8 times British soaps got very, very gay… and very, very good

Unlike their American counterparts, British soaps have a pretty good track record when it comes to LGBTQ+ representation. On Emmerdale, Coronation Street, EastEnders, and Hollyoaks, queer folks are allowed to have sex, get married, and even be villains! These eight fabulously queer stories include everything from lusty affairs to untimely death to tender romance.

Read on for eight times British soaps got very queer and very, very good.

Aaron and Robert have a torrid affair before falling in love — Emmerdale

We begin our journey in the rural Yorkshire dales, where blue-collar scrapyard owner Aaron Livesy (Danny Miller) met engaged and snobby—and previously believed to be straight—Robert Sugden (Ryan Hawley) in 2014. Aaron and Robert had a lusty affair that lasted over a year, and continued after Robert married rich b*tch Chrissie White (Louise Marwood in a fabulously cold turn). While the relationship turned toxic—Robert even held Aaron hostage in a convoluted plot to keep the affair secret—the two eventually got together for real, Robert owned up to his bisexuality and the two married. This romance ended in divorce in 2019 when Robert went to prison for murder, but that’s another story.

Syed forsakes his family and finds love with Christian — EastEnders

EastEnders has had its share of famous gay stories and characters—the BBC got massive flack for a gay peck on the cheek in the 1980s—but few are as sexy, romantic, and epic as the multi-year romance between devout Muslim Syed Masood (Marc Elliott) and out-and-proud Christian Clarke (out hunk John Partridge). Syed married a woman and had a baby before confronting his sexuality and disapproving mother, Zainab (played to unhinged and comedic brilliance by Nina Wadia). Christian and Syed even got a happy ending when they left the show in 2012.

Zoe throws Charity under the bus for murder — Emmerdale

Zoe Tate (the late Leah Bracknell) was the first lesbian character on a British soap, and also one of the messiest anti-heroes in the show’s history, with schizophrenia, multiple lovers and an axe to grind. In 2003, Zoe’s lover, Charity Dingle (Emma Atkins) was framed for murdering her brother, Chris Tate (Peter Amory), and scorned Zoe wasted no time testifying against her ex when she found out Chris and Charity had also been together! Charity is currently still chaotically bisexual today and going through her latest divorce, while Zoe is presumably off causing her own brand of chaos somewhere else.

Brendan and Ste have a bad romance — Hollyoaks

Closeted criminal Brendan (Emmett J. Scanlan) and blue collar bloke Ste Hay (out actor Kieron Richardson) had a lust-fueled romance that was capital-P problematic, with angry Brendan often turning physical toward the sweet Ste. But their complicated story resonated with fans in the early 2010s, and the villain became more of an antihero as time went on. Brendan is currently in jail, while Ste is married to bitchy, posh lawyer James (Gregory Finnegan).

Rana risks everything for Kate — Coronation Street

Kate Connor (Faye Brooks) was a proud lesbian who had her fair share of bad relationships—her first love, Caz (Rhea Bailey), tried to hold her hostage when Kate dumped her—eastbut few couplings have ended as badly as her engagement to Rana (Bhavna Limbachia). Rana, a Muslim nurse, was married to Zeedan (Qasim Akhtar) before discovering her sapphic side with Kate. After the majority of her family disowned her and even tried to kidnap her back to Pakistan, Kate and Rana got engaged. Unfortunately for the star-crossed lovers, Rana died when the roof of the local factory collapsed on her head in 2019.

Ben and Paul get it on at the mortuary — EastEnders

Ben Mitchell (played by many actors over the years, including Harry Reid for this story), the local gangster’s son, was enamored with the undertaker’s fabulous grandson Paul Coker (Jonny Labey) in 2015. The two started with lurid hookups, including one at the funeral home in the same room as an open casket (!!!), but eventually lust turned to love. Unfortunately, Paul was murdered in a hate crime in 2016. Ben would eventually find love again, but we’ll always remember sweet Paul dropping trou in front of a dead body.

Aaron helps paralyzed boyfriend Jackson die — Emmerdale

Long before Aaron had his life-changing affair with Robert, he took care of his first boyfriend, Jackson Walsh (Marc Silcock), who was left quadriplegic after a car accident. Jackson became deeply depressed following his accident, and convinced Aaron to euthanize him in 2011. The controversial story drew criticism from certain groups who felt the story had a negative message about people with disabilities, but it was a powerful and sad ending to a tender first love.

George abuses John-Paul before getting killed — Hollyoaks

John-Paul McQueen (James Sutton) met seemingly perfect guy, cop George Kiss (Callum Kerr), in 2020. But George slowly showed himself to be a manipulative, violent man who destroyed JP’s self-worth and happiness. George’s reign of terror ended in 2021 when he was murdered in a shocking whodunit, and it was ultimately revealed that John-Paul’s parent—the trans Sally St. Claire (trans actress Annie Wallace)—was the killer.

Related:

9 times soap operas got too gay for daytime TV

For a while there, soaps had a habit of introducing gay storylines and then writing those character off the show completely.