Eastenders‘ executive producer has announced that it will introduce it’s first major trans character – who will be played by a trans actor.

Dominic Treadwell-Collins told the audience at a Student Pride event in London on Saturday that the writers have plans for a trans character to be introduced to the soap, however, it won’t happen too soon.

“We try and do our research and get it all in our heads – the way we want to go because we want to tell it properly.”

The writers have yet to begin the process of writing this storyline or character, as they want to get it right, and cast the right person – which is admirable.

“Also I would want to cast a trans actor as well. You have to – you have to cast a trans actor, but you also don’t want to mess up the story because EastEnders reaches so many people and a lot of our audience are quite traditional.

He added “The power of EastEnders is we can change the world a little. You can change it gently and influence people who would be maybe quite bigoted.”

Coronation Street introduced the trans character of Hayley Cropper in 1998, played by cisgender actress Julie Hesmondhalgh. Her plight as a trans woman was part of a major storyline upon her introduction.

However, representation has become more widespread as UK television shows such as Banana have cast trans actors as their respective trans characters.