Coronation Street's Amy Barlow and Aaron Sandford are at the heart of a powerful non-consensual sex storyline but actress Elle Mulvaney, who plays Amy, has opened up on the challenge of filming the difficult scenes.
On Friday, Aaron made the decision for Amy for them to have sex after the pair have had too much to drink and in this week's episodes the Weatherfield resident questions whether she was able to consent.
Speaking to The Mirror and other press, Amy star Elle has reflected on the support she received while filming the challenging scenes.
She said: "It has been challenging at times, but I feel like we've been very well supported."
Elle continued: "Myself and James have both had numerous people come up to us during the storyline and check in with us, ask how we are and also even just working with James has been brilliant, because at every step of the way he's asked, ‘Are you comfortable with this? What do you think about this?’
"So having that person hold your hand is really nice, especially with something like this because it's such a sensitive topic and it can get challenging.
"When you do scenes where you’re crying all day or you're talking about rape all day, it does take a toll but making sure that you've got the support and you've got things in place, if you've had a stressful day."
"We all have stressful days that does happen but having that support and that safety net and people around you just make them days a little bit easier," she said.
The actress explained Coronation Street is a "big family" and the team come together to support each other in tough moments.
Recalling one difficult day, Elle said: "I came off set and I thought, ‘Oh, I actually feel quite stressed.’ I ended up talking to Sue Devaney [who plays Debbie Webster] for about an hour and she just made me feel so much better and that's what it's all about.
"Sometimes you do have them challenging moments, but having people around you say, ‘Oh, no, it's fine I felt like that before’ is really really comforting."
If you've been the victim of sexual assault, you can access help and resources via www.rapecrisis.org.uk or calling the national telephone helpline on 0808 802 9999.
