In the week of his character Todd's big gay kiss, Emma Messenger talks to the Corrie heart-throb.

How did you react when you found out Todd was to be gay?
I just knew that he would be questioning his sexuality. I kept asking whether he was going to be gay in the end, but no one ever quite told me. I think it was to keep the confusion going in my own mind, which worked better in terms of playing the character.

So when did it become clear that you were going to do some male-on-male snogging?
I'd known about my first kiss with Adam Rickitt, who plays Nick, in advance, but with this latest kiss with Chris Finch, who plays nurse Karl, I'd completely forgotten it might happen until I got the script. I read it a couple of days before filming and it said, "...and then Todd kisses Karl passionately."

Where did it take place?
We filmed it on Canal Street, right in the middle of the gay area of Manchester, with blocks of flats all around us and everyone able to see. At one point the director said we were going for a take and we asked if he wanted us to kiss on this one and everyone was shouting "Yeah, go on!"

How did you and Chris prepare for the great event?
I told Chris that I had never actually done a stage kiss before. I've always just done it for real when I've kissed on screen. He said, "Well, I don't think we really need to use tongues." And I was like, "That's what I was thinking, that's great!" So we just did it - without tongues.

Were you surprised by the press reaction?
I don't really read the newspapers any more.

One downmarket tabloid was ranting on about Corrie's "Sicko Sex" storyline.
Was it? [laughs] That's great! I don't give a shit - any reaction is better than none. Those papers just sensationalise anything. They sell papers by putting half-naked women on the front, so if they want to make a big deal about Corrie's gay kiss, what can I say? They're just shit anyway. But, in the end, it's all press for the show.

What about the allegations that Todd's storyline was all done to boost ratings?
I don't think that's true. The whole storyline has been handled so sensitively. Ratings are important, of course - getting more people to watch would be great. But maybe people are going to turn off - who knows? The thing is that Manchester is such a gay capital, it's madness for the show not to have a gay character.

Are you getting lots of male attention now?
When I'm in the supermarket I sometimes see gay couples staring at me a bit when I walk past. But it's flattering to get any attention.

How is Todd going to change - will we see him wearing tight white T-shirts and listening to Kylie records?
Oh, come on, that's a bit harsh. Seriously though, when it all does come out, there will be some changes in his personality, not because he's gay, but because of everything he has to deal with. Todd's usually such a quietly intense character, but you're going to see him lose it and fight back.

© Heat Magazine, 12/4/04

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