As a Brit I am familiar with the character Hayley Cropper in Corrie. I am not a soap fan, so I haven't followed the storyline as such. However, I did watch the series for a while when she joined the cast. I was a bit worried because they had cast a woman in the role rather than a trans actress, but on reflection I think it was a good choice.
Julie Hesmondhalgh was not a well-known actress at the time which helped. The character of Hayley was not open about her history in the soap but it wasn't long before some busybody had started to spread rumours about her.
So poor Hayley had to deal with all of that, and one or two characters were typically trying to provoke her. But gradually the novelty of Hayley being trans faded in the minds of the characters in The Street and she was just accepted. The TV audience warmed to her, too, thanks to Julie's portrayal of her.
As I said, I did not follow the series, but every so often would have a look to see how she was getting on, expecially around the time when Hayley and Roy were talking about getting married.
I thought the producers handled the whole Hayley thing very well, and Hayley has long been a Coronation Street favourite with viewers.
Incidentally, over the years, actress Julie Hesmondhalgh has become a regular campaigner for gay and transgender issues as a result of the role she played.
