Hayden Panettiere(© NBC)

Heroes star Hayden Panettiere

Heroes' Claire Bennet, played by Hayden Panettiere, will turn lesbian in the fourth season of the show currently airing in the US.

The 19-year-old star, who has played invincible Claire since the very first episode, is getting up close and personal with her college roommate.

"It's just girly fun at first," a source told the Daily Star. "But it might progress into something more serious, it depends how viewers respond."

Will Claire Bennet discovering her Sapphic side be enough to save the show?

Heroes is slipping badly in the US ratings; on Monday October 5, just 5.4m Americans tuned in. Conversely, 13m people were watching House, starring our very own Hugh Laurie.

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Heroes Season 3 is out from October 12 on DVD and Blu-ray. Compare prices for Heroes on DVD here.