Although devoted to Hayley, Roy could sometimes be insensitive. Julie Hesmondhalgh was pleased to be working alongside David Neilson again, believing that he helped her performance: "It's in the costume and the wig and acting with David, who's so brilliant as Roy. Hayley enjoys their company, but after Fiz and Tyrone arrive with their young children, Hayley finds herself falling asleep. During Hayley and Roy's relationship, it often fell to Alma to talk sense into them during difficult moments, the most significant one being Roy's rejection of Hayley when she confessed her sexuality to him. A few days later, Roy and Hayley attend Jane's funeral and meet her young sons, Zac and Henry. Carla Connor became the Underworld co-manager in 2007 following the death of her husband Paul. However, Hayley's insecurity over how Roy saw her occasionally cropped up, in particular her fear that he didn't find her attractive, but it was never mentioned again after his near-suicide in 2003 when he thought he'd been unfaithful to Hayley with Tracy Barlow. While Tracy felt no guilt over her treatment of the Croppers, Ken and Deirdre forced her to pay back the money and make the Croppers godparents to Patience, whose name was changed to Amy Barlow. Angela Harris was one of Hayley's colleagues from the factory. One step away from living rough and always in some sort of trouble with the police, about the only thing Becky had going for her was her 'friendship' with Kelly Crabtree, who she betrayed by letting her take the blame for thefts at the factory. Although the factory staff and Street residents initially taunt her, she eventually gets her job back and most Street residents gradually accept her. They buy each other gifts and want to be alone, but the day is interrupted by visits from friends and neighbours. At the same time, she came clean to Roy about her secretive behaviour of late, and her lie to him about being a virgin when they met. Anna lets her in and tries to stop Carla knocking on the flat door, but she does. Corrie fans were devastated when Hayley was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in July 2013, following a CT scan. The Croppers struck up an instant bond with Wayne, but although the quiet lad hadn't said why he ran away from home, as Alex left with Wayne, Roy saw him hit the boy through the cafe window. Hayley was very non-confrontational, at least when dealing with bigots such as Les Battersby. Becky grew very attached to Royston and Hayles. She admired their honesty and loyalty, seeing it as something to aspire to, and her desire to be worthy of their trust was a big motivator in her turning her life around. I'm happy as I am. In April 2011, Roy's mother Sylvia Goodwin turned up at the cafe demanding an explanation for Roy's no-show at her husband Roger's funeral, in the process meeting Hayley for the first time. The following week, Carla insists on going with Hayley for a CT scan where Hayley is diagnosed with stage-two pancreatic cancer. Hayley Cropper is a fictional transsexual woman, introduced to the long-running soap Coronation Street in early 1998. was hayley cropper a man in real life. [15] The official LGBT History Month website includes Hayley as one of the important famous LGBT people in their history, even though she is a fictional character.[16]. When Hayley decided to end her own life when diagnosed with incurable pancreatic cancer, Roy refused to support her, seeing it as selfish on her part to take herself away from him, cherishing every possible second he could spend with her. Roy makes sure that she is comfortable and selects a piece of music that they both like. Unbeknown to Hayley, Roy was planning to propose to her at the upcoming 70s Valentine's dance, but when Roy caught Hayley spying on him even after he'd explained why he was seeing Beryl, he felt betrayed by her lack of trust, causing a brief rift between them. Following this, in October 2007, Hayley leaves the Street to go on volunteer work in Mozambique for a year. Hayley returned to work but, dazed by the news, she broke down in front of the girls, and privately informed Carla of her diagnosis. Although not a loving couple in the romantic sense, they were friends as well as husband and wife and enjoyed doing things together, such as taking Spanish lessons and learning first aid. In Roy, Hayley had found someone who was similarly set apart from the world around him, and although Roy had trouble expressing his feelings, he greatly enjoyed Hayley's company. With her troubled past, Becky's aggressive and thieving behaviour was a hard habit to break, but she was spurred on by her loyalty to the Croppers. She briefly left him and went to stay with Alma, before deciding to forgive him. He decides to call her but she left her phone behind. The character first appeared in the episode first broadcast on 26 January 1998. Roy and Hayley Cropper were a much-loved couple on the Street (Picture: ITV) She may have been one of the most loved characters on the cobbles, but it turns out Coronation Street's Hayley. And you need that. As a wedding present to Roy, Hayley officially changed her name by deed poll to Hayley Anne Cropper. Hayley and Sylvia go but is devastated when Roy tells everyone that she has pancreatic cancer. She works in the caf and then becomes supervisor at the factory in 2009. What's on TV describes the character as quiet, and kind-hearted. It wasn't a politically correct one, but this was back in 1998. Because of her sheltered upbringing, Hayley was shy and had trouble making friends. The actor has played the legendary character on the ITV soap for a number of years and has become a big part of culture but he has appeared to hint that he has made his last appearance on the programme. The doctor tells Hayley that there is a blockage in her bile duct and Hayley tells Sylvia that she may have cancer and breaks down in her arms. However, with some prompting by Alma, he surprised Hayley by turning up at the disco dressed as John Travolta and showed that his dancing lessons hadn't gone to waste. Hayley was thrilled to work in an environment