Transgender groups were also largely unhappy with the storyline, and found Hayley's original character traits, as written, clichd and ill-informed. The couple enjoyed the day immensely, with the highlight being a dance in the Tower Ballroom, Roy having learned ballroom dancing especially for the occasion. A year later, they let homeless Craig Harris move into the flat after finding him living in squalor in the empty bakery next door. Hayley was so glad to have a friend that she started following Alma around and bought her an expensive sweater. In December, Roy and Hayley go to a hospital appointment where she tells the nurse that her pain is getting worse and she is prescribed with stronger painkillers. Who drove the Ford Escort in fast and furious? Occasionally, Hayley experimented with a more youthful, feminine look, before deciding that it didn't suit her. David is 69 years old, and will turn 70 in March 2019. But I was really conscious that I didn't want it to be making fun of her, and as it happened it was beautifully written and David [Neilson] and I played it, and continue to play it, as a delicate love story. (Fifty Years) On their relationship, David Neilson: "Everything just clicked and the two characters just seem to sparkle together," (Inside Soap). Proving their doubters wrong, they got married in 1999, and again in 2010, by which time changes in UK law meant that their union could be acknowledged legally as a result of the Gender Recognition Act 2004. Fiz subsequently returned to the area after turning sixteen, where she enjoyed a far better relationship with the Croppers. Roy initially rejected her, but missed their friendship and three months later, followed her to Amsterdam where she was living on a houseboat, recuperating from her surgery. ", Reaction to the character improved over time, with praise focusing on Hayley's relationship with Roy. Stuart then confronted Roy and Hayley in the cafe and called them freaks. In that time, she'd fallen in love with Mozambique and its people, and in fact no sooner had she returned to Roy's side that she announced her intention to return and continue her work. Hayley is devastated and furious with Roy. "Hayley Cropper was one of the most important characters in the world, as far as I'm concerned." Sometimes you have to go in with that attitude. Becky's stay with the Croppers reached an impasse when Becky went for a joyride in Hayley's car with her friend Slug, and she was subsequently sacked for starting a fire in the cafe which was actually caused by an electrical fault. Hayley insists on visiting Jane in the hospice and Jeff reveals that Jane has died. Dancing with Norris in her dancing exam, Hayley passed with flying colours, although much to her annoyance, Roy was more interested in his and Mary's chess games. Hayley also played a part in the drama surrounding Tommy Harris's murder. The letter stirred up some painful childhood memories of abandonment, but with Hayley's encouragement Roy took a trip to Blackburn to meet St. John. Christian Gatley was the son of transsexual Hayley Cropper and first seen in September 2007 when a Private Investigator found Christian for Hayley, giving her all the information needed about her son, she was also shown a photograph of Christian outside Sound Garden, the record shop where he worked. Maisie, however, tells her that she hopes she gets better soon and that she would love to come again. The following day, Hayley tells Roy to let a few people know that she only has weeks left but does not want visitors. Hayley is thrilled but Christian demands Hayley give him money in return as he is in a lot of debt. Annie Wallace was brought in to the show as a research assistant to Julie . She was appearing in Much Ado About Nothing at the Royal Exchange Theatre when she was spotted by a member of the casting team and subsequently asked to audition for Coronation Street. The episode attracted 9.7 million viewers the show's highest figure in almost a year. In 2013, Hayley battled pancreatic cancer. Roy and Hayley see an opportunity to raise a child and pay Tracy 25,000. At the given address, they were met by Margaret Cropper, St. John's second wife, who informed them that her husband had recently passed away. Suppressing his feelings of grief, Roy slumped into a depression. The character is played actress, Julie Hesmondhalgh, who is assuredly not transsexual herself. Later that week, Roy proposes to Hayley and she accepts. By law they were still unwed, but with Hayley changing her surname to "Cropper" by deed poll, they