Lesbian characters and relationships have been at the forefront of numerous high-profile soap storylines over the years, and what better time to reflect on some of our favourites than Lesbian Visibility Week?
From Beth Jordache (Anna Friel) and Margaret Clemence’s (Nicola Stephenson) first kiss in Brookside, to Suki Panesar (Balvinder Sopal) and Eve Unwin’s (Heather Peace) dramatic love affair in EastEnders, soaps have often paved the way for lesbian representation in the media.
Having said that, there is still much more that can be done. There has never been a successful WLW wedding in a soap before, and too often lesbian characters fall victim to the ‘bury your gays’ trope – where one person in the couple falls victim to an untimely death.
However, with Lesbian Visibility Week well underway, we thought it was about time to shine a light on some of the most groundbreaking, game-changing and popular WLW moments in soap.
Beth Jordache and Margaret Clemence’s kiss – Brookside
Back in 1994, Brookside aired television’s first pre-watershed lesbian kiss between Beth and Margaret. The scenes were watched by over 6 million viewers and have been hailed as one of the most famous LGBTQ+ moments in soap history.
What’s more, the short clip was later included in the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games, and broadcast to billions of viewers across the world, including in 76 countries where same-sex relationships were still illegal, making it the first same-sex kiss to ever air in those countries.
Zoe Tate – Emmerdale
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Zoe Tate (Leah Bracknell) was Emmerdale’s first lesbian character. She came out in emotional scenes in 1993 to mixed responses from her loved ones, and went on to have romances with a number of characters, including Charity Dingle (Emma Atkins).
In 1996, Zoe’s girlfriend Emma Nightingale asked her to marry her, and the pair later had a blessing ceremony to recognise their relationship.
Unfortunately, things didn’t last long, as Zoe decided to leave Emma for Susie Wilde.
Sophie Webster and Sian Powers’ wedding – Coronation Street
Sophie Webster (Brooke Vincent) and Sian Powers (Sacha Parkinson) captured the nation’s hearts with their love story, and were on track to have Corrie’s first lesbian wedding.
Unfortunately, things didn’t work out the way we all hoped they would, when Sophie ran away from the church and admitted her guilt for kissing someone else, which ultimately resulted in the end of their relationship and heartbreak for fans everywhere.
#Vanity – Emmerdale
Every so often, soap couples will send fans into a frenzy and garner huge followings on social media. One such pairing was Emmerdale’s Charity Dingle and Vanessa Woodfield (Michelle Hardwick) – affectionately dubbed Vanity.
In October 2017 – on my 18th birthday, no less – Vanessa and Charity found themselves locked in the Woolpack cellar, and what followed came as a complete surprise to absolutely everyone.
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Following their night of passion, and months of asking ‘Will they? Won’t they?’, Vanity finally made things official, much to the joy of their loyal supporters.
Even now, fans are still hopeful that they may rekindle their relationship one day, but whether or not they will remains to be seen.
#Kana – Coronation Street
Another couple that received heaps of support on social media was Kate Connor (Faye Brookes) and Rana Habeeb (Bhavna Limbachia).
Rana’s coming out story highlighted the difficulties faced by lesbians from religious communities, with Rana having grown up with strict Muslim parents.
Just as it seemed that she would finally get her happy ending with Kate, Rana was left fighting for her life when the factory roof collapsed on top of her, and she ended up dying on their wedding day.
Tracy Barlow and Paula Martin’s one night stand – Coronation Street
As an Evanescence obsessed lesbian, this storyline will forever be engrained in my psyche, so it had to be included on this list.
In a completely shocking turn of events, New Year’s Day 2020 saw Tracy Barlow (Kate Ford) wake up in bed next to none other than lesbian lawyer Paula Martin (Stirling Gallacher).
After being stood up by husband Steve McDonald (Simon Gregson), who wasn’t keen on their plans to see an Evanescence tribute band (I have often questioned Steve’s judgement, but refusing to see something Evanescence related is the icing on the cake), Tracy instead spent her New Year with Paula, and one thing led to another…
It didn’t take long for the truth to come out, though Tracy’s marriage remained largely unaffected by her infidelity.
Suki Panesar’s coming out journey – EastEnders
Suki Panesar’s coming out story has been hailed by fans as one of the greatest pieces of representation on television.
Over several years, Suki struggled to come to terms with her sexuality, and projected her internalised homophobia onto bisexual daughter Ash.
Suki’s journey to self-acceptance was a long and difficult road, and something that many members of the LGBTQ+ community could relate to.
Ultimately, with support from her loved ones and girlfriend Eve Unwin, Suki has reached a point where she is proud of who she is, and isn’t afraid to show affection to Eve in public – a huge step forward for the character, and an important journey to represent.
Mary Goskirk’s coming out – Emmerdale
In 2022, Emmerdale aired a storyline which saw Mary Goskirk (Louise Jameson) come out as a lesbian later in life.
This was a subject that hadn’t been tackled on the soap before, and was well received by viewers.
Mary came out to good friend Kim Tate (Claire King) in emotional scenes, where she expressed her relief at having unburdened herself of this huge secret.
While she hasn’t been completely lucky in love since then, we’re hopeful that things will work out for Mary, and she’ll get her happy ever after in the end.
Peri Lomax and Juliet Nightingale – Hollyoaks
Another WLW couple to capture viewers’ hearts was Peri Lomax (Ruby O’Donnell) and Juliet Nightingale (Niamh Blackshaw).
Throughout their relationship, they had a lot of ups and downs, though they finally reunited in 2022.
Tragically, their happiness would be ripped away when Juliet sadly died of Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2023.
Eve Unwin versus ULEZ – EastEnders
In what can only be described as the greatest lesbian joke on television, Eve Unwin left EastEnders viewers in tears after a misunderstanding.
When Suki and Eve moved in together, Eve worried that Suki had become overwhelmed, and scolded Priya Nandra- Hart (Sophie Khan Levy) for mocking her.
Later, when Eve walked in on a conversation about London’s ultra low emissions zone and Priya revealed to Suki that they were talking about ‘ULEZ’, she was quick to berate Priya for ‘talking about Suki like that’.
Thankfully, Suki saw the funny side, and viewers took to social media to express their joy at the hilarious scene.
When Kathy Beale became a ‘top tier lesbian’ – EastEnders
I have absolutely nothing thought-provoking to say about this, it was just iconic.
Nina Lucas and Asha Alahan’s relationship – Coronation Street
On a more personal note, I couldn’t write this list and not include Nina and Asha (Mollie Gallagher and Tanisha Gorey). Back in 2021, their first on-screen kiss was the catalyst to my own coming out journey.
Though the soaps were still filming under Covid measures, with social distancing on set, Corrie didn’t shy away from this special moment between the two characters.
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What was refreshing about this storyline was the fact that Nina and Asha didn’t feel like they needed to hide their relationship, with Asha immediately opening up the conversation with her family and explaining how she didn’t feel the need to label herself.
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While it is important to show the struggle that coming out can sometimes be, it is equally as important to represent the occasions when that isn’t the case, as well as show LGBTQ+ people that coming out doesn’t have to be something to be afraid of.
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