Hayley Cropper Hayley Anne Cropper ( née Patterson ) was the wife of Roy Cropper . Born as a male named Harold Patterson in 1966 , Hayley never felt her body was right and , in her twenties , she began treatment to become physically a woman . When she met Roy in 1998 , a kinship was developed as they were both lonely , introspective people . Although he took Hayley ' s revelation about her sex badly , Roy pursued her to Amsterdam , where she was having the final part of her treatment , and they returned to Weatherfield together as a proper couple . Hayley had a difficult time adjusting to life in Coronation Street . She was a fast machinist and got a job at Underworld , though when her secret came out and she faced bigotry in the workplace and elsewhere , she found it difficult to cope with and contemplated leaving . A non - confrontational but resilient woman , Hayley made many friends through her kindly and honest nature . Hayley and Roy were something of an odd couple ; they were not overtly romantic with each other , their bond being an emotional rather than physical one . Owner of Roy ' s Rolls cafe , Roy was an incessantly honest and literal man , and Hayley was one of the few people who understood him . Proving their doubters wrong , they were married in 1999 , and again in 2010 , by which time changes in UK law meant their union was acknowledged legally . They couldn ' t have children , but they fostered Fiz Brown in 2001 , and took in several waifs and strays , from Chesney Brown to Becky Granger . However , some abused their kindly nature , including Alex Swinton , who beat his stepson Wayne Hayes . The Croppers broke the law in order to protect Wayne . In 2003 , Tracy Barlow fooled everyone into thinking she slept with Roy , and extorted money from Roy and Hayley in exchange for her baby before revealing that Steve McDonald was the real father . In 2007 , Hayley discovered that she had a son , Christian Gatley , fathered before her sex change , and admitted to Roy that she ' d lied about being a virgin when they met . Roy was shattered by her dishonesty although they soon made up . In 2013 , Hayley battled pancreatic cancer . When the treatment failed , Hayley decided to end her life on her terms , which she did on 20th January 2014 , passing away with Roy at her side . Biography . 1966 - 1997 : Becoming Hayley . Hayley was born as Harold Patterson in 1966 . As a child , she was lonely due to having no friends or siblings , and felt out of place among the other boys . In particular , she never felt right in her body , especially after puberty which she described as " like sores breaking out " . When Hayley was fourteen , her mother walked out on the family and she was raised by her father thereafter . Hayley had respect for her father but he didn ' t understand her problems . As a teenager , she became friends with a girl called Cath who was similarly outcast amongst their peers . They stopped seeing each other shortly after Hayley lost her virginity to Cath , and as a result Hayley didn ' t find out until 2007 that Cath had given birth to Hayley ' s son Christian Gatley . Another friend of Hayley ' s from this period was Ruth Audsley , who hid her attraction to “ Harold ” . When her father had an accident , Hayley became her dad ' s home carer and what life she had outside the house was reduced to nothing . Over time , Hayley came to better understand her feelings about her mind and body and she decided to become physically a woman . When she told her father this , he threw all photographs of " Harold " into the fire and refused to allow her to wear woman ' s clothes in his presence . To prepare her body for surgery , Hayley was given hormones and she began identifying herself as a woman . Some time later , her dad was admitted to a care home , and Hayley went out to work as secretary to manager Curly Watts at Firman ' s Freezers in Weatherfield . 1998 - 1999 : Hayley comes a cropper . Because of her sheltered upbringing , Hayley was shy and had trouble making friends . Worse still , her position at Firman ' s was one of authority , and Hayley was too afraid of her colleagues to discipline them . When an unimpressed Curly told Hayley to stop being so wet , he reduced her to tears in front of another colleague , Alma Baldwin . Feeling sorry for Hayley , Alma offered her the hand of friendship , although she was slightly disturbed when Hayley , having no other friends , latched on to her and started following her around . In February , Curly and Alma broke the news to Hayley that her father had passed away . On hearing that Hayley didn ' t have anyone else in her life , Alma and Mike Baldwin held a dinner party with Hayley , Curly , Audrey Roberts and Roy Cropper as guests , but the intention to matchmake Hayley and Curly was obvious and embarrassed the pair . However , Hayley was impressed with Roy , whose stories at the dinner table had bored everyone but her , and they went out for a drink afterwards . In Roy , Hayley had found someone who was similarly set apart from the world around him , and although Roy had trouble expressing his feelings , he greatly enjoyed Hayley ' s company . After a few more dates , Hayley decided to reveal her secret to him . Over a romantic meal at Roy ' s cafe , Roy ' s Rolls , Hayley confessed to him that she had been born a man , and explained to him what had led her to decide to change her body . Though she asked only for his friendship , Roy took the news badly and asked her to leave him alone . Rejected by Roy , Hayley confided her troubles in Alma , also revealing her sex change to her . Alma took the news better , and urged Roy to make amends . Roy regretted his harshness with Hayley and asked her to be his friend again , which she gratefully accepted , but despite liking her as a person , her sex change still made him uncomfortable and their relationship stalled . In April , Hayley received her father ' s inheritance and went to Amsterdam for her final operation . After her operation , Hayley remained in Amsterdam and rented a houseboat , intending to stay for a while . She wrote to Roy letting him know where she was , and was shocked when , a short time later , he visited her out of the blue . Having missed each other , they toured the sights of Amsterdam together , while surreptitiously trying to find out where they stood in each other ' s affections . Roy was especially closed , but as he left to go back the UK , he gave her an engraved gold watch . Hayley caught up with Roy at the airport and returned to Weatherfield with him . Hayley knew that her past would always be a part of her ; immediately on her arrival in the UK , she was stopped by Immigration as she still held a man ' s passport . Roy and Hayley decided to start an affair and shared their first kiss at the boating lake on the Red Rec . Unable to return to Firman ' s Freezers , Hayley got a job at Underworld knicker factory when Roy won a bet with Mike Baldwin that Hayley could out - machine any of his girls . Hayley was thrilled to work in an environment where she could just be " one of the girls " , but her colleagues took some time to warm to her due to her showing them up with her speed on the sewing machine . Additionally , Mike discovered her secret when Alma told him why the DSS was insisting that Hayley was called Harold . Worried about staff morale should the girls find out , Mike sacked Hayley , but without knowing the reason behind it , the girls demanded her reinstatement and threatened to strike . Mike eventually caved in and re - hired Hayley . Looking for somewhere permanent to live , Hayley was delighted when Roy asked her to move in with him , dutifully offering to sleep on the sofa until they were married . His offer came with a proposal of marriage , but Hayley had to decline , reminding him that they couldn ' t marry under UK law . However , she did not want to sleep apart from Roy anyway , and as she moved into Roy ' s flat , they cemented their relationship , although Hayley lied to Roy by telling him that , like him , she was a virgin . At work , Hayley had to live with Mike ' s constant ribbing . His bad treatment of her intensified when Roy threw a pint over him in the Rovers in retaliation for calling Hayley a freak . Eventually Hayley decided she ' d had enough and told the girls herself . The news quickly spread throughout Coronation Street , stunning the residents . After the initial surprise , most were supportive of Hayley , but some , such as Les Battersby , picked on her , while at work Linda Sykes tried to make her use the gents toilets , resulting in Mike stepping and forcing Linda to back down ( although his intentions were only to get everyone back to work , rather than anything noble ) . Hayley felt the strain of everyone watching her and contemplated leaving Weatherfield , but Roy pleaded with her to stay and together they braved the Rovers . At the end of the year , Hayley bought Gail Platt ' s share of the cafe but went on working at the factory . With Hayley behind him , Roy bought a new unit in Victoria Street , No . 