Remind yourself of all the soap drama that was happening in Coronation Street, Emmerdale, EastEnders and Hollyoaks 10 years ago this week!

Hayley shocked Roy with a secret in Coronation Street, Nicola’s return to Emmerdale caused problems, Ian was under fire in Enders and Craig was outed in Hollyoaks

Coronation Street

When Roy and Hayley Cropper got together, Roy (David Neilson) thought he knew all there was to know about Hayley (Julie Hesmondhalgh), including the fact that she used to be a man called Harold. But this week 10 years ago, Hayley dropped another bombshell on Roy… When she was still Harold, she fathered a son called Christian Gatley (Andrew Turner). Roy was speechless. He was also furious as it meant Hayley had lied to him about being a virgin. After giving Hayley the silent treatment for a couple of days, Roy said they would be okay as long as she didn’t tell any more lies. But Hayley went straight out and lied to Christian, telling him his father was dead she was his father’s sister… And Roy was angry all over again. He was still furious when Christian came to visit Hayley in the flat above the café, where they swapped photos…Hayley got a picture of Christian as a toddler and gave him a photo of herself when she was Harold. It was a bittersweet moment for Hayley, who had tangled herself in a web of deception and knew that honesty was the only way out for her…

David Platt’s big mouth and bigger temper have always got him into trouble and this was one of those times… David (Jack P Shepherd) was in a major strop because mum Gail had told him he had to start paying rent – and his gran, Audrey, also his boss, was deducting it from his wages. David disappeared and, overnight, was beaten up by some thugs. But he told the police his mum had done it! He did eventually tell the truth and was charged with wasting police time. David then wasted no time upsetting his family further by shaving the hair off one of little Bethany’s dolls. Gail is really worried about her son’s twisted mind but David just won’t talk to her…

Emmerdale

Nicola Blackstock (Nicola Wheeler) had left Emmerdale in disgrace more than a year ago, having destroyed her half-brother Paul Lambert’s relationship with Ivan Jones. Now she was making a triumphant return, as Nicola De Souza, wife of business tycoon Donald De Souza, and she was ready to make her mark in the village… First order of business for Nicola was to regain control of her cleaning company, which David Metcalfe (Matthew Wolfenden) had taken over after she left. David turned to dirty tactics to try to fight off Nicola, but he was going broke and her husband had very deep pockets…

It was a long time coming, but Grayson Sinclair finally realised that his wife, Perdita “Perdy” Hyde-Sinclair (Georgia Slowe), wasn’t mad but that his mother, Rosemary King (Linda Thorson), was very, very bad… She had been drugging Perdy and making her look crazy because Perdy couldn’t have children and Rosemary wanted Grayson to be able to produce grandchildren. When he discovered the truth, Grayson threw his mother out and Perdy told the whole pub that Rosemary had poisoned her. With no one to turn to, Rosemary disappeared overnight.

EastEnders

It looked like David Platt had also got at Chelsea Fox's hair but, in fact, this is what Sean Slater’s revenge looked like for Chelsea (Tiana Benjamin)… When Sean discovered he was arrested and held on remand for an assault on Patrick Trueman because of false statements from his bitter ex, Chelsea, and Deano Wicks, he was fighting mad. Out of prison, Sean wanted revenge – and he got it. In the dead of night, he sneaked into Chelsea’s home using a stolen key and cut off her hair while she slept. Her nightmare began when she woken up the next morning and found her hair all over her pillow! It would be a long, long time before Chelsea slept soundly again. Deano didn’t escape Sean’s justice, either. His nightmare was the horrific stories Sean told him about what went on in prison, which is where Deano was headed for perverting the course of justice.

This time 10 years ago, Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) was receiving death threats. And, for a change, they weren’t coming from his arch enemy, Phil Mitchell. Another mystery was the emails his daughter Lucy said she was getting from her mother, Cindy… As far as everyone knew, Cindy was dead. On the trail of who…or what…was haunting his family, Ian found himself inside the house of Cindy’s sister, Gina, and staring down the barrel of her shotgun! She thought Ian was a burglar and told him she was expecting him. But she wasn’t the person who was terrorising him…

Hollyoaks

Warren Fox (Jamie Lomas) was throwing his weight around, again and, again, it was Clare Devine (Gemma Bissix) who was his target. This time, Warren wanted to buy The Loft from Clare but she told him she wasn’t selling. She felt brave, until Warren made a joke about people being pushed off balconies… After that, Clare felt shaken, but still couldn’t resist winding Warren up with digs about his relationship with Louise Summers. Angry, Warren grabbed Clare and told her he would kill her. It was enough to convince her to sell.

