James Bailey

[Perdita]

Coronation Street will explore the issue of homophobia in football with the arrival of a new LGBTQ+ character on the cobbles.



Later this year, the soap will welcome the Bailey family when they buy No. 3 from Norris Cole, and one of their first major storylines will see gay footballer James (Nathan Graham) coming out to dad Edison (Trevor Michael Georges), mum Aggie (Lorna Laidlaw) and brother Michael (Ryan Russell).

Coronation Street producer Iain MacLeod previewed the topical storyline to Digital Spy and other media on Friday (April 5), promising that it would differ from other types of "coming out stories".

"We wanted to look at homophobia in sport, and homophobia in football so that will be a component of the story but also we wanted to look at a modern story about a young gay man," MacLeod explained.

"So, it won’t be your normal coming out story where we see James wrestling with his sexuality. We’re quite keen that he knows who he is but has some apprehensiveness about telling his parents, and some apprehensiveness about his teammates finding out.

"When we meet the character he’s on the cusp of bigger things football-wise, and is also aware that despite the progress that we’ve made as a society, in lots of areas, homophobia on the terraces is fairly rampant. He’s scared about the reaction.

"But not because he's worried that his family will reject him. It’s more about the football. It’s a big moment for anybody to sit your family down and tell them. We wanted to make this a very modern coming out story rather than the ones we've seen."

James and his family will first appear on screen in June when they buy the builder's yard from the Grimshaws.


Digital Spy

[Perdita]

https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/cor...bailey-mix-up/

Coronation Street's Bethany Platt will strike up a bond with show newcomer James Bailey later this year – unaware that he's gay.

Bethany (Lucy Fallon) will be one of the first characters to befriend James when he joins the show in the summer, but her hopes for a romance are way off the mark.

Nathan Graham has been cast in the role of James, a 19-year-old Weatherfield County footballer. James is part of the four-strong Bailey family, arriving with his older brother Michael and their parents Edison and Aggie.

Show bosses have confirmed that James hasn't yet been honest with his family about his sexuality – fearful of how his loved ones and football team-mates may react.

Speaking at a Coronation Street press event about future romances for James, show producer Iain MacLeod explained: "We haven't really plotted that far ahead yet. At first there's a really close friendship with one of our female characters, but that's quite a long way off."

Confirming that the character in question is Bethany, MacLeod continued: "What we don't want from James is that he leads anyone on, in particular. It's more that James at every turn tries to do the right thing but ends up [inadvertently] leading someone on a little bit.

"James is a fundamentally decent guy, in fact all of the Bailey family are. Nobody has got a nasty side.

"As the stories unfold, each of them has their own secret of a type... but none of them has buried somebody under a patio! They are all domestic, relatable, and dare I say, 'normal' secrets that exist within a family. Nobody is going to be evil."

MacLeod also shared some early teasers on who the new characters will be making friends with in the months ahead.

He explained: "Edison will be in Ken and Roy's friendship group. Aggie will be with Liz and Eileen – she is often to be found in The Rovers at a lock-in, while Edison waits at home and wonders where the hell she's got to!

"Michael is friends with Steve, Tim and Peter – the Streetcars brigade.

"I think James is probably the most reserved of the bunch, but he's friends with Steve, due to a story that precedes the Bailey family's arrival on the Street.

"We meet James first and we don't know who he is at that point, but there's a story there involving Steve. So James's friends are Steve and Tim, who slightly fanboy over him because of his Weatherfield County connection.

"As I've mentioned, Bethany also becomes very close to James as their stories entwine."


I have many gay friends .. I like to see Bethany also have a good friendship without romance with James ...

[tammyy2j]

Will James confide in Billy?

[lizann]

leaving

[Perdita]

https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/cor...-graham-quits/


Coronation Street actor Nathan Graham has quit the soap as James Bailey.

First introduced in May 2019, James has been put through the wringer of late, suffering a cardiac arrest and then being diagnosed with cardiomyopathy.