16 , and the flat above , and moved the cafe there . In February 1999 , Hayley became suspicious of Roy ' s movements when he put on his best clothes to go for a walk . Following him along with Linda and Janice Battersby , she saw him meeting a woman , who turned out to be Beryl Freeman , his dancing tutor . Unbeknown to Hayley , Roy was planning to propose to her at the upcoming 70s Valentine ' s dance , but when Roy caught Hayley spying on him even after he ' d explained why he was seeing Beryl , he felt betrayed by her lack of trust , causing a brief rift between them . However , with some prompting by Alma , he surprised Hayley by turning up at the disco dressed as John Travolta and showed that his dancing lessons hadn ' t gone to waste . He then proposed , and Hayley excitedly accepted , agreeing not to be defeated by a law . Driven by his determination to fulfill his promise to Hayley , Roy found ( via Emily Bishop ) a minister who agreed to perform a ceremony at St . Paul ' s Church . Hayley made her own dress , while the train was made by the other girls and presented to her at her hen party at No . 5 , with Janice Battersby selling Les ' s records to pay for it . In revenge , Les tipped off a reporter about the wedding between " two blokes " . As the day arrived , the wedding party was just about to arrive when the press turned up at the church . While minister Jessica Lundy and Spider Nugent kept the reporters occupied , Emily intercepted the wedding party and told them to turn around . Hayley thought the day ruined but to her great surprise , Roy hastily re - organised the day ' s events , moving the ceremony to the cafe . With Alma as Matron of Honour , Martin Platt as Best Man , and her Great Uncle Bert as Father of the Bride , Hayley and Roy were married on 23rd April 1999 . By law they were still unwed , but with Hayley changing her surname to " Cropper " by deed poll , they considered themselves a married couple . 1999 - 2002 : Fostering and Wayne Hayes . The following year was relatively quiet for the Croppers . As Hayley had yet to update her passport , they took their honeymoon in York . Although not a loving couple in the romantic sense , they were friends as well as husband and wife and enjoyed doing things together , such as taking Spanish lessons and learning first aid . In March 2000 , Hayley attracted the attentions of Stuart Leigh , a builder working on the Medical Centre development . Stuart kept popping into the cafe to see Hayley and they developed an innocent flirtation , with the understanding that nothing would happen due to Hayley being married . However , having got wind of the relationship , Les Battersby told Stuart that Hayley used to be a man . Stuart then confronted Roy and Hayley in the cafe and called them freaks . The following month , Hayley was promoted to supervisor at the factory , with responsibility for quality control . Hayley was determined to prove herself capable and challenged Gwen Loveday about her shoddy work . In September , having recently become closer to thirteen - year - old Sarah Platt and become godmother of her daughter Bethany , Hayley ' s thoughts turned to children and she suggested to Roy that they adopt . Roy suggested fostering instead , as they would be able to help more children , and Hayley agreed . They successfully applied and were taken on as foster parents . However , their first experience with a foster child wasn ' t an official one - on Christmas Day , they caught Wayne Hayes stealing food from the cafe , having run away from home . He was collected by his stepfather Alex Swinton and eventually returned to the children ' s home . The Croppers struck up an instant bond with Wayne , but although the quiet lad hadn ' t said why he ran away from home , as Alex left with Wayne , Roy saw him hit the boy through the cafe window . In January 2001 , the Croppers were accepted as foster parents and received their first foster child : Jackie Mosley , who stayed for two weeks while her mother was in hospital . It being a big step for them , Hayley and Roy were very attentive and enthusiastic , much to Jackie ' s chagrin , but overall it was a pleasant experience for them . In April , they fostered Fiz Brown , a headstrong and somewhat rebellious young woman . Fiz tried her usual tricks to skive off school , only to be caught in the Corner Shop by Hayley when she was supposed to be ill . After setting the cooker on fire , Fiz was berated by Roy and retaliated by reporting him for hitting her . The Croppers were relieved when they were informed that Fiz had done similarly before , and there would be no action taken . Fiz subsequently returned to the area after turning sixteen , where she enjoyed a far better relationship with the Croppers . In the summer , Hayley encountered Wayne Hayes and his mother Sheila in the Kabin and brought them to the cafe for lunch . Wayne later returned and stayed the night , feeling safe with the Croppers . Roy and Hayley felt protective of Wayne and , when he confessed that Alex often lashed out at him and his mum , they decided to act and reported Alex to Peter Hartnell , their contact from Social Services . However , when interviewed the Hayes family and Alex denied any abuse was taking place , and the Croppers were suspended from fostering for good measure . Refusing to give up on Wayne , Roy and Hayley implored Sheila to put her story straight , but she was too afraid of Alex even to admit the truth to them . They then tried recording Alex confessing to being abusive , but he spotted the tape recorder and smashed it . Alex then stunned them by offering to sell Wayne to them for £10 , 000 , which he lowered to £5 , 000 , eager for them to accept . Roy paid the money without Hayley ' s blessing , but although Sheila returned it , she agreed for Wayne to remain with the Croppers for the time being . While Wayne was staying with them , Roy and Hayley pretended to the neighbours that they were fostering him . For a few weeks , they lived in fear of Alex , Social Services and the police , finding little comfort in the fact that they were doing it to protect Wayne . Eager to give Wayne a sense of normality , they agreed to go on a camping trip with Martin Platt , Sally Webster and their children , but they were tracked down by Alex , who had heard about Hayley ' s sexuality from Les Battersby . With Alex threatening to call the police , the Croppers stole Martin ' s car and , taking with Wayne with them , sought refuge with Hayley ' s old friend Ruth Audsley in Warwickshire . A police search for the couple ensued , with the papers reporting them as kidnappers and painting Alex as a concerned stepfather . In desperation , Hayley and Roy hatched a plan to catch a ferry to Ireland , before coming to their senses and opting to turn themselves in and put their faith in the British justice system . However , before they could do so , Ruth shopped them and they were taken into police custody , and Wayne returned to his parents . After explaining the situation fully to the police , the Croppers were granted bail on the condition that they didn ' t have any contact with Wayne . Furious that the police weren ' t investigating Alex , Hayley refused to accept her bail condition and was remanded in custody . Roy admired his wife ' s courage but advised her to change her mind as Wayne would understand them not visiting him under the circumstances . Hayley had a difficult time in prison , as the women in her block knew she was a transsexual and picked on her , but after a few weeks Sheila reported Alex to the police for beating her and Hayley was released , the charges against her and Roy dropped and Alex arrested . In the wake of the Wayne incident , Peter Hartnell told the Croppers that their fostering suspension would be lifted , but the couple never fostered again . 