There was nowhere left for closeted Craig Dean (Guy Burnet) to hide after his fiancée Sarah Barnes (Loui Batley) caught him in bed with John Paul McQueen – during their engagement party! John Paul had texted Sarah so she would catch him and Craig together and, after she did, she want back to the party in The Dog and told everyone. Craig was furious with John Paul for setting him up but John Paul was unapologetic, calling Craig a coward for refusing to be openly gay. By the end of this week 10 years ago, though, John Paul had got his man, even though Craig still had one foot in the closet.

Hayley Cropper was one of Coronation Street's most beloved characters. But actress Julie Hesmondhalgh has admitted she was initially cast as a transgender character as a "joke".

Former Coronation Street actress Julie Hesmondhalgh has revealed she was initially cast as a transgender character in the soap as a “joke”.

The star played Hayley Cropper in the show for 16 years before the character took an overdose after giving up her struggle with incurable cancer.

Speaking to the Sunday Telegraph’s Stella magazine, Julie said: “I wasn’t meant to be in Coronation Street for any longer than two weeks.

“The character of Hayley was originally written as a joke. It wasn’t a politically correct one, but this was back in 1998.

“The joke was that Roy Cropper (David Neilson) was going to go on a series of disastrous blind dates, one of them being with a man who had transgendered to a woman.”

She added that she was determined to make the role into something, and felt like she could make the audience fall in love with the first transgender character to be cast in a British soap.

Hayley and Roy got together before it was legal for them to be married, and the actress was having to explain this to the public.

Women would tell her not to worry, she said, adding: “To me, that was it. You make people like this woman – understand her – and you say more than any political speech or lobbying.”

Julie appears in the next series of Broadchurch in which she plays a rape victim.

Lenny Henry is among the big names to join the drama for the third run. Veteran star Roy Hudd, Murdered By My Boyfriend's Georgina Campbell, Sarah Parish, Charlie Higson and Mark Bazeley are all also appearing in the series.

Julie admitted one of her outstanding ambitions is to appear in Doctor Who, and while playing the Doctor would be “something”, she would not mind “just being an alien”.

Broadchurch returns to ITV in late February.

Julie Hesmondhalgh tells TV Times about her new role as the sister of a gay man in Russell T Davies’ new drama Cucumber, premiering on Thursday on Channel 4.

Tell us about your character Cleo...

“She gets slap-bang in the middle of her brother Henry’s problems because she loves being involved, but then Cleo starts to have an awakening herself; she realises she hasn’t had a relationship in years and decides to seek out an old flame and goes on dates, with varying degrees of success."’

Were you worried Corrie fans would be shocked?

“People were turning up to see Hayley and being a bit shocked by its contents, so I laid out my stall fairly early. I hope people won’t be shocked by Cucumber, because I think people know I’ve always been very involved in LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender] politics and that I’m not Hayley.

“The issues around Hayley were very important to me, but I’m a different person. I think that Cucumber will cause a stir, but I hope it’s something that people would expect me to do.’”

Is your look in Cucumber different from Hayley’s?

“In Cucumber I look like me, but a lot better groomed, with nicer clothes and really well-cut hair!  It was very freeing to be a bit more like myself.”

What has it been like since leaving Corrie?

“I haven’t actually stopped working - it’s been the most incredible year. When I left Coronation Street I just wanted to be a jobbing actress, but the roles that have come my way have been brilliant. That’s because of Hayley’s incredible last story. Before that I was pretty much pootling along at Corrie, but deciding to leave gave me that storyline and it’s springboarded me into a different kind of acting life than I had before.’

Are you still proud of your Coronation Street legacy?

"I’ll never lose that connection because it’s a massive part of my life. I’ll always be Hayley."

It's been almost a year since ex-Coronation Street star Julie Hesmondhalgh made her final appearance as Hayley Cropper, when the character took her own life to escape the final stages of terminal cancer.

