Yahoo News Corrie's Rob Mallard: 'I'd never hid that I'm gay'
Coronation Street newcomer Rob Mallard is opening up about his sexuality publicly for the first time.
The young actor recently turned up on the cobbles as new heartthrob Daniel Osbourne, the long-lost son of Ken Barlow (William Roache) and his former partner Denise Osbourne (Denise Black).
Since Daniel will soon be involved in an on-screen romance with Sinead Tinker (Katie McGlynn), actor Rob has admitted that he briefly feared publicly chatting about the fact that he's gay.
"I never planned to keep it quiet that I was gay," he told Gay Times. "The only concern I had at first was if I'm with a female character, will an audience who knows I'm gay in real life believe it? But that was just my own fears because I do believe they will."
Rob has been out with his family since the age of 17, and he says they've always been supportive and loving.
"I was very fortunate," he admitted. "I had a very nonplussed family and it's become the subject of warm, friendly general humour over the years."
He became the latest actor to play Daniel Osbourne last autumn, following in the footsteps of Lewis Harney in the '90s and Dominic Holmes's brief appearance in 2007.
It was revealed during his most recent trip to the Street that Daniel has been estranged from his mother, leading to speculation that Denise Black will also be returning to play his mum Denise Osbourne once again.
Earlier this week, an insider told Digital Spy that Corrie would not rule out bringing back Denise now that she's wrapped up her time on fellow ITV soap Emmerdale.
Coronation Street continues on Wednesday (February 1) at 7.30pm on ITV.
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