Sophie Webster (Brooke Vincent)

[alan45]

Coronation Street's lesbian couple have vowed to quit the ITV1 soap if producers call time on their romance.

Brooke Vincent and Sacha Parkinson - who play teen lovers Sophie Webster and Sian Powers - insist they will leave the show altogether if 'Corrie' bosses split their alter-egos up, because they think they made a great partnership.

Brooke explained: "'If they split us up, I'd leave. It's made too much impact for them to break it up. It's gone past the line. Me and Sach think we should win Best Partnership at the Soap Awards.

"Too many people have come up to us and said, 'Thank you. Without this, I wouldn't have been able to come out to my parents or have people accept me'.

"There's a pressure to make it 100 per cent believable. Because we're not gay ourselves, it could be like watching someone in a film trying to put on an Irish accent and getting it totally wrong."

The pair - who are the first lesbian couple to feature 'Coronation Street' - admitted they are gradually turning into their characters, and tell one another they love each other "all the time".

Sacha added to heat magazine: "We just come as a pair now. We tell each other we love each other all the time. I think we're really starting to become our characters."

(C) BANG Media International

Coronation Street actresses Brooke Vincent and Sacha Parkinson have dismissed reports they'll leave the ITV show if producers ever break-up their on-screen lesbian relationship.

Speaking to Heat magazine, Vincent – who is currently on the cover of this month's DIVA alongside her co-star – was alleged to have said: “If they split us up, I’d leave. It’s made too much impact for them to break it up. It’s gone past the line. Me and Sach think we should win Best Partnership at the Soap Awards.”

But after a number of newspapers picked up the story and ran it as an ultimatum to producers earlier today, the girls have been forced to clarify that the comments were taken out of context.

Via micro-blogging site Twitter, Vincent – who plays Sophie Webster – wrote: "CBA with stupid papers today! Get your facts right Bfore you print the paper...".

Meanwhile, Parkinson added: "As for saying we'd quit...it was a joke!"

Saving particular scorn for the Daily Mail, who first ran the story this morning, she added: "Daily Mail shoot is awful! I apologise for their total misinterpretation of our interview! And for allowing us to look like Hoe's! Terrible!".

[Perdita]

Sacha Parkinson and Brooke Vincent have revealed that Coronation Street's Sophie and Sian will resolve their differences.

The actresses, who turned up to the Tric awards in London wearing matching Forever Unique dresses, said the girls - whose romance is hanging in the balance after a tiff - would be reunited.

Sacha, who plays Sian, said: "Yes, I think they will and I hope they will and I think everyone else hopes they will too."

Brooke, who plays Sophie, added: "I like them together. I think they're alright."

She went on to say that they felt "privileged" to be part of such an interesting storyline.

She said: "We're so amazed about how the press and public have taken it, because everyone's given us 110 per cent."

Sophie is currently in hospital after drunkenly falling off a roof, upset that Sian was spending time with another girl.


PA

[Chloe O'brien]

Here's Brooke Vincent (Sophie) and Sacha Parkinson (Sian) as you've never seen them before. It's a Playboy bunny photoshoot for Heat Magazine. There's more pictures of the Coronation Street actresses at the Daily Mail website.

By the way. This isn't Brooke and Sacha doing a Corrie shot. It's me and Shiv in our new F1 uniforms we just didn't want to tell you all.

[alan45]

CORONATION Street's Brooke Vincent and Sacha Parkinson are begging bosses to let their lesbian characters get MARRIED.
They would be the first women to have a civil marriage ceremony in a soap - but neither wants to wear a suit.

Brooke, who plays Sophie Webster, admits she is worried she could end up being the "butch" one, and has told soap chiefs she'll never cut her hair.

And Sacha, who plays Sian Powers, also wants to be a blushing bride.

The girls, who attended this week's TRIC Awards in London together, love the storyline which has seen their characters' friendship blossom into a same-sex affair.

