Coronation Street star Jane Hazlegrove reveals reason for initially keeping marriage a secret
Coronation Street actress Jane Hazlegrove and Emmerdale star Isobel Middleton formed a civil partnership in 2010, and got married in 2015.
Jane Hazlegrove kept her marriage to Isobel Middleton a secret.
The Coronation Street star and the Emmerdale actress met in 1995, formed a civil partnership in 2010, and got married in 2015.
However, Jane, 57, initially did not want to get married because she did not want to say "I do" just because the then-UK Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron, 58, and his government legalised same-sex marriage in 2014.
Jane explained to the Daily Mirror newspaper: "The wedding was five years later at a Bristol register office.
"I didn't want to do it originally. I didn't want to do it just because the government now said we could. I've never been part of a gang. I like to think of myself as someone who doesn't conform.
"So, we didn't tell anybody, we just went and did it ourselves. All we had to do was take a gas bill and upgrade! Really romantic! We then invited six friends around for a curry."
Jane considers her marriage to Isobel - who plays Detective Inspector Roberts in Emmerdale - to be her "greatest achievement".
She said: "I love a wedding, but I never thought that I'd actually get to have my own big party, full of all the people that I love and lots of laughter.
"It was a beautiful thing and a bit of a shock. I still can't believe it, and I'm so proud that we've done it, and I'm so proud of my love for Isobel.
"It's my greatest achievement, regardless of my career.
"I just can't believe that I'm allowed to love this woman and live the life I live without being persecuted and hounded. Yes, you still meet homophobia every day, but I just smile at the homophobes and try to educate them and lead from the front."
Jane joined Coronation Street in 2016 because she needed cash to buy a new bathroom.
Hazlegrove - who plays the plain-speaking Bernie Winter, the mum of Gemma Winter (Dolly-Rose Campbell) and deceased character Paul Foreman (Peter Ash) - told the new issue of My Weekly magazine: "I only came into Coronation Street for 10 episodes to get a new bathroom.
"I'd run out of money, and when they said, 'Will you come and do Corrie for a bit,' I thought, 'Yes! That will pay for a nice white suite!'"
Her initial brief stint in Wetherfield has turned into six years, and she feels very lucky to have had a long stay on the ITV1 soap.
Jane - whose alter ego is getting married to businessman Dev Alahan (Jimmi Harkishin) - added: "I've been here for six years now, and I've just signed for another year.
"It's a lovely place to work. I feel very blessed."
