'Eastenders' star John Partridge has said 'Coronation Street' character Sean Tully is a "stereotype" of a homosexual man.
Digital Spy reports that Partridge plays gay character Christian Clarke on Albert Square. He made his comments in an interview with Attitude magazine where he said Tully, played by Antony Cotton, does represent some men in the gay community but said his own character was the opposite of Sean.
Partridge said: "What I didn't want as a stereotype was what I call a teatime gay. The Sean Tully type of character is the reason my character is here.
"I've worked in theatre for 20 years and there are lots of queens in the West End that look and act like that. I'm not going to diss his performance or his style, or say 'Who does he think he's representing?' because he is representing one of those shades of gay.
"It may not be your taste, but if that character hadn't happened and been so successful, I don't think the BBC would have gone, 'Right, we need a gay character'."
Partridge’s own character is currently at the centre of a storyline where he is involved in a relationship with a married Muslin man, Syed.
He said: "It's groundbreaking for a soap to address sexuality and religion. I'm a gay man, my family are Christians, and I'm sure there's a part of them that goes, 'I don't really agree with that,' but they get on with it."
