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Coronation Street\u2019s Channique Sterling-Brown has responded to comments from trolls about her latest storyline.<\/p>\n
Channique\u2019s character, Dee-Dee Bailey, recently started dating a duty solicitor called Joel. <\/p>\n
Played by Hollyoaks\u2019 Calum Lill, Joel is enjoying getting to know Dee-Dee and vice versa, but the romance hasn\u2019t been the focus for some Corrie viewers.<\/p>\n
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Speaking to Digital Spy, Channique said that she \u2018saw some comments about us [Dee-Dee and Joel] being an interracial couple\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u2018Almost like, \u201can interracial couple on the Street \u2013 God forbid\u201d. I just thought it\u2019s so bizarre, because the relationship had nothing to do with race. It really is just about two people who have found each other, and are really in that loved-up, gross honeymoon phase.\u2019 <\/p>\n
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She continued: \u2018As a Black woman in the industry, I think we do put constraints on ourselves on how we\u2019re going to be presented, especially romantically. So whether we are the sexual interest or just the friend-zoned woman or whatever, I feel like we\u2019re often hypersexualised or under-sexualised as Black female characters.\u2019 <\/p>\n
\u2018I hate when people are like, \u201cyou\u2019re playing the race card\u201d. No one\u2019s making it about race. People just see \u2018other\u2019 and they assume that\u2019s what it is. But it\u2019s literally not about that at all.\u2019 <\/p>\n
Reflecting on what\u2019s ahead for Dee-Dee as this romance continues to develop, Channique recently told us: \u2018Calum Lill, who plays Joel, he\u2019s wonderful and we\u2019re having a lot of fun getting to know each other and getting to know the characters. <\/p>\n
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\u2018I think it\u2019s really exciting, we\u2019re going to see Dee-Dee in a bit of a new light, and I think that\u2019s really fun as an actor to explore, hopefully the audience will enjoy it and it\u2019s nice to have a bit of happiness and love really!\u2019 <\/p>\n
Elsewhere, next week in Corrie will see Stephen Reid\u2019s (Todd Boyce) reign of terror come to an end.<\/p>\n
After killing Leo, Teddy and Rufus, Stephen will take centre stage during Super Soap Week as he plans an escape from Weatherfield, but who will try and stand in his way?<\/p>\n