considered themselves a married couple. Hayley felt the strain of everyone watching her and contemplated leaving Weatherfield, but Roy pleaded with her to stay and together they braved the Rovers. In the summer, Hayley encountered Wayne Hayes and his mother Sheila in the Kabin and brought them to the cafe for lunch. Heather phones the father to tell him he has a son, and it is revealed to be the much younger Darren Miller (Charlie G. Hawkins). On 22 January 2014, Hesmondhalgh won "Best Serial Drama Performance" at the National Television Awards. When her family moved to Coronation Street in 2002, they were known as the Nelsons due to being in the witness protection programme. Rejected by Roy, Hayley confided her troubles in Alma, also revealing her sex change to her. As the day arrived, the wedding party was just about to arrive when the press turned up at the church. Fiz Brown was the second of the Croppers' foster children in 2001. and that there are other things I want to try. In most aspects of their lives, they were a team, for example in their volunteer work and becoming first aiders. The Croppers couldn't have children, but they fostered Fiz Brown in 2001, and took in several waifs and strays, most notably Becky Granger. "But I don't want to be in authority. This was incorporated into scripts, with Curly Watts finding a vicar who would carry out a blessing ceremony which was then treated like a wedding, with Hayley changing her name by deed poll to Hayley Cropper. During their last conversation, Hayley thanked Carla for giving her three extra years of life. In 2012, she took three months off to appear in Black Roses: The Killing Of Sophie Lancaster at the Royal Exchange Theatre. They went on to possibly save their group mates' lives by evacuating the first aid tent when a rocket landed on it and started a fire at the local firework display. Hayley Cropper died in January 2014 in husband Roys arms. She goes with Roy to his driving lesson, which was a disaster. Their first child is teenager Fiz Brown (Jennie McAlpine), who returns to care after falsely claiming that Roy hit her. Becky Granger entered Hayley's life when Becky started working at Underworld in 2006. The following day, Christian visits again and is stunned when Christian says she can see the children. It being a big step for them, Hayley and Roy were very attentive and enthusiastic, much to Jackie's chagrin, but overall it was a pleasant experience for them. Granada received three letters of complaint, all which were about Hayley being played by a cis-gendered woman and not a transwoman. Roy arrives back at the caf and is confronted by Gloria Price (Sue Johnston) with "customer feedback". Roy and his late wife Hayley fostered Wayne back in 2001 in a bid to get him away from his abusive stepfather, but he was eventually returned home leaving the couple devastated. She decides to tell Fiz about Christian, confusing Roy but he comes round to the idea of Hayley contacting Christian, so she leaves a message on his mobile. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. However, she made an exception for Tracy Barlow, giving her a slap when Tracy made cracks about her sexuality during a heated argument. In some ways this was a disadvantage; her easygoing nature made her a poor stand-in factory manager after Paul Connor's death, with Carla having to take over to get things back on track. However, Hayley refused to be defined by her illness and remained as active as usual. The following year, the Croppers joined the Weatherfield First Aiders. When she comes home, she is stunned to find Roy, Owen Armstrong (Ian Puleston-Davies) and Gary Windass (Mikey North) re-decorating their bedroom. [11] The actress recorded her final scenes on 18 November 2013, being screened on 20 January 2014, and the producers came up with a dramatic exit storyline for her character. Carla appreciated Hayley as a valuable member of the sewing room team, but nothing more; poles apart in personality, Carla was a glamorous factory boss, and Hayley a frumpy staff supervisor. Why then should this fictional character have a place in any list of famous or influential trans people? After a nap, Hayley is determined to go to The Rovers for a Christmas drink, but Roy wants her to take it easy. Anne Malone froze to death when she was accidentally locked in a freezer at Freshcos while gaining revenge on Curly Watts for rejecting her. After one last moment together, she drinks the cocktail. In December 2011, when Tracy Barlow had a miscarriage which she claimed was caused