Kieron: Coming out is not all same

Hollyoaks star Kieron Richardson has told viewers who are shocked by character Doug Carter's coming out, that everyone is different.

The 26-year-old actor - who came out in real life on This Morning in 2010 - plays gay character Ste Hay, whose friend Doug, played by PJ Brennan, is about to confess his feelings for him.

Kieron told Inside Soap magazine: "We've had a lot of messages on Twitter asking how they can suddenly turn gay!

"What both me and PJ want to stress is that everyone's 'coming out' experience is completely different. You don't just wake up one day and decide to be gay. In Doug's case, he obviously hasn't met the right person before, and it's getting to know Ste that has triggered those feelings within him."

Ste and Doug are set to become a couple on the show, but Kieron revealed all will not be roses for them, as Ste's ex Brendan Brady is not completely out of the picture.

He added: "I just can't believe so many people are interested in this storyline. A lot of people struggle with their own sexuality, so we have to do it justice. When I read that people like it, it makes me want to work much harder in my upcoming scenes."