And they want ITV bosses to prove to viewers the teenagers aren't just "going through a phase" by letting them commit to each other properly.

Sacha, 18, told TV Biz: "They should get married, I don't see why not - it would be great!"


Undercover lovers ... Brooke Vincent and Sacha Parkinson share a bed as on-screen lesbians
Brooke, also 18, added: "I'm well excited. But I'm worried they'll end up putting me in a suit because I always seem to be the one in jeans and trainers. I'm not like that.

"We want to be nice lesbians that look pretty."

Brooke said: "If we get married we'll both wear a dress. I've told them not to make me butch.

"When we first got the storyline I asked them if they were going to make me shave my head and wear dungarees and I thought, 'I can't be doing that!'"

Homosexuality isn't new to soaps but female couples have barely featured since Anna Friel - as Brookside's troubled Beth Jordache - featured in the first lesbian kiss in a UK soap in 1994.

Even Emmerdale's lesbian vet Zoe Tate, played by Leah Bracknell, spent long times celibate before falling pregnant after a one-night stand with a man.

Now Sacha and Brooke want to change all that to prove to viewers that being a lesbian is more than just a "phase".

Sacha said: "Other soaps have touched on gay and lesbian characters - and EastEnders has two gay men at the moment.

"But in terms of lesbians, they have always been in phases.

"That's where Corrie has dared to be different and focus on things that happen nowadays."

Brooke added: "It's a love story really, that's all it is."

Because of their characters' slow-burning relationship - which started to blossom quietly over a year ago - the girls have helped other teenagers come to terms with their own sexuality and tell their parents.

The actresses are overwhelmed with fan mail and viewers thanking them on Twitter for making their own "coming out" easier.

Sacha admitted: "We've had a lot of feedback."

Brooke said: "People are always on Twitter sending us things. I've had a lot of people saying that they're really proud of us.

"Being proud of someone is one thing and your mum and dad being proud of you is another - but people you don't actually know being proud of you is amazing."

When the relationship first hit screens the pair were overwhelmed with attention wherever they went.

However, they admit the intensity has died down and fans no longer mistake them for lesbians in real life.

Brooke said: "I think we've got the message across that we're not actually lesbians so the people are like, 'Oh they are those two birds off Corrie,' instead."

Sacha insisted they've never had a bad word said to them and fans have just been curious and full of questions.

The pair, were good pals from the start and are even closer now. Brooke revealed: "It's like she is the only friend I've got who understands all the aspects of my life.

"Obviously I have got best friends but other people don't understand my work."

Sacha added: "It's been great having a mate.

"Even just having someone on photoshoots and awards ceremonies is amazing. It's brought us closer together. We don't want it to end."

[alan45]

Some viewers have complained about lesbian love birds Sophie Webster and Sian Powers in Coronation Street - and Brooke Vincent is not happy about it.

The actress, who plays Sophie, even went as far as to call those who've complained "selfish".

She said that she was delighted with how much positive feedback the plot has attracted, but said she didn't understand why some people had complained.

"I think it's selfish... because things are moving with the times. Nowadays there's nothing wrong with being gay so why not have it on screen?" she said.

But she admitted that it was hard to please all viewers.

"Our viewers go from 70-year-olds to 10-year-olds so it's hard to do a storyline that fits everybody's views," she said.

Sacha Parkinson, who plays Sian, added: "Most of our positive feedback has been from gay people. I think they appreciate it a lot more, it's all been positive. I don't think we've had any negative feedback from gay people...

"It's been older people saying Coronation Street shouldn't have this storyline but I just think that's ignorant if I'm honest."

[Perdita]

CORRIE star Brooke Vincent has lashed out at the Prime Minister over plans to ban gay kisses on TV until after the watershed.
The 18-year-old, who plays lesbian Sophie Webster on the ITV1 soap, accused the PM of not supporting equality.

