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CORONATION Street is to have its first gay wedding when male midwife Marcus Dent returns to tie the knot with former flame Sean Tully.

The pair will go through Weatherfield's first civil partnership ceremony in the spring.

The show's gay producer Phil Collinson sees Sean as one of the ITV1 soap's main characters in 2011. He has already given Sean, played by Antony Cotton, bigger scenes since taking charge of the show earlier this year.

And Collinson sees the return of Sean's ex-lover, played by Charlie Condou, as a major new talking point for fans. Collinson makes no secret of the fact he uses the soap as a platform for gay issues.

He believes the current lesbian storyline involving Sophie Webster (Brooke Vincent) and Sian Powers (Sacha Parkinson) helps create positive role models.

Handsome Marcus was last seen on screen in September 2008 when he broke Sean's heart by walking out after tiring of his jealousy.

Viewers saw him leaving Weatherfield for a life in London. An insider said: "Bringing back Charlie is seen as a big platform for him and in particular Antony who is well liked and admired by the boss. When Marcus turns up in Weatherfield in the spring he is desperate to rekindle his romance.

"But having hurt him once, Sean is apprehensive until Marcus offers him commitment, with the future storyline leading to Corrie's first same sex marriage."

Collinson has said in the past: "Coronation Street is an amazing platform. You can really make a difference to the way people think - and this show has always had a gay sensibility."

Corrie was created by gay writer Tony Warren 50 years ago.

Stars of the show also led the gay Pride parade in Manchester in August.