Steve McDonald will get more than he bargained for in his new romance when he ends up falling for a man.

Steve goes on holiday to forget his turbulent romance with Michelle and ends up falling for a hottie named Shania.

A soap insider told Britain’s Daily Sport newspaper: “We are pushing the envelope a bit but this is a fun part. It will be played for laughs.

“Shania has to be an incredibly sexy and attractive transsexual or transvestite - either a man who looks gorgeous dressed up or one who has become a woman, and looks sensational.

“The successful candidate has to be extremely convincing as a woman but must be, or have originally been, a man.

“We were accused of a cop-out when we cast Julie Hesmondhalgh as male-to-female transsexual Hayley Cropper and we don’t want to repeat that.”