Writing on Twitter, Brooke said: "I swear David Cameron's meant to be supporting equal rights. I just think if same-sex kisses are what he is prioritising and concentrating on changing, our country's in trouble."

Brooke's comments follow a report that a ban on pre-watershed same-sex kisses may be recommended by an independent review - backed by the Prime Minister.

The Sun

[Perdita]

Kym Marsh has said that possible plans to ban same-sex kisses on TV before the watershed are "absolutely ridiculous".

Prime Minister David Cameron will reportedly back an independent review which could recommend that expressions of affection between gay couples be restricted to post-9pm.

"Like my Corrie co-star Brooke Vincent, I think it's absolutely ridiculous that an independent review - backed by the prime minister - may recommend a ban on same-sex kisses before 9pm," Marsh said in her new magazine column. "David Cameron is living in the dark ages!"

Vincent previously criticised Cameron for supporting the review, telling Twitter followers that he is "meant to be supporting equal rights".

Marsh, who plays Michelle Connor in Coronation Street, continued: "What's the difference between a kiss between a man and a woman and a gay couple?"

Meanwhile, the actress - who gave birth to daughter Polly Lomas in March - confirmed that she is attending the British Soap Awards this weekend with fiancé Jamie Lomas.

"Jamie and I are both going and my mum has volunteered to have Polly," she said. "It's the first time the awards have been held in Manchester, which is the only reason I can attend.

"It makes sense because EastEnders is the only soap based down South. It will be nice for us to show them around our patch afterwards!"

DS

[Perdita]

Coronation Street stars Brooke Vincent and Sacha Parkinson have predicted that their characters Sophie Webster and Sian Powers have a strong future as a couple.

Speaking to Digital Spy on the red carpet at the British Soap Awards, the pair said they were glad that Tommy Duckworth's recent attempt to woo Sian had failed miserably.

"As Sian, I'm glad it didn't [happen] because I think everyone expects that - everyone expects either one of them to go straight or whatever, or one of them to cheat," Parkinson explained. "I think they're going to stay together - it's gone past that line where they're going to break up."

The duo also suggested that the rumoured arrival of a new lesbian character may not necessarily have an impact on Sophie and Sian.

Vincent said: "I've heard the same rumour, but it's one of those things where just because she's a lesbian doesn't mean that it's going to affect us. There's a lot of lesbians. There's a lot of straight people on the street. It's just all up in the air and if you want to know what's happening, ask the writers!"

Parkinson added: "We never normally know until it's about to happen! There's no point in asking us, all I'd say is that she better not try it on with my bird, because I'd be gutted!"

[Perdita]

David Cameron has denied newspaper reports that he intends to support a ban on gay people kissing on television before the 9pm watershed.

Reg Bailey, chief executive of the Mothers' Union, will next month submit a report to the government on the way children are potentially "sexualised" by cultural mediums, such as TV shows, music videos and adverts.

Several newspaper reports have indicated that Bailey will recommend a ban on same sex kissing on TV in the early evening, which has already led to criticism from soap stars.

Coronation Street's Kym Marsh said that the rumoured ban was "absolutely ridiculous" and accused Cameron of "living in the dark ages".

However, a spokesman for the prime minister told the BBC's Newsbeat that those suggesting he is considering such a ban are "both wrong and being irresponsible".

The spokesman also claimed that the remit of Bailey's review "doesn't include making recommendations as to what should or shouldn't be shown on TV".

All the major soap operas - Coronation Street, EastEnders, Hollyoaks and Emmerdale - now have gay or lesbian characters, but the landmark TV moment came in 1994 when former Channel 4 drama Brookside featured a pre-watershed lesbian kiss.

Earlier this month, Bailey used Twitter to urge the public not take everything they read in the newspaper reports as fact.

He tweeted: "Don't believe everything you read in the press. Brookside kiss has never been mentioned in anything the review has looked at."

[lizann]

I just read on another post that Dev's daughter Amber comes back and gets with Sophie as Sian leaves