But the actress, who played the part for 15 years admits the reality of quitting the ITV soap still hasn't sunk in.

"It was a loss leaving Corrie, life-changing in fact and I don't think I've properly processed it yet," Julie says. "It was so busy leading up to my leaving and I was completely immersed in the beautiful, moving storyline they gave me as my finale. I wonder if, when things quieten down, the loss will really hit me."

Since leaving Corrie, Julie has taken to the stage in the play, Blindsided and will next be seen on TV as Cleo, the sister of a gay man in Channel 4's Cucumber, a new drama written by Russell T Davies of Queer As Folk and Doctor Who fame. The series will be part of a trilogy, with spin-offs, Banana (E4) featuring some of the younger characters. While Tofu will show exclusively online.

"Cleo's a gift of a part and I was thrilled and honoured to get it," she says. "I think the series will stir up controversy, but it's absolutely brilliant."

Catch Cucumber from Thursday 22 January on Channel Four.

Coronation Street's Julie Hesmondhalgh has told us that she felt a "weight of expectation" when it came to her first TV role since playing Hayley Cropper.

Speaking to whatsontv.co.uk at the British Soap Awards, the actress revealed that her first day on the set of new Russell T Davis show Cucumber was daunting.

"I’d done a couple of theatre shows and I thought that was scary enough," she told us. "But actually, I feel a bit of a weight of expectation with the first telly thing that you do. Hopefully I'll settle into it a bit over time. It's a great part."

Hesmondhalgh added of leaving the ITV show: "I think it does matter a bit what you do afterwards. For that little period when people are still looking. Soon I’ll be free to do whatever I want and nobody will care!"

She also described being at the awards ceremony as "bittersweet", saying that she missed the cobbles.

"It’s lovely to be back with the old gang again and see everyone," she said. "It’s lovely because the Hayley and Roy storyline is up for so many awards tonight, so I’m dead proud to be part of that so I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.

"I’m sure we’ll come home with something," she added. "I’d really really love for us to come away with Best Storyline, because it’s been such an important storyline for the show and for a lot of people who’ve lost people to cancer."

Julie Hesmondhalgh's Coronation Street co-stars have led the tributes to her character Hayley Cropper as millions of viewers watched her take her own life.

Julie has played transgender character Hayley for 16 years and when the actress decided to leave the soap, writers wanted to give her a fitting exit. After being diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer, Hayley decided to commit suicide as she wanted to be in control of her death.

An ITV spokeswoman said the second episode last night, which culminated in Hayley's death, pulled in a peak audience of 10.6 million viewers.

More than 100,000 tweets were sent about the programme, with around 8,000 messages being tweeted every minute towards the end of the episode, and #goodbyehayley was the number one trending topic on Twitter.

Catherine Tyldesley, who plays Eva Price in the ITV soap, tweeted her support for Julie and David Neilson, who plays Hayley's husband Roy, and admitted she was incredibly moved by their performance.

She wrote: "Master class in acting from @juliehes and David ...just amazing... corrie. I've cried to the point of feeling sick. #GoodbyeHayley."

Jennie McAlpine, who plays Fiz Stape, tweeted a picture from the filming of Hayley and Roy's wedding.

Sally Dynevor, who plays Sally Webster, said: "One of the great iconic soap moments. Stunning @juliehes #DavidNeilson."

Coronation Street's Antony Cotton, who plays Sean Tully, tipped Julie to scoop a gong at the National Television Awards later this week, posting a picture of an award.

Julie, 43, said she was 'totally overwhelmed' by all the messages from fans, and said: "Night night Mrs Cropper. Thanks for an incredible 16 years."

It's Hayley's funeral, but will a grieving Roy be able to hold it together?

Photos of the big Coroantion Street storyline

The locals react with shock and grief when news spreads that Hayley Cropper has taken her own life in Coronation Street next week.

Earlier, Hayley, who has terminal cancer, gathers her friends in the cafe to say her goodbyes, even though they're unaware what she's planning.

Husband Roy knows only too well what his wife intends to do later that day – and he's powerless to prevent her...