by Becky pushing her down the stairs, Becky defiantly refused to take the blame, claiming that Tracy had lost the babies before the stairs incident and slipped down her staircase of her own accord. In 2009, Hayley was tempted back to the factory when Tony Gordon offered her the position of manager in his absence, although with the return of co-owner Carla Connor, Hayley returned to her old machinist/supervisor role. After Roy, Carla provided the most support to Hayley in her final months, and in fact often acted as a counterbalance to Roy by encouraging Hayley to stay active and trying to boost her spirits, which was much appreciated by her ailing friend. In particular, she never felt right in her body, especially after puberty which she described as "like sores breaking out". in Coronation Street, he was generally seen as an anorak and a misfit. However, reaction to the character was mainly positive. Christian brings Sam and Maisie to the caf and Maisie is intrigued by Roy's train collection, while Hayley and Christian talk upstairs. Roy agrees but he is more concerned with inheritance law, upsetting Hayley, so she moves in with friend Anna Windass (Debbie Rush). Hayley chooses not to disclose her transgender status, but she is forcibly outed when Alma's husband and factory boss Mike discovers a Tax Office error, showing her deadname. In October 2012, when Mary won tickets to the United States in a competition, she gave them to Roy and Hayley so that they could visit Sylvia, who was temporarily staying with her companion Milton Fanshaw in Palm Springs, California. She passed away with Roy at her side, but she left behind a husband who felt betrayed and abandoned, who was now without his soulmate. It had been a long time coming for the couple who had been together since soon after Hayley arrived on the cobbles in. I keep my chin tucked in and my head down and my hands in front of me or under the table, because she would want to conceal her masculine hands. Taking pity on Hayley when Curly Watts picked on her for being too unassertive in her job at Firman's Freezers, Alma befriended her in order to boost her confidence. [12] The appearance of a transgender woman in a mainstream soap opera attracted initial opposition from some members of the public, as expressed in calls to the Granada duty office, and letters written to magazines and newspapers. Hayley Patterson was a shy shop supervisor at Firman's Freezers. Her return to the fray ended on a sour note as she was disqualified due to her being registered as Harold and therefore not allowed to compete in the all-woman team. At the hospital, the consultant explains that Hayley has an infection and needs to stay overnight. They've got to be a bit more imaginative, so it's great - it works out good for us." What's on TV describes the character as quiet, and kind-hearted. She was a kind woman who always put others first, at times such that she could be seen as a pushover, as evidenced by doing her colleagues work for them to meet quotas. He only set Hayley free when Carla pleaded with him, and the incident ended with Tony perishing in a blaze he started himself. [7] Making her debut appearance on the show in January 1998, she played the first transgender character in a British soap opera. In her sixteen years as Hayley, Hesmondhalgh wore the same red anorak. 27-year-old Julie Hesmondhalgh was born in Accrington, Lancashire. The manner of Hayley's send-off was entirely appropriate for a woman who always looked to the positive; a woman who had lit up people's lives with her boundless enthusiasm and kindness. Hayley returns in November 2008; it is clear that she is not entirely happy, appearing evasive and she tells Roy that she wants to return to her charity work, as she has fallen for Olaf, the project team leader. Later that week, Roy and Hayley go to a hospital appointment following her scan and learn that the cancer is a lot more aggressive than anticipated, meaning Hayley only has weeks left to live. From hair masks to cold rinses, people incorporate many different shower rituals into their routines. Hayley does well and is invited to Audrey Roberts' (Sue Nicholls) birthday party at the Bistro. When catching up with Tilly, another volunteer, she learns Olaf is not the man she thought he was and decides to stay with Roy. Hayley and Becky did have the occasional cross word. They successfully applied and were taken on as foster parents. Spurred on by a nightmare in which she was still Harold and had never met Roy, she decided to try and make amends with