Coronation Street: Bhavna Limbachia’s lesbian character Rana is killed off
Coronation Street is facing backlash after the show killed off lesbian character Rana Habeeb (Bhavna Limbachia) in Tuesday night’s episode.
Rana died on her wedding day after a roof collapse in the Underworld factory.
The character, who had been set to wed Kate Connor (Faye Brooks), had gone into the building to get her bag when the ceiling caved in.
Although she survived the incident, she got trapped in the factory and was killed following a second roof collapse.
Coronation Street kills off Bhavna Limbachia’s character Rana
The couple, however, exchanged wedding vows as Kate cradled Rana in the rubble just before she passed away.
In her exit interview, released by ITV, Limbachia, who previously hinted that Rana’s wedding day was in jeopardy, explained that it was her decision to leave the show, adding that she had wanted Rana to be killed off.
“When I told Kate Oates and Iain McLeod that I wanted to leave the show to try other things, it was my decision and my choice for Rana to die because it was the only fitting end to the character,” she explained.
“Kate and Rana had fought so hard to be together and they had been through thick and thin together.”
“Yet another LGBT character killed off. Yet another WOC [woman of colour] killed off. When are you going to learn that there are other ways to tell a story?”
She continued: “I felt that if they were to be separated, they had to be torn apart and it couldn’t have been their decision.
“The only way to go was if Rana were to die. Rana would never leave Kate, ever.”
The 34-year-old actor also said she was “proud to be an ally for the LGBT+ community.”
She added: “It wasn’t something that I knew enough about so when I was approached with this storyline, I felt it was important to educate myself about the LGBT+ community and that has changed me as a person.”
Fans criticise Coronation Street for playing into “Bury Your Gays” trope
But some fans have criticised the show on social media for killing off an LGBT+ character, and playing into the “Bury Your Gays” trope.
“So #corrie has decided to follow the bury your gays trope too? Disappointing tbh,” one person wrote on Twitter.
Another said: “Logging out of Twitter before @itvcorrie because I’m not watching live.
“To my #kana fam—love and hugs.
“I’ll be back on after I see today’s episode. #corrie has no excuse for its blantant, homophobic ‘bury your gays’ trope. Shame on them. Fucking heartbroken.”
And a third vented: “Yet another LGBT character killed off. Yet another WOC [woman of colour] killed off. When are you going to learn that there are other ways to tell a story?”
Watch the Coronation Street scene below:
