Actor Bruno Langley is making Coronation Street history

Todd Grimshaw, played by Bruno Langley, 20, kissed his girlfriend's brother Nick Tilsley, played by Adam Rickett, 25.

A spokeswoman for the show said before the broadcast that the episode was not meant to cause an uproar.

"This is not a case of saying we need to introduce a gay character," she said. "The storyline came naturally out of the character. It is being handled extremely sensitively."

She added: "Todd has been questioning his sexuality for some time.

"He makes a pass at Nick and leans forward to kiss him but it's not reciprocated. This is going to cause a number of problems for his girlfriend, Sarah."

Ratings for Coronation Street are expected to have risen for the sensational episode.

In the battle of the two big TV soaps, the BBC's EastEnders has been fighting back with the return of the villainous Dirty Den after 14 years away from Albert Square.