where she could just be "one of the girls", but her colleagues took some time to warm to her due to her showing them up with her speed on the sewing machine. Roy was especially closed, but as he left to go back the UK, he gave her an engraved gold watch. A short time later, Roy surprised Hayley by changing the habit of a lifetime and being spontaneous by booking a trip to Blackpool. She is taken care of by paramedics and she and Roy tell one another they love each other before watching the factory blow up, after Tony sets fire to the building, killing himself but Carla manages to untie herself and escapes. In revenge, Les tipped off a reporter about the wedding between "two blokes". While teaching a literacy class, Hayley came into contact with Becky Granger, with whom she had previously worked at Underworld. In October, Hayley was offered a place on a six-month volunteer project building a school in Mozambique. Given the level of fame Hayley has achieved, anonymity in everyday life has been a blessing for the actress. She left Weatherfield immediately, with Liam Connor agreeing to keep her job open at the factory. It is also alleged that the resultant public support for this fictional character went in favour of the Bill. Hayley was therefore sceptical when Becky tried to befriend her when Hayley was doing voluntary work with ex-offenders later in the year, but she decided to give Becky a chance, feeling that everyone could be rehabilitated. In May 2013, Sylvia's friend Dorothy passed on a letter for Roy, from his estranged father, St. John Cropper, asking him to get in touch. As the day arrived, the wedding party was just about to arrive when the press turned up at the church. But we wanted the character to live and breathe a bit so that people could get to know her without prejudice. Both were successful in their auditions. Hayley returns later that year and supports Roy when they discover that his father died in May 2013. Hayley does well and is invited to Audrey Roberts' (Sue Nicholls) birthday party at the Bistro. Daunted by the prospect of telling Christian the truth, Hayley immediately broke her promise to Roy by telling Christian that she was his aunt and that his dad Harold was dead. Norris Cole (Malcolm Hebden) notices that Roy is even more unhappy than usual, and asks if he is alright, but he claims to be fine. Hesmondhalgh agreed that killing Hayley off was the only believable option: "In a way, she has to die because it would be much more of a betrayal of everything if she just left Roy. Brian Park: We had hoped for her to be a sympathetic character and we didn't want to make her big and blowsy and looking like Pete Burns." On their return, the Croppers discovered that Sylvia had departed the Street to live with her sister. As well as being nominated for the "Best Actress" award, Hesmondhalgh's final appearance, entitled "Hayley's Death", was nominated for the "Best Single Episode" award, as well. Hayley's exit storyline saw her diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer and, in a story twist, decide to end her life on her own terms. Hayley decides that Roy should see a doctor and tells him she will have the same tests done, which Roy finds comfort in. With Carla's support, Hayley told Roy and Sylvia about the cancer. So I immediately imagined myself as a Bet Lynch-type character and I did literally pitch up for the audition with red lipstick and a leopard-skin coat. The following day, Hayley collapses and Fiz calls an ambulance to take Hayley to hospital. Roy admired his wife's courage but advised her to change her mind as Wayne would understand them not visiting him under the circumstances. When she got her results, Hayley was informed by the new GP, Dr. Akhtar, that she had abnormal liver functions and was checked into hospital for an ultrasound scan, which revealed a blockage in her bile duct. Steeling herself, Hayley introduced herself to Christian, but for the moment she was too afraid to tell him who she really was. Their first child is teenager Fiz Brown (Jennie McAlpine), who returns to care after falsely claiming that Roy hit her. Les was so upset that he attempted suicide, and while driving him to hospital Dennis was killed in a car crash, devastating Janice. When she returns to Weatherfield, she starts work at Underworld. In order to know that Christian's feelings were genuine, Hayley didn't tell him about the cancer, and he delighted her by expressing his regret over hitting her six years prior and informing her that she had two grandchildren, Sam and Maisie. Hayley Cropper in Coronation Street was a Weatherfield legend. They have a wonderful time but their joy is cut short when they are told that Jane has been rushed to a hospice. Although he took Hayley's revelation about her sex badly, Roy pursued her to Amsterdam, where she was having the final part of her treatment, and they returned to Weatherfield together as a proper couple. Calling out, Anna and Carla go to the bedroom and, to their shock, find a deceased Hayley on the bed, with Roy's arm around her. They later joined the Weatherfield Operatic Society together, with Hayley encouraging a terrified Roy to try for The Sound of Music with her. Eventually Hayley decided she'd had enough and told the girls herself. Roy suggested fostering instead, as they would be able to help more children, and Hayley agreed. Hayley regretted her harsh words and she and Becky soon made up. When she found Hayley's hormone drugs, Sylvia assumed she was going through the menopause and gave her an aloe vera plant to help her. Angela apologised to Hayley and asked her to tell everyone the truth. Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! ", As the storyline played out, Hesmondhalgh feared a backlash from fans over the storyline but was surprised by the reaction: "I've had so many messages and it's been overwhelming. After rummaging through her things, she finds a prescription for some hormone tablets and assumes Hayley is menopausal until Tracy tells her that Hayley used to be a man. 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