What happened to Hayley Cropper in Coronation Street and where is Julie Hesmondhalgh now?
6 June 2023, 08:57 | Updated: 6 June 2023, 11:12
Who is Julie Hesmondhalgh’s husband and what else has the Coronation Street actress been in?
Hayley Cropper became one of the most iconic Coronation Street characters after arriving in 1998.
Played by Julie Hesmondhalgh, she was the first transgender character to be introduced into a British soap opera.
Hayley was best known for her relationship with Roy Cropper (David Neilson) after they got together in 1999 and were married officially on August 30th 2010.
For her performance as Hayley, Julie won The British Soap Award and National Television Award both in 2014.
But what happened to Hayley and what is Julie Hesmondhalgh doing now?
What happened to Hayley in Coronation Street?
Hayley Cropper died in January 2014 in husband Roy’s arms.
Corrie fans were devastated when Hayley was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in July 2013, following a CT scan.
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When Hayley went to have her tumour removed, she was devastated when the oncologist told her the cancer terminal.
She was given six months to a year to live but Hayley told Roy she wanted to end her own life before the cancer killed her.
The couple had their last Christmas together in 2013, before Hayley took a cocktail of drugs that would end her life.
How old is Julie Hesmondhalgh?
Julie Hesmondhalgh is 53-years-old and was born on 25 February 1970.
Since leaving Corrie, Julie has had a successful career in TV and theatre.
Her credits include Broadchurch, Happy Valley and The A Word, as well as BBC Four film Black Roses: The Killing of Sophie Lancaster.
What else has Julie Hesmondhalgh been in?
Julie also starred in BBC Cymru Wales drama The Pact in which she played Nancy.
Her stage roles also include God Bless the Child at the Royal Court Theatre in London, and Wit at the Royal Exchange, Manchester.
But Julie recently admitted still loves Corrie and ‘watches religiously’, saying: "I love that programme. I still watch it.
“My husband is a writer on it. I watch it religiously, I absolutely love it, but my time on it has definitely ended."
She also recently 'begged' her former Corrie boss to allow her to return to the cobbles to be an extra.
The star said: "I miss Hayley, the comfort of putting those clothes and wig on and becoming her. I went for a visit a couple of years ago, and Alan Halsall [who plays Tyrone Dobbs] was filming a scene in Roy's Rolls.
"We begged the director to let me be an extra in the scene, dressed as myself, and sweep across the cafe as the shot began, with the back of my head to the camera so my nose didn't give me away!
"We thought it'd be funny if Tyrone did a tiny double take. But the director daren't do it as it was too much of a risk. It would have been an iconic moment!"
Is Julie Hesmondhalgh married?
Hayley has been married to Ian Kershaw for 19 years and the couple share two grown-up daughters.
Julie met Ian on the ITV set in 1998 when she first joined as Hayley Cropper and over the years Ian has had various small roles on the soap.
He was playing Malcolm Bradford at the time and has also played Duncan Stott and Mick Crompton.
Julie admitted the pair moved in together the following week, telling Notebook magazine: "I moved in with him on the following Wednesday and I was pregnant within six weeks.
"We went on a road trip across America and I did a pregnancy test on Santa Barbara pier."
Ian is also a scriptwriter, and has penned scripts for Coronation Street, EastEnders, Casualty and Holby City.
