Coronation Street viewers unimpressed after soap kills off gay character

Coronation Street's Rana died in last night's episode | Photo: ITV

Coronation Street viewers are unimpressed after the soap has killed off a gay character on her wedding day.

Rana Habeeb, played by Bhavna Limbachia, died after being caught up in the Underworld roof collapse.

She was getting married to Kate Connor in last night’s episode (20 March).

Many believe the storyline feeds into an ongoing trope within television, dubbed Bury Your Gays.

Coronation Street accused of ‘Burying Their Gays’

The trope says if LGBTI characters are introduced, they are killed off – often at their happiest moment.

Many reacted negatively on social media.

One said: ‘If you wanna see an example of the absolute worst treatment of a queer character ever tune into Coronation Street.’

Another said: ‘Corrie playing off the bury-your-gays trope is a really terrible move.’

Others said: ‘Yet another LGBT character killed off. Yet another WOC killed off. When are you going to learn that there are other ways to tell a story?’

‘You build up these characters & their relationship. You give the community hope. This is baiting & Bury Your Gays. It’s 2019. Stop.

‘Coronation Street had a perfect opportunity to show a happily married gay couple but chose yet again to kill off another LGBTQ character.

Actor made the decision for her character to die

‘I know that Corrie isn’t homophobic but I’m just massively disappointed by another wasted opportunity.’

‘I cried at Coronation Street, not gonna lie. Such a cop out though.

‘I’m not expecting bullet-proof gays, but I am expecting more from long-running shows like this. Especially when their viewers are younger members of the queer community.’

Bhavna has said it was her decision for Rana to die.

She said: ‘When I told Kate Oates and Iain McLeod that I wanted to leave the show to try other things, it was my decision and my choice for Rana to die because it was the only fitting end to the character.

‘There was no way that Rana was going to leave’

‘Kate and Rana had fought so hard to be together and they had been through thick and thin together.’

She added: ‘I believe their love was so pure as two souls that there was no way that Rana was just going to have a change of heart, hop in a cab and leave.

‘I felt that if they were to be separated, they had to be torn apart and it couldn’t have been their decision. The only way to go was if Rana were to die. Rana would never leave Kate, ever.’

A Coronation Street spokesperson had no comment.

Rana was Coronation Street’s first ever LGBTI Muslim character.

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