Boy Meets Girl and beyond: meet the transgender actors breaking new ground on British TV

What’s the reaction been like to your role?

Overwhelmingly positive, though it’s weird to have people following me around in shops! One trans guy wrote to me and said his mum, who hadn’t spoken to him for years, had got in touch after seeing the storyline on EastEnders and they were now reconciling.

How did your family react to your transition?

They’ve been very supportive. Obviously, they were surprised – not as much was known about transgender issues six years ago. I tried to drop hints by playing Beyoncé’s If I Were a Boy from my bedroom! Then I was in a clothes shop with my mum and was buying a man’s T-shirt and I just decided to come out with it, there and then.

What’s the process of transitioning like?

It’s slow and can be frustrating. I have trouble getting repeat prescriptions and syringes for my hormones because GPs aren’t very informed. Plus everything’s based in London and I’m from the north, so I’d have to do four-hour journeys just for a half-hour appointment. But it’s worth doing right, because this is for life.

Do you tell new friends you were born a girl?

When I went to university to study drama, 
I didn’t tell anybody, just because I didn’t want them to judge me as “Riley the transgender guy”. But when I got the part in 
EastEnders, I knew I had to tell
 people, and it was a relief.

What ambitions do you have?

I’m very happy on EastEnders and Kyle’s story has a lot to give. People think gender is
 the same as sexuality; they’ve been asking if Kyle is going
 to get with Ben Mitchell – but Kyle’s not gay. So it would be interesting to see him dating girls. Some will accept him, and some won’t.

Annie Wallace

Wallace stars as Sally in Hollyoaks. She is the first transgender person to star in a British soap in history

When did you
 start acting?


I was told I had promise
 at school but couldn’t afford to pursue it, so
I worked in computers. When Hayley started in Coronation Street in 1998, I helped the writers with her back story and the acting bug returned.

Were you jealous that Julie Hesmondhalgh, a non-transgender actress, played Hayley?

No, because I didn’t think I could be an actress. Julie played her so brilliantly. Hayley was brought in as a brief comedy plot: Roy gets his first girlfriend and – ha, ha – she’s a trannie. But they were so popular, she was brought back. Having 16 years of Hayley on mainstream TV every night had such a positive effect.

When did you know you were transgender?

Aged five, at Butlin’s in Ayr, I wished I was playing with the girls rather than the boys.
 A year later I told my mum, “I’m actually a girl,” and she hit me. I transitioned aged 24 but was a bit of a coward and got my sister to tell my parents. It took a year for Mum to come round. I didn’t speak to my father for 15 years. I’d go home for a visit and he’d say, “Tell me when he’s gone.” But then he had a huge health scare and didn’t want to die without reconciling.

When do you tell people you were born a boy?

I only “came out” last May. It was my 50th birthday and I took 12 friends for dinner and said, “I’ve got something to tell you.” Many had no idea. I transitioned in the late 80s, the middle of the Aids epidemic. There was a lot of hostility towards the LGBT community. It was scary, so I kept it to myself.

How do you feel about the explosion of transgender roles?

I’m delighted they now have a young female-to-male actor in EastEnders. There have been a few middle-aged women like me but I’ve always played non-trans females before, mainly in comedy roles. Hollyoaks has given me a chance to explore drama and it’s been incredibly fulfilling.