2003 - 2004 : War with Tracy Barlow . In July 2003 , Hayley went to visit her ill Aunty Monica . Just before she left , Hayley got into an argument with Tracy Barlow , standing her ground when Tracy made fun of her sexuality , although it revealed an insecurity in her that Roy didn ' t find her physically attractive . Unbeknown to the Croppers , Tracy made a bet with Bev Unwin that she could bed Roy , in order to prove that she could have any man she wanted . Hayley then went to visit her family , and when she returned she was stunned when Roy told her he ' d had sex with Tracy . According to Roy , he had got drunk at Peter and Shelley Barlow ' s wedding reception and woke up the next morning in bed with Tracy . He couldn ' t remember what had happened in between but Tracy was more than happy to fill in the blanks . While Roy was in a vulnerable state due to his grief at betraying Hayley , Hayley acted out in other ways , initially accusing Tracy of making the whole thing up , and then , after persuading Roy to fight for their marriage and not move out as he proposed , adopting a more feminine image , which was not to either of their liking . They seemed to be back on the road to normality when Tracy dropped a bombshell – she was pregnant , and Roy was the father . Following Tracy ' s news , Hayley found it to hard to go on and decided to leave Roy and live in Amsterdam , his betrayal hurting all the more for the fact that it had given him the one thing she couldn ' t . However , when she caught Roy attempting suicide in the cafe flat , Hayley broke into the cafe and stopped him , forcing him to drink salt water and make himself sick . Her resolve changed , and Hayley decided to support Roy in stopping Tracy from going through with her plan to have the baby aborted . Tracy agreed to have the baby and give it to Roy and Hayley in exchange for £20 , 000 , with £5 , 000 as a deposit and the rest when the baby was born . The Croppers did not hesitate to pay up , although when Tracy went to the Caribbean with the money , they realised that she could afford to pay for an abortion in a private clinic and sought legal advice from Maya Sharma to find out how they stood . Maya suggested that Roy marry Tracy . Tired of appeasing Tracy , the Croppers became more aggressive in their dealings with her by telling Ken and Deirdre about her pregnancy , but Tracy hit back e by getting an extra £10 , 000 out of them in exchange for her marrying Roy and then shaming them in public by telling the neighbours about their financial arrangement . A small Registry Office ceremony was arranged with Roy signing his assets over to Hayley beforehand in case Tracy tried to get hold of the cafe in the divorce . A baby girl was born on 9th February 2004 , with Tracy stalling the Croppers for a few days before handing the baby over . All the pain they had gone through was forgotten as Hayley and Roy began a new life with their daughter , whom they named her Patience Cropper . A week after the birth , Hayley was serving as a bridesmaid to Karen McDonald at hers and Steve ' s second wedding . In the middle of the ceremony , Tracy arrived and caused a scene by shouting for Roy , resulting in Steve having her ejected . Tracy then announced to the entire congregation that her baby was in fact Steve ' s , and she never had sex with Roy at all . The Croppers fled from the wedding with Patience , but faced immediate pressure from the Barlows to give Tracy back the baby . Initially considering fighting for Patience , the Croppers made a joint decision to give Tracy back her baby , while they faced the fact that the pain and anguish they went through in the last eight months was all for nothing . While Tracy felt no guilt over her treatment of the Croppers , Ken and Deirdre forced her to pay back the money and make the Croppers godparents to Patience , whose name was changed to Amy Barlow . The Croppers even let Tracy off with paying some of the money in exchange for letting them baby - sit Amy , and when Roy ' s divorce came through in June , the Croppers celebrated their freedom from Tracy with a candlelit dinner . 2005 - 2007 : Waifs and strays . In March 2005 , Hayley and Roy took in ten - year - old Chesney Brown when Les and Cilla went on an extended holiday in Spain without him . Chesney thought the Croppers would be a soft touch and laid it on with stories about how neglected he was at home . They saw through his scheme but even their regular attentive method of parenting were beyond what Chesney was used to at home . A year later , they let homeless Craig Harris move into the flat after finding him living in squalor in the empty bakery next door . Enjoying making a difference to people ' s lives , Hayley decided to do voluntary work at the church , although restrictions were placed on her due to her being a transsexual and she was only allowed to work with ex - offenders . While teaching a literacy class , Hayley came into contact with Becky Granger , with whom she had previously worked at Underworld . Becky had fled the area earlier that year , after framing Kelly Crabtree for robbing her friends at the factory . Hayley was wary of Becky ' s attempts to befriend her but , sensing something in her , decided to cut her a break and gave her a job at the cafe . With her troubled past , Becky ' s aggressive and thieving behaviour was a hard habit to break , but she was spurred on by her loyalty to the Croppers . In September 2007 , Hayley was saddened to learn of her Aunt Monica ' s death . After the funeral , Hayley ' s Uncle Bert passed on to Hayley some letters addressed to her which Monica had held onto . The letters , authored by Hayley ' s old friend Cath , revealed to " Harold " the existence of his son . Hayley felt compelled to track down her son and hired a private detective , who identified her son as Christian Gatley , manager of a record shop . Steeling herself , Hayley introduced herself to Christian , but for the moment she was too afraid to tell him who she really was . At the same time , she came clean to Roy about her secretive behaviour of late , and her lie to him about being a virgin when they met . Roy found the situation difficult to accept , but agreed to stand by Hayley provided she was honest from now on . Daunted by the prospect of telling Christian the truth , Hayley immediately broke her promise to Roy by telling Christian that she was his aunt and that his dad Harold was dead . Hayley enjoyed talking to Christian about Harold , but while she plucked up the courage to tell him the truth , her lies became more elaborate , much to Roy ' s disapproval , whose one piece of advice on the matter was that she couldn ' t build a meaningful relationship on a lie . Meeting with Christian on the pretence of showing him where Harold ' s ashes were scattered , Hayley finally told Christian that she was Harold . Christian was weirded out by her revelation and punched Hayley when she ran after him , leaving her bleeding on the ground . Feeling Christian would have responded better if she had told him the truth in her own time , Hayley blamed Roy everything and went to stay with Becky , although once she ' d calmed down she returned to Roy . In October , Hayley was offered a place on a six - month volunteer project building a school in Mozambique . She left Weatherfield immediately , with Liam Connor agreeing to keep her job open at the factory . 