Watch the scoop on Coronation Street:

A special photo-shoot of Coronation Street's most loveable couple

Coronation Street’s Julie Hesmondhalgh and David Nielsen tell TV Times magazine about the fun and tragedy they're having acting out soap’s saddest storyline...

How did you feel when you were first told about this storyline?

Julie: "I expected it, but when our producer first told us, I was surprised by how upset I felt. I realised that Hayley exists as part of me and as a separate entity. I was like, ‘I’ve done this to Hayley. Sorry Hayley!’"

David: "We had worked out she was going to die beforehand and this is a much bigger thing than an accident. I felt it was brave they were doing it and encouraged that they trusted us with the story."

Has it been upsetting to film?

Julie: "There have been some bits where I have not been able to run through my lines because it is so upsetting. I haven’t had to dig very deep to find the emotion as it has been beautifully written by people who care about Roy and Hayley. The first time it really hit me was when Hayley said to Roy that she didn’t want to die."

David: "It is upsetting because you have to go there; you have to engage with it. I like the fact that there is light and fun there too."

Tell us about Hayley’s decision die at home and have the right to end her life...

Julie: "She wants to be in control at the end. She wants to be somewhere familiar with people she loves. She also wants to say a proper goodbye and doesn’t want to linger on in some half-life. She meets this woman called Jane who is also dying from pancreatic cancer and she is living in the past through her medication. Jane had a nice past, but Hayley didn’t. Her childhood and adolescence were hellish and her fear is that she will get to a point where Hayley never existed."

David: "Roy wants her to die at home, but he doesn’t want her to take her own life. Roy’s view is that life isn’t convenient, dying is part of life and you see it through to the end."

Has this storyline made you think about your own mortality?

Julie: "Yes it has and I think that’s a good thing. A story like this makes you look at life. However, I have to keep this storyline at arm's length because to go there is too overwhelming. I am on this road and now I just have to get to the end."

David: "Not really, what makes you think about your own mortality is when your friends die, and several of my close friends have died of cancer recently. It makes you seize the day."

What would be on your bucket list?

Julie: "If it all ended tomorrow I could die happy, but I certainly have things I want to do. I want to drive across America; I want to go to Brazil, India and Argentina. Hayley is only going to Blackpool, but Blackpool means a lot to me, as it is where my mum and dad honeymooned and I spent my childhood there."

David: "I want to travel and I already I do as much as I can. I went to the Galapagos Islands last year and I am going to Tasmania for Christmas. There are so many places to visit, so many things that will be here long after I am gone."

What sort of reaction have you had from viewers?

Julie: "I have had hundreds of tweets from people telling me really personal stories of things they have been through. I had one from a friend of mine who lost his mum not long ago to pancreatic cancer. He wrote this amazing message. He and his partner watched the episode where Hayley was told there was nothing they could do. They talked about what they had been through and cried and talked. It was a positive experience for them and I will treasure that message."

David: "Julie gets hundreds of messages and I get half a dozen. The other day, a guy was blowing leaves in the street and he took his headphones off and said, ‘If you and that Hayley don’t win all the awards there is something wrong’ and that’s good enough for me."

Will you miss working with one another?

Julie: "I will feel a bit rudderless without David. He is so inventive and clever. It is effortless for us to act together."

David: "Yes, I will a lot. She is great. I always knew it was going to happen at some point and I think it is wonderful that she is moving on and doing other things. Julie and I will be lifelong friends."

What will the future have in store for Roy?

Julie: "I like the idea that Hayley has fixed him up on a dating website before she goes! Although in reality, I can’t really talk about Roy being with anybody else because I get a bit shirty. That Sally Webster is desperate to be with Roy, but she’s not right for him! Nobody is. It’s a fluke that he met Hayley."

David: "People keep saying to me ‘What’s going to happen to Roy?’ but I don’t know. It might not be the expected. Hayley came in for Roy to be the first in a series of unsuccessful relationships and look what happened. He only came in for six episodes to freak Deirdre out. He will carry on in some form, but I don’t think there are plans for him to run off with anyone. I know Sally Webster is keen and I wouldn’t mind that."

What’s next for you Julie?

Julie: "I am doing two plays at the Manchester Royal Exchange. Black Roses, which we are touring with and taking to London, and Blindsided, which also stars Beverley Callard’s daughter Rebecca. It’s set in Stockport and it’s very dark. It’s an exciting time for me and I will take the good with the bad. The unemployment, the uncertainty, it is all good, proper living."

