List of Coronation Street Characters (2003) - Karl Foster

Karl Foster was an overly confident nurse who was the best friend of Katy Harris. He was openly homosexual. Karl was also good friends with current Corrie Street resident Sean Tully. He was the second gay character to ever appear in the long running soap. He was fun loving and arrogant, yet had a soft side for friends.

In 2004, he embarked on a gay relationship with fellow resident Todd Grimshaw. Their clandestine affair remained a secret until Todd revealed to his girlfriend Sarah Platt that he was gay and that, in fact, Karl and he had been seeing each other. Because Todd could not choose between Karl and Sarah, Karl ended his and Todd's relationship.

Following the revelation, Martin, Sarah's adoptive father attacked Karl in the hospital corridor, which was captured on CCTV and later replayed to Martin when he was in the frame for murdering neighbour Tommy Harris the following year. When Todd's newborn son Billy died, Karl returned to Coronation Street to visit Todd. It was his final appearance on the cobbles to date. According to Inside Soap in 2004, a petition with 10,000 signatures was launched to get Karl back in the show, but nothing ever materialised.