2008 - 2012 : The return of Mrs . Cropper . Hayley ' s volunteer work lasted longer than expected ; she didn ' t return to the UK until November 2008 . In that time , she ' d fallen in love with Mozambique and its people , and in fact no sooner had she returned to Roy ' s side that she announced her intention to return and continue her work . On hearing from her friend Tilly Eaves , with whom she had shared a tent in Mozambique , that their project leader Olaf was a womaniser , Hayley confessed to Roy that she had a crush on Olaf and he was part of the reason she wanted to return , but , coming to her senses , she opted to remain in Weatherfield and apologised to Roy for her heartless behaviour . Deciding not to return to the factory , Hayley continued with her volunteer work and helping Roy at the cafe . The Croppers ' charity work included organising a Christmas lunch for the homeless at the cafe . In 2009 , Hayley was tempted back to the factory when Tony Gordon offered her the position of manager in his absence , although with the return of co - owner Carla Connor , Hayley returned to her old machinist / supervisor role . In May 2010 , Roy suggested to Hayley that they have a civil partnership , to improve their pension benefits . Hayley broached the possibility of having a legal wedding instead , as they had always intended to do once the law changed , but Roy opposed the idea because of the expense and his discomfort at expressing his feelings publicly . The issue hung in the air for a few weeks until , frustrated with Roy ' s stiffness and insensitivity , Hayley went to stay with the Windasses . The Croppers were reconciled when Roy bought Hayley a salsa dress as a present . Their reunion was cemented when Hayley was taken hostage at the factory by a maniacal Tony Gordon , escaping after her fellow hostage Carla Connor appealed to Tony ' s better side and persuaded him to let Hayley go . Realising how close he came to losing Hayley , Roy got down on one knee and proposed marriage , and Hayley accepted without hesitation . With the help of Mary Taylor and her wedding dossier , Hayley set about planning her dream wedding . Fiz and Becky agreed to be bridesmaids , and Mary found the perfect venue : the Shawbrooke Country House Hotel , which had a function room overlooking the East Lancs steam railway . As a surprise for Roy , Hayley arranged for the wedding bus to stop at the train station and for Roy to drive a steam engine to the venue , with the bridal party in the rear carriage . Hayley ' s hen night , planned by Becky , saw her blindfolded and led to the cafe , which had been transformed into a salsa bar , where Sean Tully had hired a friend to pose as a Latin lothario and salsa dance with Hayley . Initially helpful , Mary had railroaded Hayley into accepting her suggestions but Hayley had been too polite to tell her to back off . Mary realised she wasn ' t wanted when she didn ' t receive an invite to the wedding , and in revenge she disconnected the rear carriage , stranding the bridal party . Commandeering a pump wagon , Fiz and Becky got the bride to the hotel in time , and Hayley and Roy were married legally . In April 2011 , Roy ' s mother Sylvia Goodwin turned up at the cafe demanding an explanation for Roy ' s no - show at her husband Roger ' s funeral , in the process meeting Hayley for the first time . As a boy , Roy had found his mother cold and unsympathetic , and as an adult she still instilled fear in him . However , when Hayley discovered that Roger ' s death had left Sylvia bereft and living in a care home , she persuaded Roy to take her in . Two months after her arrival , Sylvia ' s attentions turned to grandchildren . When she found Hayley ' s hormone drugs , Sylvia assumed she was going through the menopause and gave her an aloe vera plant to help her . This drew the attention of Tracy Barlow , who let the cat out of the bag that Hayley was a transsexual . Sylvia was initially appalled but Roy rose to the occasion and made her feel ashamed for her gut reaction . Sylvia soon settled down and became an indispensable member of the Cropper family . In October 2012 , when Mary won tickets to the United States in a competition , she gave them to Roy and Hayley so that they could visit Sylvia , who was temporarily staying with her companion Milton Fanshaw in Palm Springs , California . Hayley remained there longer than Roy , returning on 9th January 2013 . 2013 - 2014 : Cancer and death . In May 2013 , Sylvia ' s friend Dorothy passed on a letter for Roy , from his estranged father , St . John Cropper , asking to get in touch . The letter stirred up some painful childhood memories of abandonment , but with Hayley ' s encouragement Roy took a trip to Blackburn to meet St . John . At the given address , they were met by Margaret Cropper , St . John ' s second wife , who informed them that her husband had recently passed away . Suppressing his feelings of grief , Roy slumped into a depression . The Croppers ' problems were forgotten temporarily when the couple discovered that someone had been in the cafe overnight and moved things around , on multiple occasions . Roy became obsessed with catching the prankster , suspecting Beth Tinker , but the mystery was solved when Deirdre Barlow , walking her dog Eccles , found Roy sleepwalking on the Red Rec . Roy didn ' t believe it until he saw himself sleepwalking on the cafe CCTV footage ( which he ' d had installed to catch the prankster ) . Traumatised by the incident , Roy ' s sleepwalking episodes increased , and on one occasion the cafe smoke alarm went off when Roy cooked in his sleep . Hayley insisted that he get a full health check , offering to go through one herself to encourage him . When she got her results , Hayley was informed by the new GP , Dr . Akhtar , that she had abnormal liver functions and was checked into hospital for an ultrasound scan , which revealed a blockage in her bile duct . She was subsequently booked in for a more in - depth CT scan , after which the doctors broke the news to her that she had pancreatic cancer , and her chances of survival were only one in five . Hayley returned to work but , dazed by the news , she broke down in front of the girls , and privately informed Carla of her diagnosis . With Carla ' s support , Hayley told Roy and Sylvia about the cancer . In the following weeks , Hayley had two operations , the first to unblock her bile duct and the next to remove the tumour . Hayley continued to work throughout , insisting on giving herself a sense of normality and asking Roy not to mention the word “ cancer ” in her presence . She also swore those who knew to secrecy , but Roy blurted it out at Audrey Roberts ' s birthday party at Nick ' s Bistro after catching her drinking alcohol . Although appreciative of her friends ' support , Hayley got fed up with the barrage of sympathy and decided to take up Mary ' s offer of borrowing her motor home for a holiday with Roy . On their return , the Croppers discovered that Sylvia had departed the Street to live with her sister . Hayley then had the operation to remove her tumour , giving Roy her wedding ring to look after while she was in the operating theatre . Upon awakening , Hayley looked at the clock and realised that not enough time had elapsed for the operation to have been successful , and it was confirmed by the consultant , Mr Peakman , that the tumour was inoperable as it encased a vital vein . Hayley was given six months , or up to a year with chemotherapy . Hayley ' s prognosis was devastating for the Croppers and their close friends , with Roy constantly fussing over her and trying to keep her from tiring herself . However , Hayley refused to be defined by her illness and remained as active as usual . One of the first things she did was to make a bucket list of everything she wanted to do before she died . Spurred on by a nightmare in which she was still Harold and had never met Roy , she decided to try and make amends with Christian . Hayley got in touch with Christian and he turned up at the cafe to see her , having stood her up at their arranged meeting in Bury two days prior due to his uncertainty about seeing her again . In order to know that Christian ' s feelings were genuine , Hayley didn ' t tell him about the cancer , and he delighted her by expressing his regret over hitting her six years prior and informing her that she had two grandchildren , Sam and Maisie . However , their meeting ended on a sour note when Christian refused to let Hayley meet his children . In October , Hayley and Roy joined a cancer support group , where they met a couple , Jane and Jeff Rayner . Jane shocked the couple by making jokes about her pancreatic cancer , but while Roy found her attitude inappropriate , Hayley was inspired and befriended the couple . A short time later , Roy