Kimberly Hart-Simpson joined Coronation Street last week as former sex worker Nicky Wheatley in order to cause trouble for new couple Daniel Osbourne and Daisy Midgeley.
However, the actress states that in real life she is 'happy to be single' and she is proud to be pansexual.
She said that she has been sent a number of cruel memes online after coming out as pansexual, which is the romantic or sexual attraction to people of any sex or gender identity.
Manchester Evening News writes that Kimberly, 35, took the reaction in her stride.
She said: “I’ve had a couple of memes. Me holding a Tefal pan, because I’m ‘pan-sexual’, but that’s all right.
“People saying it’s a stunt are not my problem. That’s their problem.”
Kimberly revealed she is pansexual in January last year ahead of her appearance on Celebs Go Dating.
She said she wasn't fussed about what gender her future partner might be as she appeared on the E4 dating show.
"I have dated people who are male, female, transgender…” she told the Mirror. "Gender is completely irrelevant to me.
"We're all on different spectrums. There are many qualities about me I would deem just as much male as female. It's about the person, not what sex they were born. I just fancy everybody."
Fans last saw her ITV Coronation Street character Nicky in September 2020 when she grew close to teacher Daniel after the tragic death of his wife Sinead Tinker.
The pair spent time together as Nicky helped widower Daniel to navigate through his grief.
She left to start a new life in Lytham with money stolen by Daniel from vile abuser Geoff Metcalfe.
Now she's back with a huge career change as a teaching assistant at Weatherfield High.
But Daniel's girlfriend Daisy is far from happy to see her around and lied that Daniel had moved away.
Kimberly believes she brought on her own return to the street through drawing up her goals in life and visualising her comeback.
She explained: "This is not for everyone, but I like vision boards, things that I want in my life I want to see in front of me on the daily - it gives me direction and purpose."
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here.