Christian. Hayley realises that she has to tell Roy so goes home and tells Roy and Sylvia. Hayley and Roy return a couple of weeks later and learn that Sylvia has gone to live with her sister, Roy's aunt Jean. Later in the year, Roy and Hayley visit Palm Springs, California to visit Sylvia and her companion Milton Fanshaw (Robert Vaughn). On the value of the couple: "I've said this before, but they are, despite how unusual they are as people, they are the most conservative couple on the Street really. Eventually Janice got fed up with Les and left him for Dennis Stringer. The Croppers were reconciled when Roy bought Hayley a salsa dress as a present. Their row led to Hayley leaving Roy to stay with Fiz and Tyrone Dobbs at 9 Coronation Street, where she had a collapse due to an infection and was taken to hospital. Because of her sheltered upbringing, Hayley was shy and had trouble making friends. Coronation Street's handling of transgender issues, the uncertainty of whether her partner would accept her gender identity and the inability of transgender people to adopt children or marry, has been praised by transgender groups. What is the real name of Hayley. His offer came with a proposal of marriage, but Hayley had to decline, reminding him that they couldn't marry under UK law. Unable to return to Firman's Freezers, Hayley got a job at Underworld knicker factory when Roy won a bet with Mike Baldwin that Hayley could out-machine any of his girls. Hayley and Roy then sit down as talk about Hayley's final days, where she tells Roy that she intends to end her own life when the cancer spreads. During Ben's adolescence and childhood, he was. Julie Hesmondhalgh was pleased to be working alongside David Neilson again, believing that he helped her performance: "It's in the costume and the wig and acting with David, who's so brilliant as Roy. Hayley Cropper (also Hayley Patterson) is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, played by Julie Hesmondhalgh. With Alex threatening to call the police, the Croppers stole Martin's car and, taking with Wayne with them, sought refuge with Hayley's old friend Ruth Audsley in Warwickshire. On 20 January 2014, Hayley died in Roy's arms after drinking a lethal cocktail. One instance where this was a problem was when the Croppers were interviewed to assess their suitability as foster parents in December 2000. Tired of appeasing Tracy, the Croppers became more aggressive in their dealings with her by telling Ken and Deirdre about her pregnancy, but Tracy hit back by getting an extra 10,000 out of them in exchange for her marrying Roy and then shaming them in public by telling the neighbours about their financial arrangement. She is taken care of by paramedics and she and Roy tell one another they love each other before watching the factory blow up, after Tony sets fire to the building, killing himself but Carla manages to untie herself and escapes. Over time, Hayley came to better understand her feelings about her mind and body and she decided to become physically a woman. While Roy was in a vulnerable state due to his grief over betraying Hayley, Hayley acted out in other ways, initially accusing Tracy of making the whole thing up, and then, after persuading Roy to fight for their marriage and not move out as he proposed, adopting a more feminine image, which was not to either of their liking. Hayley was played by actress Julie Hesmondhalgh. The result of this was the tabling, in 2004, of the Gender Recognition Act, granting trans people full legal status in their acquired sex. Hayley remained there longer than Roy, returning on 9th January 2013. Carla gives Hayley have the time off and Mary lends them her motor home. A small Registry Office ceremony was arranged with Roy signing his assets over to Hayley beforehand in case Tracy tried to get hold of the cafe in the divorce. It has been said that the character of Hayley deserves partial credit for bringing the issues faced by trans people to public attention in a sympathetic manner, rather than the sensationalist coverage that had previously existed[citation needed]. Hesmondhalgh's portrayal of Hayley, and her on-screen chemistry with fellow actor David Neilson, encouraged the writers to allow the character to evolve from a brief love interest for Roy to a popular long-term character. It was revealed that Hayley had applied for, and received, her new birth certificate, and so, after some disagreements about the cost and motives for marriage, the plans were made for the wedding. Coronation Street legend Julie