Shelley King is pleased with the way 'Coronation Street' deals with "the difficulties of sexuality".
Shelley King
The 63-year-old actress - who plays Yasmeen Nazir on the soap and has been open about being gay in real life - is happy to see the way Rana Habeeb (Bhavna Limbachia) and Kate Connor's (Faye Brooks) relationship is being addressed on screen, and she thinks it can have a positive impact on other people wanting to come out themselves.
Speaking to Inside Soap magazine, she said: "When I was Bhavna's age [34], it was very difficult to be gay, and people before me also found it very hard to come out.
"Things have changed and I think programmes like 'Coronation Street', which explore the difficulties of sexuality and transgender, are paving the way to help see that we're all human beings."
Shelley also heaped praise on the way 'Corrie' has addressed Rana's faith too, and the views of the Muslim community.
She added: "Rana is a Muslim character, and her mum is very anti - but then you have Yasmeen, who is actually very supportive of Rana.
"And this reflects the Muslim community - there are people who understand, and there are people who do not. Their opinions must be valued and we must all learn to live with each other - that's the lesson of this storyline."
Rana is set to leave the soap this year in a harrowing storyline when the character is killed off around the time of her and Kate's wedding.
Shelley - whose alter ego was Rana's on-screen mother-in-law when she was married to Zeedan Nazir (Qasim Akhtar) - has admitted she will miss having Bhavna on set.
She said: "Well, just her being there and working with her. Yasmeen and Rana were very close because Rana reminded Yasmeen of herself.
"Yasmeen has been abandoned by her family - her son died, her grandson left, and her son's wife died before she was on screen.
"Also, I'll just miss the presence of a young actress to work with! Bhavna is a wonderful actor and I'e loved