Darius Williams will play unique gay role in Home and Away. | Photo: Darius Williams / Flickr
Home and Away is set to introduce its first gay character in 12 years. It’s also the first LGBTI storyline in nine years.
Young actor Darius Williams took to Instagram to announce his guest role on the popular Aussie soap opera.
He wrote: ‘After months of hard work and secrecy. I can announce I will be on Home and Away as of May 7th. To all those that supported me along the way and kept this secret hidden since last October, thank you.
‘To all those that I may have had to tell a few cheeky lies to, I’m sorry. I hope you’re all there to tune in when I hit the Bay next Monday.’
He then added: ‘Love you all.’
Williams will play Ty in the first LGBTI role in the soap since same-sex marriage became legal in Australia last year, reports Back to the Bay.
Unfortunately the role is only contracted for a six-week stint on the show.
Home and Away and LGBTI representation
The last same-sex romance was nine years ago, when the show featured a female romance between Charlie Buckton (Esther Anderson) and Joey Collins (Kate Bell).
It caused a stir among conservative viewers who actually got the same-sex kiss axed from the show before it went to air.
This was not the first LGBTI representation on the show though. In 1994, a young Isla Fisher played bisexual Shannon Reed.
Fisher’s final storyline implied she moved away with a female partner, but never directly stated it.
The inclusion of Williams’ character will be the eleventh LGBTI character on Home and Away.
Raphael and David after their steamy night of love making. | Photo: Eleven
Fellow Australian soap Neighbours had its first ever gay sex scene earlier this year.
Characters David Tanaka and Raphael Humphreys are part of a gay storyline in the Aussie soap.
The love-making scene showed Raphael’s insecurity over severe scarring on his back. But David reassures him that he has nothing to worry about and tenderly inspects the scarring.