ITV declined to comment on the star's decision, but we do know that his character's final scenes will be broadcast in a couple of weeks.



Awww, I like his character, leaving so soon, hope they do not kill him off

[parkerman]

https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/cor...-graham-quits/


Coronation Street actor Nathan Graham has quit the soap as James Bailey.

First introduced in May 2019, James has been put through the wringer of late, suffering a cardiac arrest and then being diagnosed with cardiomyopathy.

ITV declined to comment on the star's decision, but we do know that his character's final scenes will be broadcast in a couple of weeks.



Awww, I like his character, leaving so soon, hope they do not kill him off

Perhaps Real Madrid have signed him up.

[Perdita]

Perhaps Real Madrid have signed him up.

You might be right:


https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/cor...xit-storyline/

Coronation Street has shared details on James Bailey's upcoming exit storyline, following the news that actor Nathan Graham had announced his departure from the soap.

James first arrived on the cobbles in 2019 as a footballer for Weatherfield County. However, a series of health issues meant he was ultimately dropped from the team and left questioning his future.

Upcoming scenes will see James come to terms with his life after being diagnosed with cardiomyopathy. As negotiations about his departure from Weatherfield County continue, James gives a football lesson to David Platt's daughter Lily.

Later on James attends a job interview at the Bistro but the new job doesn't go as expected, leaving him questioning his future career plan.

He confesses his feelings to Debbie Webster, revealing that he has no interest in bar work and has only taken the job to appease his family. However, the honesty doesn't go over too well with the bistro owner.

But things soon start to look up for the James after Lily thanks him for his help earlier and that without him she wouldn't have made it onto the football team.

The conversation leaves James thinking ? could this be a new job opportunity, one which will take him away from Weatherfield?

Graham recently spoke about his character's diagnosis and how it had impacted his character, saying: "I don't think he can imagine himself working for his dad or pulling pints in the Rovers. Football and sport are all he has ever known. When he was injured last time, he got his coaching qualifications, so that is an option.

"I've been given some great stories since I joined, so it is brilliant to have another one that might help people. It feels nice and humbling that people trust you with these stories. So hopefully I've done it justice."

[lizann]

Coronation Street is set to welcome back James Bailey later this month alongside two other new guys who look set to cause quite a commotion in Weatherfield!

James, previously played by Nathan Graham, will arrive back on our screens next Monday (March 17) after living in the US with parter Danny since 2022.

The character, now played by Jason Callender, pays his family a visit and checks in on sister Dee-Dee (Channique Sterling-Brown) but it doesn’t take him long to slide into family life.

‘James is determined, whatever he puts his mind to he absolutely goes for it,’ said actor Jason.

[Perdita]

https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/cor...-james-recast/


Coronation Street has confirmed a surprising baby twist for the recast James Bailey.

The footballer is returning the Cobbles soon with a new actor portraying him (Jason Callender replacing Nathan Graham), and the announcement teased that "he really wants to be a dad".

Now it's been confirmed that he will be involved in Dee-Dee's storyline, as he asks his sister to let him adopt her baby.

In scenes set to air on Monday, March 17 and Wednesday, March 19, Lauren Bolton tells Dee-Dee that she's so grateful to her for having the baby and promising to donate the bone marrow.

Dee-Dee skips a hospital appointment to spend time with James who has come to visit, but gets an urgent text from Lauren.

Lauren says that another donor for baby Frankie has been found, meaning they won't need to wait for Dee-Dee to give birth for the operation to go ahead. Dee-Dee, who has already started doubting the whole situation, masks her emotions.

Later on, James makes a shocking suggestion: that he and his boyfriend Danny could adopt Dee-Dee's baby and give it a loving home.

She's stunned, but will she agree to his plan?

Callender has teased that James is "determined" and "whatever he puts his mind to he absolutely goes for it", hinting that he might really push his sister to say yes.

He added: "James is bringing a lot of warmth, a little bit of love, charisma and a little bit of charm."