Julie Hesmondhalgh and David Nielson who play the much loved characters of Roy and Hayley Cropper in Coronation Street talk about their roles.
David Nielson and Julie Hesmondhalgh tell Gay Byrne about the challenges of introducing a transgender character to the soap opera. Initially fearing that it would be handled badly both actors were sceptical about how the story would unfold. However after meeting they wanted to do the story justice.
David Nielson arrives late to the Late Late Show studio having been delayed on a flight to Dublin from Bristol. He describes his initial terror when he heard the storyline.
I was imagining a big trucker in a wig. Nothing against big truckers in wigs. I'm all for them.
When he discovered that Julie Hesmondhalgh would be playing the part of Hayley and saw the great scripts, his initial fears were quelled.
Gay Byrne describes them as
The most extraordinary coupling in television history and yet everybody loves you both.
This episode of The Late Late Show was broadcast on 19 February 1999. The presenter is Gay Byrne.