Hesmondhalgh has revealed she moved in with her now husband after just one week of dating and was pregnant within six weeks.. Julie, who played Hayley Cropper on the . The unlucky-in-love shop assistant, played by Cheryl Fergison, plucks up the courage to tell the mystery man hes become a father just hours after giving birth. Hayley continued to work throughout, insisting on giving herself a sense of normality and asking Roy not to mention the word cancer in her presence. While Wayne was staying with them, Roy and Hayley pretended to the neighbours that they were fostering him. Photo Credit: Matrix Pictures Before you think Roy and Daniel are inseparable, Daniel, in real-life, is married to Jane Neilson who is not involved with Coronation Street. Stuart kept popping into the cafe to see Hayley and they developed an innocent flirtation, with the understanding that nothing would happen due to Hayley being married. Unbeknown to Hayley, Roy was planning to propose to her at the upcoming 70s Valentine's dance, but when Roy caught Hayley spying on him even after he'd explained why he was seeing Beryl, he felt betrayed by her lack of trust, causing a brief rift between them. [13] Wallace is now an actress in her own right, and appears as the character Sally St. Claire in the Channel 4 soap opera, Hollyoaks. Unbeknown to the Croppers, Tracy made a bet with Bev Unwin that she could bed Roy, in order to prove that she could have any man she wanted. In February 1999, Hayley became suspicious of Roy's movements when he put on his best clothes to go for a walk. Tracy drugs Roy at Peter Barlow (Chris Gascoyne) and Shelley Unwin's (Sally Lindsay) wedding reception and claims to have slept with him. In 2010, Becky confided in them her mother's death, which she had kept even from Steve McDonald. Producer Brian Park: [We] didn't want to be seen as chasing their tails so much. A minority of people expressed their concern at having such "bizarreness" brought into their homes on a prime-time show. With her troubled past, Becky's aggressive and thieving behaviour was a hard habit to break, but she was spurred on by her loyalty to the Croppers. You can push the envelope later. Following the screening of the "wedding" in 1999, the Labour Government announced that a Parliamentary Working Group was being created to assess how the United Kingdom could grant trans people the legal rights for which they had fought for decades. While there, Christian returns to the street and winds Fiz up about Hayley so she tells him that Hayley has cancer in an angry outburst. Hayley and Roy then foster a young boy, Wayne Hayes (Gary Damer), but go on the run with him, wanting to protect him from his abusive stepfather. Owner of Roy's Rolls, Roy was an incessantly honest man, and Hayley was one of the few people who understood him. Making her character pregnant when Julie fell pregnant in real life wasn't possible for the Corrie script team for obvious reasons - Hayley Cropper was born a man. In 2006, he ignored Hayley in favour of his friend Clifford Ford, who loved trains almost as much as Roy did. Long-serving Coronation Street star Julie Hesmondhalgh is leaving the soap after 15 years as TV favourite Hayley Cropper. For the duration of. Hesmondhalgh only knew she was auditioning to play a "fun" character, so arrived "all Bet Lynch, in my leopard skin and red lippy". Shortly after this storyline was transmitted, Hesmondhalgh took a year off to concentrate on family. With Alma as Matron of Honour, Martin Platt as Best Man, and her Great Uncle Bert as Father of the Bride, Hayley and Roy were married on 23rd April 1999. Her friend and colleague Alma Baldwin (Amanda Barrie) introduced her to Roy Cropper (David Neilson) and they became friends until Hayley told him that she was transgender and used to be called Harold. Roy tries one last time to stop Hayley but she is adamant. (Lancashire Evening Telegraph, 7th March 1998), After her initial two-month stint was deemed a success, Julie Hesmondhalgh was given a new contract and Hayley returned as a permanent character with Episode 4429 on 29th June 1998, beginning with a memorable set of episodes filmed on location in Amsterdam, where Hayley reunited with Roy having completed her transformation into a woman. Hesmondhalgh won numerous awards for her portrayal of Hayley, but announced her departure from the show on 11 January 2013. ", As the storyline played out, Hesmondhalgh feared a backlash from fans over the storyline but was surprised by the reaction: "I've had so many messages and it's been