surprised Hayley by changing the habit of a lifetime and being spontaneous by booking a trip to Blackpool . The couple enjoyed the day immensely , with the highlight being a dance in the Tower Ballroom , Roy having learned ballroom dancing especially for the occasion . On their return , Hayley found out that Jane had been taken to a hospice for round - the - clock care . Hayley was alarmed at her friend ' s rapid deterioration and revealed to a stunned Roy that she wanted to end her own life when the cancer spread , before her morphine dosage was high enough to make her delirious . Roy couldn ' t believe that Hayley wanted to take herself away from him earlier than her illness dictated and refused to support her . Their row led to Hayley leaving Roy to stay with Fiz and Tyrone Dobbs at 9 Coronation Street , where she had a collapse due to an infection and was taken to hospital . The Croppers reunited , but the incident only made both parties more entrenched in their positions on Hayley ' s suicide plot . When Jane passed away a short time later , Hayley struggled to cope and became tough on Roy for not supporting her . With Anna Windass ' s encouragement ( after Roy let slip Hayley ' s plans ) , Roy lied and told Hayley that he had changed his mind . As the year came to a close , Hayley started her chemotherapy sessions and began planning her funeral . To her surprise , Christian returned and introduced Hayley to Sam and Maisie , at the same time asking her for £5 , 000 to clear his debts . Although disappointed in Christian ' s tactics , Hayley gave him the money and remarked to a disapproving Roy that she had no regrets . After Christmas , Hayley and Roy went to the hospital for the results of another scan , carried out when Hayley complained about feeling pains . The doctor revealed to the couple that the chemotherapy was proving ineffective due to the cancer being more aggressive than expected , and Hayley ' s life expectancy was revised to mere weeks . Initially seeming to take the news well , Hayley broke down in a panto queue and asked Roy to take her home , where she became hysterical and knocked the Christmas tree over , complaining that her life had meant nothing . Comforted by Roy , she softened and told him that loving him had made her life worthwhile . Over the following days , Hayley became more frail and lost her appetite . Feeling herself getting weaker , Hayley decided to end her life the next day and saw each of her close friends in turn , telling them how much she appreciated them , even finding the time to tell Tracy Barlow what a horrible person she was . On her last day , Hayley prepared a lethal cocktail , instructing Roy not to touch it , and ironed Roy ' s best shirt for the funeral . Leading a terrified Roy into the bedroom , Hayley lay on the bed , while Roy played “ The Lark Ascending ” by Vaughan Williams , a mutual favourite of theirs , before laying down beside her . In their final conversation , Hayley and Roy reminisced about the past , with Hayley telling Roy that she knew what it was to be loved thanks to him , after which she downed the cocktail and passed away in Roy ' s arms . Eleven days after her death on 20th January 2014 , Hayley Cropper received a humanist funeral with a colourful theme ; mourners were under orders to dress brightly and Hayley was cremated in a coffin adorned with differently coloured flower patterns . This was followed by an upbeat music - filled wake in the Rovers . The manner of Hayley ' s send - off was entirely appropriate for a woman who always looked to the positive ; a woman who had lit up people ' s lives with her boundless enthusiasm and kindness . Personality . Hayley joined Firman ' s Freezers after years of looking after her father , and in the midst of a sex change . It was an emotional time for an emotionally vulnerable woman , which was reflected in her somewhat needy and naive manner in her interactions with her co - workers such as Alma Baldwin . With the support of friends , Hayley gained in confidence and her bubbly personality emerged . She was a kind woman who always put others first , at times such that she could be seen as a pushover , as evidenced by doing her colleagues work for them to meet quotas . Hayley was very non - confrontational , at least when dealing with bigots such as Les Battersby . Once she had her final operation in Amsterdam , Hayley wanted nothing more than to be one of the girls , but when faced with prejudice it was not anger but disappointment Hayley felt , the abuse serving as a reminder that she would never be able to lead a normal life . Her anger was typically directed at her circumstances , rather than her tormentors . However , she made an exception for Tracy Barlow , giving her a slap when Tracy made cracks about her sexuality during an already heated argument . Faithful , loyal and kind , Hayley didn ' t mind putting herself out to help others in a jam . Her skill on the sewing machine made her the go - to person when a dress needed making or mending for a wedding or christening , with Hayley going as far as to mend Claire Casey ' s wedding dress late at night on Christmas Eve . In some ways this was a disadvantage ; her easygoing nature made her a poor stand - in factory manager after Paul Connor ' s death , with Carla having to take over to get things back on track . Traits . Hayley ' s manner of dress was indicative of a woman older than her years . She usually wore a shirt and cardigan with a skirt , short hair , and for all of her sixteen years in the Street , she wore the same red anorak . Occasionally , Hayley experimented with a more youthful , feminine look , before deciding that it didn ' t suit her . Relationships . Alma Baldwin . Alma Baldwin was Hayley ' s first close friend following her sex change . Taking pity on Hayley when Curly Watts picked on her for being too unassertive in her job at Firman ' s Freezers , Alma befriended her in order to boost her confidence . Hayley was so glad to have a friend that she started following Alma around and bought her an expensive sweater . Realising that Hayley had no other friends , Alma searched for a way to free herself of her without hurting her feelings , succeeding when Hayley was introduced to Roy Cropper at dinner at Alma and Mike ' s flat . During Hayley and Roy ' s relationship , it often fell to Alma to talk sense into them during difficult moments , the most significant one being Roy ' s rejection of Hayley when she confessed her sexuality to him . In 1999 , Alma was Matron of Honour at their wedding . Hayley was also loyal to Alma . When she saw Mike kissing Linda Sykes , Hayley didn ' t tell Alma to avoid hurting her , but when Alma found out that Mike had a girlfriend , she came clean . Roy Cropper . Before meeting Hayley , Roy Cropper led a life very similar to his future wife ; he was an only child , whose father St . John Cropper had walked out on the family , and his mother Sylvia found him a disappointment due to his oddness . in Coronation Street , he was generally seen as an anorak and a misfit . His relationship with Hayley started out platonically , meeting for the first time over dinner at Alma ' s flat . With nobody else in the mood for talking , Roy bored the rest of the table with his dry stories , but he had a captive audience in Hayley , and took her out for a drink afterwards . Roy and Hayley shared a caring , trusting relationship , successful partly because they were friends as well as husband and wife . In most aspects of their lives , they were a team , for example in their volunteer work and becoming first aiders . Hayley was the more open emotionally of the two , with Roy wearing a constant stone face . He had a very analytical , literal mind , and abhorred lying . One instance where this was a problem was when the Croppers were interviewed to assess their suitability as foster parents in December 2000 . Roy upset Hayley with his honest but blunt responses to the questions , in which he admitted that he didn ' t see her as a normal woman , because he knew intellectually that she was a born a man . She briefly left him and went to stay with Alma , before deciding to forgive him . However , Hayley ' s insecurity over how Roy saw her occasionally cropped up , in particular her fear that he didn ' t find her attractive , but it was never mentioned again after his near - suicide in 2003 when he thought he ' d been unfaithful to Hayley with Tracy Barlow . Although devoted to Hayley , Roy could sometimes be insensitive . In 2012 , he failed to take an interest in Hayley ' s ballroom dancing due to being caught up in his chess games with Mary Taylor . In 2006 , he ignored Hayley in favour of his friend Clifford Ford , who loved trains almost as much as Roy did . Also , his presents to her was usually more suited to him , for example an authentic but rustic meal from the Civil War period ( 2002 ) , a holiday in Burnham Thorpe for the two hundredth anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar ( 2005 ) , and Scrabble in a foreign language ( 2003 ) . However , this was borne out of a desire to share his interests with his wife rather than selfishness , and Roy was also capable of more romantic gestures , with the occasional prompting from friends . When Hayley decided to end her own life when diagnosed with incurable pancreatic cancer , Roy refused to support her , seeing it as selfish on her part to take herself away from him , cherishing every possible second he could spend with her . For Hayley ' s sake , he gave his approval , but he let his true feelings slip on occasion . Hayley made him promise to go on and be her eyes , ears and heart for years to come . She passed away with Roy at her side , but she left behind a husband who felt betrayed and abandoned , who was now without his soulmate . Fiz Brown . Fiz Brown was the second of the Croppers ' foster children in 2001 . New to the Street , Fiz found Roy and Hayley old - fashioned and caused trouble by reporting Roy for hitting her when they tried to crack down on her skiving off school . A few months later , Fiz returned to the area , older and wiser , and apologised to the Croppers for being rotten to them . Roy and Hayley ' s role in Fiz ' s life was as surrogate parents although in contrast to Becky Granger , Fiz rarely leaned on the Croppers for emotional support and her job alongside Hayley in the factory meant that they were as much friends as mother and daughter figures . In 2009 , the Croppers employed Fiz ' s husband John Stape at the cafe , despite his kidnap of Rosie Webster which had resulted in his imprisonment . In 2011 , when Fiz was on remand for murders which John had committed , she asked the Croppers to look after her daughter Hope until she was transferred to the Mother and Baby unit in prison . Hayley was run off her feet looking after Hope but was sad when the time came to give her up . Angela Harris . Angela Harris was one of Hayley ' s colleagues from the factory . When her family moved to Coronation Street in 2002 , they were known as the “ Nelsons ” due to be in the witness protection programme . Hayley was the first Street resident to find out their secret , finding out the truth when Angela confided in her when Hayley took her to casualty when Angela hurt her finger on the sewing machine . Hayley agreed to keep her secret and didn ' t even tell Roy . Hayley also played a part in the drama surrounding Tommy Harris ' s murder . Interrupting Angela typing the words “ you ' re next ” on the factory computer , Hayley was asked by Angela to go to Sheffield and post a letter containing the threat . Angela claimed to be doing it so that the police would take the threat from the Morgan brothers - the cause of their relocation to Weatherfield – seriously . Hayley did so , but was very troubled in deciding to get involved , and told the police about the fake letter when Angela was arrested for her husband ' s murder . Angela apologised to Hayley and asked her to tell everyone the truth . The murderer was later revealed ot be Katy Harris , with Angela taking the blame to protect her daughter . Becky Granger . Becky Granger entered Hayley ' s life when Becky started working at Underworld in 2006 . One step away from living rough and always in some sort of trouble with the police , about the only thing Becky had going for her was her ' friendship ' with Kelly Crabtree , who she betrayed by letting her take the blame for thefts at the factory . Hayley was therefore sceptical when Becky tried to befriend her when Hayley was doing voluntary work with ex - offenders later in the year , but she decided to give Becky a chance , feeling that everyone could be rehabilitated . Becky ' s stay with the Croppers reached an impasse when Becky went for a joyride in Hayley ' s car with her friend Slug , and she was subsequently sacked for starting a fire in the cafe which was actually caused by an electrical fault . Hayley gave Becky her job back at the cafe and from then on there was more trust in their relationship . Becky grew very attached to “ Royston ” and “ Hayles ” . She admired their honesty and loyalty , seeing it as something to aspire to , and her desire to be worthy of their trust was a big motivator in her turning her life around . In an eventful six years in the Street , Becky loved and lost , achieving some of her dreams but constantly arriving back at square one , partly because she always thought that any happiness in her life was temporary and sooner or later she ' d blow it . The Croppers usually played a supportive role in her dramas , even those which were of her own making ; in 2011 , they convinced Dev and Sunita Alahan not to press charges against her for robbing the Corner Shop . In 2010 , Becky confided in them her mother ' s death , which she had kept even from Steve McDonald . Later that year , they supported her when she had her miscarriages , and it was on Hayley ' s advice that the McDonalds turned to adoption . Hayley and Becky did have the occasional cross word . In 2007 , she assaulted Christian Gatley due to his violent reaction to Hayley ' s revelation about being his father , causing Christian to flee the area and lose touch with Hayley . In December 2011 , when Tracy Barlow had a miscarriage which she claimed was caused by Becky pushing her down the stairs , Becky defiantly refused to take the blame , claiming that Tracy had lost the babies before the stairs incident and slipped down her staircase of her own accord . Due to her longstanding feud with Tracy , Becky was shunned by the residents , with only Roy and her sister Kylie Platt believing her . When Becky heard Hayley admitting to Roy that she didn ' t know who to believe , she became angry and shoved her . Hayley regretted her harsh words and she and Becky soon made up . The Croppers were one of the few people Becky said goodbye to when she left the Street a few weeks later , to start a new life in Barbados . Carla Connor . Carla Connor became the Underworld co - manager in 2007 following the death of her husband Paul . Carla appreciated Hayley as a valuable member of the sewing room team , but nothing more ; poles apart in personality , Carla was a glamorous factory boss , and Hayley a frumpy staff supervisor . It wasn ' t until 2009 that Hayley took on a greater significance in her life ; when Carla ' s husband Tony Gordon made a deathbed confession to arranging the murder of Liam Connor to Roy , only to recover , Roy became obsessed with exposing him . This culminated in Tony nearly drowning Roy in the canal before turning himself over to the police and confessing to his crimes . Carla was absent from Weatherfield throughout these events , as she had fled to California when Tony admitted the truth to her months earlier . Upon her return , she faced the disgust of the residents , Hayley among them , although Hayley was one of the first to forgive Carla . In June 2010 , Tony escaped from prison and took Carla and Hayley hostage at the factory , intending to kill Hayley along with Carla so that Roy would feel the same loss he felt when Maria Connor turned her back on him . He only set Hayley free when Carla pleaded with him , and the incident ended with Tony perishing in a blaze he started himself . Hayley credited Carla for being the reason she was still alive , and the two became close , if unlikely , friends . In September 2011 , Hayley cleared Frank Foster ' s things from the factory after his rape of Carla and ran the factory in her absence . In 2013 , Carla was one of the first people to find out about Hayley ' s cancer