Coronation Street legend Amanda Barrie has revealed she believes she would have been sacked from the ITV soap if producers had discovered her bisexuality during her time on the show. The 90-year-old actress, who played Alma Halliwell from 1988 to 2001, said the attitudes of the era forced her to keep her sexuality a secret.
Barrie, who came out as bisexual in her 2002 memoir It's Not A Rehearsal, married crime novelist Hilary Bonner in 2014. She was previously married to actor Robin Hunter from 1967 until the mid-1980s. Reflecting on the climate at the time, she stated: '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.'
The actress noted that while the soap now features many gay and lesbian characters, she had to edit her life and keep her head down. She recalled: 'The people I was close to always knew about me and the relationships throughout my life. Being at the age I am, I still remember when gay men were absolutely crucified for being the way they were.'
Barrie expressed hope that one day sexuality will be regarded as unimportant. She told The Sun: '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 pipedream, but I still like to dream it.'
The actress, who also appeared in Bad Girls, Casualty, and Benidorm, previously spoke about the public's reaction when she came out, saying she expected to be 'stoned in the street' but instead received hugs.
