Emmerdale viewers have been singing the praises of a new plot line involving teenage character Liv Flaherty, played by Isobel Steele, which has so far hinted at her being asexual.
An asexual person, as defined by the Oxford Dictionary, is someone who “has no sexual feelings or desires” – so essentially someone who doesn’t feel attracted to either gender.
During last night’s episode, Liv confided in her friend Belle Dingle after drunkenly trying to kiss Gerry – which she was pressured into by Gabby Thomas.
She confessed to Belle: “Gabby was going on at me about not being into boys and I wanted to kiss Gerry to prove her wrong.
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“I wish I fancied him, it would be a lot easier. I’m just not that into guys.”
However, she added that it wasn’t just men – she felt like she wasn’t attracted to “anyone”.
“I don’t like anyone. At all. I know, it’s weird. It is. Everyone has feelings for someone and I’ve got nothing.”
Twitter went crazy in reaction to the plot line, praising it as “fantastic”.
“This could be a fantastic storyline with Liv. I hope #Emmerdale do this justice,” wrote one person.
One person expressed a mixture of shock and delight at the plot – “OMFG…I’m so happy! – while another said they were “so proud” of the character.
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Finally, one user weighed in to describe Aaron Dingle (who is gay), Robert Sugden (bisexual) and Liv as “the best LGBT family ever”, in a positive reflection on Emmerdale’s representation of sexual diversity.