‘Coronation Street’: Seb Franklin Actor Harry Visinoni Says He Hopes HIV Storyline Will Break Down Prejudices

‘Coronation Street’ actor Harry Visinoni has opened up about his latest storyline, which has seen his character Seb Franklin discover that he is HIV positive.

Seb received the news in Thursday (2 November) night’s episode, and speaking to HuffPost UK, the actor said planning for the scene was one of the toughest tasks he’s faced since joining the soap.

“It was probably the most difficult thing I’ve done on the show so far, trying to give an honest reaction to it,” he said. “When Seb first learned he might have it, he took the same thinking I did. He would have thought having this meant a death sentence.

“He finds out that he’s contracted it and there’s the initial job of getting his headspace right. All the stigma that you’re brought up with, and the prejudices, are false.”

Harry admitted that while researching for the storyline, he discovered a number of his own preconceptions were actually wrong. He said: “I didn’t know you could even survive, let alone live your life and have a sex life.”

In the coming months, Seb will learn the same lessons on screen and Harry is keen to emphasise that the overall “message of the story is that you can be totally fine”: “A teenage boy [like Seb] who contracts HIV can live a totally normal life and not have it take over.

“That’s what the story is trying to tell audiences, that you can have it on the sidelines of your life rather than dominating it.

“The HIV becomes more on the sidelines for him, compared to all the things that are going on with Anna and Phelan.”

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