Hayley would go on to spend 16 years on Coronation Street, always seeing the good in people and nurturing Fiz Brown (Jennie McAlpine) and Becky McDonald (Katherine Kelly) from troubled young women to kind, caring, individuals.

In her later years, Hayley formed an unlikely, yet notably close, friendship with Carla Connor (Alison King) and although it was obvious the pair were from completely different walks of life, they came to respect and care for each other.

Initially, it was intended that Hayley would only appear for two months, it was thought that this would help increase ratings as well as show a new side to Roy Cropper (David Neilson).

Hesmondhalgh only knew she was auditioning to play a "fun" character, so arrived "all Bet Lynch, in my leopard skin and red lippy".

He persuaded her that they should work on their relationship, and as a result, she returned to Weatherfield where she became a machinist in Mike Baldwin's (Johnny Briggs) lingerie factory, Underworld.

Since the passing of the Gender Recognition Act 2004 in UK law, it has been possible for transgender people to change their birth certificates and marry legally.

It was revealed that Hayley had applied for, and received, her new birth certificate, and so, after some disagreements about the cost and motives for marriage, the plans were made for the wedding.

[11] Hesmondhalgh revealed that she wanted to pursue new projects, saying "I've had the most wonderful and happy time in the life changing 15/16 years I've been in Corrie, and I owe so much to the show and the special team that make it happen.

The decision to hang up Hayley's red anorak was a tough one, but doing the play at the Royal Exchange last year made me realise that there's life in the old dog yet (!)

Hayley chooses not to disclose her transgender status, but she is forcibly outed when Alma's husband and factory boss Mike discovers a Tax Office error, showing her deadname.

The couple then foster a young boy, Wayne Hayes (Gary Damer), but go on the run with him, wanting to protect him from his abusive stepfather.

They are arrested for kidnap and Hayley is held on remand for objecting to her bail conditions but is released when Wayne's mother makes a statement about her marriage.

In 2003, while Hayley is away, nursing her sick aunt, scheming Tracy Barlow (Kate Ford) bets Bev Unwin (Susie Blake) that she can bed the man supposedly least likely to be unfaithful — Roy.

Tracy drugs Roy at Peter Barlow (Chris Gascoyne) and Shelley Unwin's (Sally Lindsay) wedding reception and claims to have slept with him.

After the baby is born, Tracy admits to Peter that Steve McDonald (Simon Gregson) is the father (they had a one-night stand shortly before she spent the night with Roy).

She decides not to return to Underworld and wants to become a social worker but her police record (for the abduction of Wayne in 2001), rules her ineligible to work with children.

Roy agrees but he is more concerned with inheritance law, upsetting Hayley, so she moves in with friend Anna Windass (Debbie Rush).

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 June 2011, Roy's mother Sylvia Goodwin (Stephanie Cole) – who moved in with the Croppers' earlier in the year – is suspicious when, after expressing a longing for grandchildren, she finds out Hayley cannot have children.

Strange happenings begin occurring in the café and Roy thinks Beth Tinker (Lisa George) and her family are responsible.

Hayley insists that they attend a cancer support group, where they meet Jane Rayner (Heather Bleasdale) and her husband Jeff (Jim Millea).

When she comes home, she is stunned to find Roy, Owen Armstrong (Ian Puleston-Davies) and Gary Windass (Mikey North) re-decorating their bedroom.

Hayley begins to write letters for Tyrone and Fiz's children, but stops when she realises Hope and Ruby will not remember her, as they are too young.

[12] The appearance of a transgender woman in a mainstream soap opera attracted initial opposition from some members of the public, as expressed in calls to the Granada duty office, and letters written to magazines and newspapers.

Transgender groups were also largely unhappy with the storyline, and found Hayley's original character traits, as written, clichéd and ill-informed.

Press for Change, the transgender campaign and information group, were particularly concerned with the direction of the storyline, but after the first two months a trans advisor connected to Press for Change, Annie Wallace, was regularly consulted for eighteen months by scriptwriters and the actor, and trans groups appeared happier with the stories and scripts that resulted from this liaison.

An Early Day Motion was also tabled in Parliament by Lynne Jones, MP, praising the story team and researchers, and Julie Hesmondhalgh for her portrayal.

[18] Following the screening of the "wedding" in 1999, the Labour Government announced that a Parliamentary Working Group was being created to assess how the United Kingdom could grant trans people the legal rights for which they had fought for decades.

The result of this was the tabling, in 2004, of the Gender Recognition Act, granting trans people full legal status in their acquired sex.

It has been said that the character of Hayley deserves partial credit for bringing the issues faced by trans people to public attention in a sympathetic manner, rather than the sensationalist coverage that had previously existed[citation needed].