Hayley and Roy Cropper
Julie Hesmondhalgh's 'Coronation Street' cancer storyline will explore the 'right to die' issue.
The 43-year-old actress' alter-ego Hayley Cropper - who was born a man called Harold - is to decide to take her own life after she was told she has terminal pancreatic cancer, but she is determined to die "in peace" on her own terms.
Speaking about the storyline, 'Corrie' Producer Stuart Blackburn said: "Hayley has been through such a lot in her life and is very concerned about losing control as the disease progresses.
"The palliative care Hayley receives is superb but she is scared that the pain relief can cause confusion and a loss of clarity. She is concerned she could regress to being Harold. She's already had one such nightmare. She wants to die in peace with clarity of thought, she wants to die as Hayley, the identity she has spent her whole life fighting for."
But Hayley faces another battle on her hands to convince caring husband Roy Cropper (David Neilson) that she should be allowed to take her own life.
Stuart added: "Once she knows that she has a very short time left to live she sets about getting her life in order so that she can take control of her final moments before the illness renders her incapable of doing so.
"This is a very sensitive issue and we will be exploring the effects of her decision on husband Roy who has a huge emotional and moral dilemma over her choice to die this way."
Tagged in David Neilson Julie Hesmondhalgh