overwhelming. At the age of 46 years old David made his debut on Coronation Street. Hesmondhalgh: "Because nobody else would have them, the scriptwriters have got to be a bit imaginative with us - they can't just keep splitting us up and sending us off and having affairs and having children and things. She hires a private investigator to track him down and introduces herself as his aunt. Hayley returns later that year and supports Roy when they discover that his father died in May 2013. Her anger was typically directed at her circumstances, rather than her tormentors. But I think the anorak has got to stay - it's an institution! But a lot of people have said because it's been so true to Roy and Hayley, they've found it moving. They saw through his scheme but even their regular attentive method of parenting were beyond what Chesney was used to at home. Hayley is heartbroken when Becky decides to leave Weatherfield in January 2012 but gets a call a few months later, telling her that she is engaged to her new boyfriend. To her surprise, Christian returned and introduced Hayley to Sam and Maisie, at the same time asking her for 5,000 to clear his debts. The character first appeared in the episode first broadcast on 26 January 1998. She was subsequently booked in for a more in-depth CT scan, after which the doctors broke the news to her that she had pancreatic cancer, and her chances of survival were only one in five. In 2007, Hayley discovered that she had a son, Christian Gatley, fathered before her sex change, and admitted to Roy that she'd lied about being a virgin when they met. He couldn't remember what had happened in between but Tracy was more than happy to fill in the blanks. With nobody else in the mood for talking, Roy bored the rest of the table with his dry stories, but he had a captive audience in Hayley, and took her out for a drink afterwards. On getting home, Hayley is stunned to see Christian and tells him that she is too tired but will see him another time. The following year was relatively quiet for the Croppers. In 2004, she joined the Rovers Ravers, and ended up carrying the team as she was the only one with any experience at the sport. Hayley was very non-confrontational, at least when dealing with bigots such as Les Battersby. Hayley goes down to theatre at 13:05 and gives Roy her wedding ring to look after. Whatever happens next I'll always be proudest of lovely Mrs Cropper. Just before she left, Hayley got into an argument with Tracy Barlow, standing her ground when Tracy made fun of her sexuality, although it revealed an insecurity in her that Roy didn't find her physically attractive. At that point, they could not legally marry as under UK law Hayley would be recognised as a man. The Croppers' problems were forgotten temporarily when the couple discovered that someone had been in the cafe overnight and moved things around, on multiple occasions. What happened to Anne Malone in Coronation Street? When she told her father this, he threw all photographs of "Harold" into the fire and refused to allow her to wear woman's clothes in his presence. I think maybe Ann McManus came up with it. What is the application of a cascade control system. Before auditioning, the actress was given sketchy details about the character, with one glaring omission: All I knew at first was there's a part going in Coronation Street, she's called Hayley, she's going to work in the factory and she's fun. Roy goes with Hayley but Christian sends her a text, saying that he cannot go through with it. However, this was borne out of a desire to share his interests with his wife rather than selfishness, and Roy was also capable of more romantic gestures, with the occasional prompting from friends. Her friend and colleague Alma Baldwin ( Amanda Barrie) introduced her to Roy Cropper ( David Neilson) and they became friends until Hayley told him that she was transgender and used to be called Harold. Traumatised by the incident, Roy's sleepwalking episodes intensified, and on one occasion the cafe smoke alarm went off when Roy cooked in his sleep. However, Hayley's insecurity over how Roy saw her occasionally cropped up, in particular her fear that he didn't find her attractive, but it was never mentioned again after his near-suicide in 2003 when he thought he'd been unfaithful to Hayley with Tracy Barlow. Jane shocked the couple by making jokes about her pancreatic cancer, but while Roy found her attitude inappropriate, Hayley was inspired and befriended the couple.

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