Corrie kiss and tell your family

IT’S the Corrie kiss that got everybody talking – and the actresses involved have revealed that the smooch has given some fans the strength to come out too.

Viewers have been watching Kate Connor and Rana Nazir get close for some time but, on November 15, they finally locked lips after weeks of simmering romance.

What the actresses – Bhavna Limbachia and Faye Brookes – didn’t know was that it coincided with National Coming Out day.

Bhavna said: “We didn’t realise until people tweeted us and said they’d come out to their parents and watching Coronation Street gave them the perfect opportunity.”

Bhavna, who has played nurse Rana since 2016, said she was profoundly affected by researching the storyline to understand what it was like for gay people in the Asian community: “There was a doctor a similar age to myself and he was in a 13-year relationship with a man. When his parents confronted him about his sexuality they told him he needed to see a psychiatrist to be cured. “Sadly, he took his own life, three years ago. That hit me hard.

“I’ve also spoken to young Pakistani, Muslim gay women – in secret – because they’re still afraid to come out to their parents. That’s when I realised there is a lot of truth in this.”

Bhavna added that she and Faye are enjoying fans’ response: “It’s been brilliant, they’re crazy for ‘Kana’! We’re so happy that they have received us in that way… they have been so positive.”

However, their love bubble might not last long. We hear Rana will receive some life-changing news this week that will jeopardise everything. Yikes! Will Kana be over before they even start?

ROLE MODELS Rana and Kate