Amanda Barrie, the Coronation Street and Carry On star, has revealed that when she came out as bisexual in 2002 at age 67, she feared she would be 'stoned in the street and barred from Tescos'. Speaking on Good Morning Britain, the actress said she waited until her memoir 'It's Not A Rehearsal' to disclose her sexuality because she believed it would destroy her career.
Career Fears and Changing Times
Barrie told Richard Madeley and Kate Garraway: 'I didn't think it would be alright. It is 25 years ago. A lot has happened in 25 years. We forget we're living in a completely different time.' She added that being open earlier would have led to colleagues refusing to work with her, not necessarily outright sacking.
Barrie began acting in 1954 and appeared in Carry On Cleo as Cleopatra, as well as playing Alma Baldwin on Coronation Street from 1988 to 2001. She came out a year after leaving the soap.
Marriage and Coming Out
Barrie was married to theatre director Robin Hunter from 1967 until their separation in the mid-1980s, but they never divorced. In 2014, shortly after same-sex marriage became legal in the UK, she married her long-term partner Hilary Bonner.
The actress explained that her decision to come out was driven by a feeling of dishonesty. She felt she was 'cheating in some way' and that without knowing her sexuality, people 'didn't really know me'.
Reaction and Reflection
When asked what she thought would happen, Barrie said she anticipated a violent and 'ghastly' response. However, Madeley asked what actually happened, and she replied: 'Nothing. I got a hug rather than a stone in the street.'
Barrie also claimed she would have been sacked from Coronation Street if bosses had known about her sexuality at the time. She said: 'Not thought, I know I would have been [fired], taking into account the climate at the time. Things are so different now. Corrie’s like Canal Street in Manchester these days.'
Hope for the Future
Speaking to The Sun, Barrie added: 'I believe in the freedom to do and be exactly as you wish in life. To live in your own way. I dream of a day when people’s sexuality is regarded as so unimportant that no one even bothers to remark on whether somebody is gay or straight. It’s probably a pipe dream, but I still like to dream it.'