treatment . Then awaiting the results of her CT scan , Hayley couldn ' t concentrate at the factory and explained her situation to Carla . Carla drove her to the hospital , where she found out she had pancreatic cancer . After Roy , Carla provided the most support to Hayley in her final months , and in fact often acted as a counterbalance to Roy by encouraging Hayley to stay active and trying to boost her spirits , which was much appreciated by her ailing friend . During their last conversation , Hayley thanked Carla for giving her three extra years of life . Finding her manner odd , Carla investigated and persuaded Anna Windass to let her into the flat , where they found Roy with a lifeless Hayley , who had passed away moments before . When she saw Anna wash a glass from the bedroom , Carla realised that Hayley had taken her own life before the cancer reached its final stage , but she respected Hayley ' s choice not to share her plans with her and didn ' t pursue the matter further . Hobbies and interests . Hayley and Roy shared many interests and activities . In 1998 , they took evening classes in Spanish , which led to hilarity when , on their way to their way to their inaugural lesson , they stumbled into a “ life class ” with a nude Nick Tilsley as the model . They later joined the Amateur Operatics together , with Hayley encouraging a terrified Roy to try for " The Sound of Music " with her . Both were successful in their auditions . The following year , the Croppers joined the Weatherfield First Aiders . Taking his duties very seriously , Roy upset Hayley by repeatedly critiquing her technique , resulting in her sticking a plaster over his mouth . They went on to possibly save their groupmates ' lives by evacuating the first aid tent when a rocket landed on it and started a fire at the local firework display . Hayley and Roy were also interested in travel . In 2004 , Roy bought Hayley an old globe and suggested they travel the world , starting with Kent , although they were tired out by one day ' s travelling and sold their camper van to Harry Flagg . In many respects , the Croppers were very different and this was reflected in their other interests . In 2010 , Hayley took dance classes with Anna Windass , and two years later learned ballroom dancing with Norris Cole and Mary Taylor . Dancing with Norris in her dancing exam , Hayley passed with flying colours , although much to her annoyance , Roy was more interested in his and Mary ' s chess games . Hayley ' s theatrical bent extended to singing , with her singing Abba on stage along Deirdre Rachid , Linda Sykes and Janice Battersby at the Street ' s Millennium party in 2000 . Hayley had also been a keen bowler since the 1980s , when she competed in the East Lancashire Semi - Pro Guild . Her passion for bowls was passed on by her father . In 2004 , she joined the Rovers Ravers , and ended up carrying the team as she was the only one with any experience at the sport . Her return to the fray ended on a sour note as she was disqualified due to her being registered as Harold and therefore not allowed to compete in the all - woman team . Background information . Creation and casting . The idea of introducing a transgender character came about during a story meeting , when the writing team were discussing the possible introduction of " Coronation Street " ' s first homosexual character . However , as other UK soaps such as " Brookside " and " Hollyoaks " had recently covered such storylines , the idea did not appeal to the team . Producer Brian Park : “ [ We ] didn ' t want to be seen as chasing their tails so much . So when we had our transsexual character brought in , we thought that neatly transcended it , but in a slightly " Coronation Street " way : we went one step further but didn ' t shake it to its foundations as well . . . I can ' t remember whose idea that was . I think maybe Ann McManus came up with it . And I said , ' Brilliant ! ' ” " ( , JR Books , 2010 ) " Hayley Patterson was devised as a young , shy woman who would fall for " Street " anorak Roy Cropper . Although it was decided that Hayley would be a pre - op transsexual when viewers first meet her , Park was determined that Hayley would be portrayed with dignity : " We are approaching it sensitively . We ' ll get to know Hayley as a person , not a soap - box cause . " " ( The Guardian , 17th January 1998 ) " To widen the field of available talent , the decision was taken to have an actress play the part instead of a transgendered woman . 27 - year - old Julie Hesmondhalgh was born in Accrington , Lancashire . She trained as an actress in London before returning to Manchester . She was appearing in " Much Ado About Nothing " at the Royal Exchange Theatre when she was spotted by a member of the casting team and subsequently asked to audition for " Coronation Street " . Before auditioning , the actress was given sketchy details about the character , with one glaring omission : “ All I knew at first was there ' s a part going in " Coronation Street " , she ' s called Hayley , she ' s going to work in the factory and she ' s fun . That ' s all they told me . So I immediately imagined myself as a Bet Lynch - type character and I did literally pitch up for the audition with red lipstick and a leopard - skin coat . Then Judi Hayfield , the casting director , said to me : ' I don ' t know how to begin to tell you what this part is or how you ' ll feel about it , but she ' s a transsexual and at the moment she ' s still in a male body . What do you think about that ? ' Well , I was gobsmacked , of course , but I thought it was a fantastic idea . So I went away to this great bookshop in Manchester and said I need every book you ' ve got on transgender . ” " ( Fifty Years of Coronation Street , Headline Publishing Group , 2010 ) " At 27 , Hesmondhalgh was four years younger than her character . Hayley ' s attire and mannerisms were used to subtly hint at her background . Hesmondhalgh : " I worked with the costume department to create a look . There was the wig , of course , I had to have my shoulders built up in my cardigans and there was the ubiquitous polo neck that was supposed to hide my Adam ' s apple . And of course we had to plaster on tons of make - up . " " ( Sunday Mirror , 8th March 1998 ) " " The point about transsexuals is that they want to blend in . I keep my chin tucked in and my head down and my hands in front of me or under the table , because she would want to conceal her masculine hands . She is terrified of anything that might give her away . " " ( The Guardian , 17th January 1998 ) " However , she was written and played as a woman from the outset . Brian Park : “ We had hoped for her to be a sympathetic character and we didn ' t want to make her big and blowsy and looking like Pete Burns . " " ( 50 Years ) " Contemporary reaction . News that " Coronation Street " was set to introduce British soap ' s first transsexual character broke in the papers two weeks before Hayley ' s on - screen debut in Episode 4341 on 26th January 1998 . Media outlets , noting the programme ' s usual reluctance to confront soap taboos , predicted " a storm of outrage , particularly from older viewers " " ( The Star , 16th February 1998 ) " . However , reaction to the character was mostly positive . Granada received three letters of complaint , all which were about Hayley being played by a woman and not a transsexual . Following Hayley ' s confession to Roy that she was a transsexual on 27th February 1998 , the Independent Television Commission received ten complaints that it wasn ' t suitable for a pre - watershed timeslot . These complaints were rejected , with the ITC commenting that the issue had been handled with " tact and great sensitivity " . " ( The Daily Telegraph , 21st April 1998 ) " Most criticism came from the LGBT community , who slated the portrayal of Hayley as cliched and ill - informed . For Hayley ' s return to the programme some months later , a communication was established between the production team , including Julie Hesmondhalgh , and a trans advisor associated with Press for Change , the transgender campaign and information group . This liaison continued for eighteen months . On the reaction from the LGBT community : " There ' s no way either me or Granada