Coronation Street actor James Cartwright slams ‘archaic’ conversion therapy and praises soap’s handling of topic

James Cartwright, who plays Theo Silverton on Coronation Street, has slammed conversion therapy as “archaic” in a recent interview.

Cartwright’s Theo is currently involved in a storyline which has seen him leave his wife and two teenage children to pursue a romance with gay character Todd Grimshaw. Later viewers learn that earlier in his life, his family’s strong Christian beliefs led to him being subjected to conversion therapy.

“The idea that Corrie even have a crack at that, I think is a really cool thing,” Cartwright recently told Radio Times. “I’m very proud and privileged and honoured to be on the Street, full stop.

“I didn’t know conversion therapy [was] even a thing,” he went on to say. “I mean, my version of that was a sort of American. So, it’s a real thing, and it’s very bad.

“And you don’t choose your sexuality in any way more than you choose your hair colour, your eye colour and your height, it’s ridiculous.”

The actor, who joined the soap this year, also spoke to Digital Spy, revealing that he was unaware of how widespread conversion therapy remains to be in the UK. “I was very surprised by how prevalent it was,” said Cartwright. “In my mind, it seems [like] such an outdated thing. It feels bizarre – the idea that you can change fundamentally who you love and who you fancy.

“It just feels archaic” – James Cartwright

“I think it always reminds me of that scene in A Clockwork Orange, you know, when he’s got his eyes pinned back and he’s being made to watch this movie about violence. It’s sort of, conversion therapy feels a bit like that. It just feels archaic.”

Last year, the Labour party committed to banning conversion therapy in the UK, stating that it was a “key immediate priority”. However, since the party got into government it has failed to make good on this promise to date.