prince William and Kate Middleton marry.
"The Street’s Sean Tully and Marcus Dent are due to tie the knot on April 29 in an hour-long spoiler to rival ­EastEnders’ marriage of Phil Mitchell to Shirley Carter."

The Daily Mirror, February 20th 2011.

"We've heard rumours of a gay marriage with Marcus... would you like to see that for Sean?"
"That was hilarious and totally made up by the papers - they even said we were getting married on the same day as Prince William and Kate Middleton. Great idea but not true at all. Who knows what the future holds for Sean, but a wedding is not on the cards at the moment..."

The Daily Mirror, April 22nd 2011.