David: "I went to see Julie in Black Roses. It’s an extraordinary piece and I will be going along to Blindsided. In a way I’ll be glad when she’s gone because work has been so busy, I have been living Roy’s life. I’ve got a boarding pass in my pocket and as soon as this is over, I am going to Tasmania for a month."

Coronation Street star Julie Hesmondhalgh talks to TV Times magazine about Hayley Cropper’s devastating cancer diagnosis...

Everyone loves Hayley, and we were devastated to find out she has terminal cancer. How have you felt about the storyline?

"There are moments where it is heartbreaking and I remember reading the scripts for the first time and being inconsolable. I was heartbroken reading every single page and it felt strange. She’s not me, but she is a massive part of me."

We're in tears already!

"It’s not all weepy though – for the most part it’s just Roy and Hayley dealing with it in a very Roy and Hayley way."

Why did you decide to leave the soap after 15 years?

"Doing the play Black Roses: The Killing of Sophie Lancaster at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester last year made me realise that there’s life in the old dog yet, and there are other things I want to try."

Are you proud of playing Hayley?

"Whatever happens next, I’ll always be proudest of lovely Mrs Cropper and in particular, what we achieved in changing attitudes to transgender."

What did you make of your exit storyline?

"I knew that ultimately I would have to be written out of the show because the story would have to honour Roy and Hayley’s relationship. She couldn’t just get up and leave. I feel honoured to be given this kind of storyline because it is a chance to go through something that has pretty much touched everyone in one way or another."

How does she find telling Roy?

"She knew that telling him was going to be the worst part of it. He becomes an immediate nightmare. He goes into full research mode and makes her drink herbal tea and eat broccoli. She gets really fed up with him, but it’s his way of coping."

What research did you do for the storyline?

"From speaking to people who have been given this type of news, your initial reaction is not always what you’d imagine. You think that you would immediately burst into tears, but a lot of people say they feel a sense of euphoria when they are told. I guess you start thinking 'Will I be a survivor, can I do this?'"

Did you find you took the story home with you?

"To play a part well, you sometimes have to trick your body into thinking that is how you are feeling. I remember walking up the stairs one night slightly stooped and I had to remind myself that I wasn’t really ill!"

Julie Hesmondhalgh reveals to Soaplife that Hayley's hospital test results in next week's Coronation Street are bad news. Very bad...

Hayley had no idea she's seriously ill, did she?

"No. She was tired but put it down to Roy's sleepwalking. She had no kind of agenda regarding her own health, she only had a check-up to encourage Roy to see the doctor about his sleep problem."

Why hasn’t she said anything to Roy?

"Because she thought it would be nothing and didn't want to worry him, especially as he's only just getting over his own problems."

And he isn’t with Hayley when she gets the bad news?

"It's Carla who drives Hayley to hospital. Carla sees Hayley's very upset about something and insists on taking her. They are two very different women but have a very real bond. But Hayley sees the consultant alone and is told she has stage two pancreatic cancer."

No! Does Hayley understand how ill she is?

"Not at first. The consultant explains she has to have a small operation to clear her bile duct, which is what is making her tired, and then a big operation to remove the tumour, if they can. Then he gives her the statistics regarding survival rates… after two years, only two out of ten people who've had a similar diagnosis are still living healthy lives."

She must be devastated.

"Yes… but Hayley is a very sunny, positive person and she is hopeful. The prospect of telling Roy, however, and also the prospect of her ultimately leaving him worries her. She thinks she can cope with this but he might not be able to…"

And how does Roy react when she tells him?

"We're straight into Roy and Hayley mode and it's rather wonderful because it's not all doom and gloom. He goes into full research mode and makes her drink herbal tea and eat broccoli. She gets really fed up with him, but that's his way of coping. And he is there to support her when she has her operation."

Hayley doesn’t want people to know she’s ill but they find out. How?

"Roy finds Hayley drinking at a party at the Bistro and is furious as she’s supposed to be looking after herself. He ends up making an announcement. This is definitely not what Hayley wants. She doesn’t want pity and sympathy and people talking about her…"

Coronation Street continues weeknights on ITV.