see this as a funny subject . I know the transsexual community have experienced terrible prejudice because of fear and ignorance , but this storyline has actually got people talking about a subject they might otherwise not have known about . I think the whole thing has been incredibly positive . " On being a woman playing the role : " I know a lot of the transsexual community were upset that it was a woman playing the part of Hayley , and not a transsexual . They thought it was a cop - out . But we wanted the character to live and breathe a bit so that people could get to know her without prejudice . We didn ' t want people to be fearful of her and dislike her for the wrong reasons . " Reaction to the character improved over time , with praise focusing on Hayley ' s relationship with Roy . Hesmondhalgh : " Since the scene was broadcast when Hayley told Roy I have personally found that people have been very positive . Most just want Roy and Hayley to get together . " " ( Lancashire Evening Telegraph , 7th March 1998 ) " Partnership with Roy . After her initial two - month stint was deemed a success , Julie Hesmondhalgh was given a new contract and Hayley returned as a permanent character with Episode 4429 on 29th June 1998 , beginning with a memorable set of episodes filmed on location in Amsterdam , where Hayley reunited with Roy having completed her transformation into a woman . Julie Hesmondhalgh was pleased to be working alongside David Neilson again , believing that he helped her performance : " It ' s in the costume and the wig and acting with David , who ' s so brilliant as Roy . When he transforms himself , it transforms me . " " ( Woman ' s Own , 15th April 1999 ) " Hayley ' s relationship with Roy was especially well - received by viewers , despite the actors ' initial fears about putting two oddball characters together . Hesmondhalgh : “ I think in the beginning the original idea may have been pitched as a sort of joke – you know , give Roy a girlfriend and she turns out to be a man . But I was really conscious that I didn ' t want it to be making fun of her , and as it happened it was beautifully written and David [ Neilson ] and I played it , and continue to play it , as a delicate love story . ” " ( Fifty Years ) " On their relationship , David Neilson : " Everything just clicked and the two characters just seem to sparkle together , " " ( Inside Soap ) " In 1999 , the writers decided that Hayley and Roy would marry . At that point , they could not legally marry as under UK law Hayley would be recognised as a man . This was incorporated into scripts , with Curly Watts finding a vicar who would carry out a blessing ceremony which was then treated like a wedding , with Hayley changing her name by deed poll to Hayley Cropper . After the " wedding " was screened , the Labour Government announced that a Parliamentary Working Group was being created to assess how the UK could grant trans people the legal rights for which they had fought for decades . The result of this was the tabling , in 2004 , of the Gender Recognition Act , granting trans people full legal status in their acquired sex . It has been said that the character of Hayley Cropper deserves partial credit for bringing the issues faced by trans people to public attention in a sympathetic manner , rather than the sensationalist coverage that had previously existed . As a result of this change in the law , the Croppers had a legal wedding in 2010 . For their on - screen partnership , Julie Hesmondhalgh and David Neilson received a British Soap Award in 1999 and 2004 . They have gone on to be one of the longest - lasting couples in recent " Coronation Street " history , something which has pleased the actors . Hesmondhalgh : " Because nobody else would have them , the scriptwriters have got to be a bit imaginative with us - they can ' t just keep splitting us up and sending us off and having affairs and having children and things . They ' ve got to be a bit more imaginative , so it ' s great - it works out good for us . " On the value of the couple : " I ' ve said this before , but they are , despite how unusual they are as people , they are the most conservative couple on the Street really . And you need that . You need a couple of people who just love each other and stay together through thick and thin . " In 2009 , David Neilson , Julie Hesmondhalgh and Katherine Kelly starred in direct - to - DVD spin - off " " , shot on location in Romania . Storylines . Julie Hesmondhalgh left " Coronation Street " temporarily in 2001 to give birth to her daughter , Martha Mo . In 2007 , she enjoyed playing scenes of Hayley meeting her son Christian Gatley , although his existence went against known " Street " history which had established Hayley as a virgin . Hesmondhalgh : “ I was very excited to be involved in some action drama because that ' s not my normal place in the show , I ' m usually behind a knicker machine or serving butties . When I got the scripts for those episodes I read them like a novel , all five episodes back to back – I found it absolutely thrilling . ” " ( Fifty Years ) " Shortly after this storyline was transmitted , Hesmondhalgh took a year off to concentrate on family . She returned in Episode 6950 on 17th November 2008 . In 2012 , she took three months off to appear in " Black Roses : The Killing Of Sophie Lancaster " at the Royal Exchange Theatre . Since her introduction in 1998 , Hayley has worn the same red anorak . In 1999 , Hesmondhalgh responded to suggestions that it was time to pack away her trusty anorak : " A charity shop sent me a new one the other week . But I think the anorak has got to stay - it ' s an institution ! " Departure . On 11th January 2013 , it was announced that Julie Hesmondhalgh would be leaving " Coronation Street " at the end of her contract in early 2014 . Hesmondhalgh quit the programme to pursue other work , having enjoyed her return to the stage the year before : " The decision to hang up Hayley ' s red anorak was a tough one . But doing the play at the Royal Exchange last year made me realise that there ' s life in the old dog yet . Whatever happens next I ' ll always be proudest of lovely Mrs Cropper . " The decision to kill Hayley off came from incoming producer Stuart Blackburn , who described it as the " easiest decision [ he ' d made ] " . Hayley ' s exit storyline saw her diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer and , in a story twist , decide to end her life on her own terms . Much of the drama in Hayley ' s final months concerned Roy ' s refusal to accept her plans . Blackburn : " This is a very sensitive issue and we will be exploring the effects of her decision on husband Roy who has a huge emotional and moral dilemma over her choice to die this way . " Hesmondhalgh agreed that killing Hayley off was the only believable option : " In a way , she has to die because it would be much more of a betrayal of everything if she just left Roy . She ' d never do it . " As the storyline played out , Hesmondhalgh feared a backlash from fans over the storyline but was surprised by the reaction : " I ' ve had so many messages and it ' s been overwhelming . I did think that people might be angry about it because a lot of people don ' t want to be watching " Corrie " and to be seeing this sort of thing , especially with a character that ' s likable like Hayley . But a lot of people have said because it ' s been so true to Roy and Hayley , they ' ve found it moving . For me it ' s a love story with a beginning , middle , and an end and this is the end . " Quotes . " ' Cos I don ' t want to be in authority . I ' m happy as I am . Couldn ' t you speak to ' em ' bout taking too many smoking breaks ? " ( First line , to Curly Watts ) . Hayley : " I ' m so glad I knew you , Roy . Thank you . Thank you for all of it . " Roy : " I ' m the one who should be grateful . " Hayley : " Well let ' s not row about it , eh ? I ' ve been so lucky . I ' d not swap the few years we had for a thousand of anyone else ' s . Because I know what it is to be loved , truly loved . I hope you do too . " Roy : " Always . " Hayley : " Then remember it . I love you , always have and always will . I ' m so sorry I have to go . " ( Hayley ' s final dialogue with Roy on - screen prior to her suicide )