Coronation Street star Antony Cotton has said his character’s vicar boyfriend will be forced to choose between the Church and their relationship.

Billy Mayhew (Daniel Brocklebank) has been trying to keep his and Sean Tully’s (Cotton) love a secret from his Bishop, but when news of their homophobic treatment at a B&B becomes front page news for the Weatherfield Gazette, he has to make a tough choice.

Antony told the Radio Times: “They’re both embarrassed, but for different reasons. Sean has always had his head stuck in gossip magazines, but he doesn’t like the attention now that it’s happening to him.

“But Billy is mortified. Sean realises that Billy has to be quite discreet – and his vocation means that he shouldn’t really draw attention to himself.”

Coronation Street
Sean (Antony Cotton), Julie (Katy Cavanagh) and Billy (Daniel Brocklebank) see the story has made front-page news in Weatherfield (ITV)

A chat with the Bishop doesn’t go well for the couple. Antony continued: “Sean is very upset after Billy tells the Bishop that they’ve split up. He feels as though Billy has had to lie for Sean, which is something that he never wanted him to do.

“It’s a difficult situation for them. In the end, Billy says he is who he is and if someone doesn’t like it, then it’s tough.

“It makes him really sad that Billy feels it has to be one or the other. Sean usually leads with his emotions but, in this case, Sean’s head takes the lead and he tells Billy that he can’t do that and that he’d never ask him to do it either.

“Sean is very selfless, in this instance. He doesn’t want Billy to put him first, because Billy’s job and vocation is what makes Billy who he is.”

Coronation Street
Sean (Antony Cotton) and Billy (Daniel Brocklebank) had a run-in with a B&B owner (ITV)

Antony added that if Billy did leave his job for Sean, it could cause problems for them: “As one door closes another door opens. So you can close one door and it would open another door to a whole host of other questions or problems. Sean has made the right decision to tell Billy that he mustn’t choose and he must stick with his job and deal with the consequences.”

He said of working on the storyline: “It’s so unique and hasn’t been done in Corrie before. It’s been handled in a classic Corrie way – a perfect balance of comedy and tragedy. And it’s created a discussion.

“The response has been overwhelmingly positive and terrific, from face to face in the supermarket to social media. I’ve had loads of tweets about it – it’s been a really nice response.”