Former Spice Girls singer Mel B said Happy Valley's domestic abuse storyline resonated with her and "means so much".
The 47-year-old has been relentlessly campaigning for better support for victims of domestic abuse and became a patron of charity Women's Aid in 2018. Last year, she was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to domestic violence victims at Buckingham Palace.
Her desire to help and to push for meaningful law changes stems from the physical and emotional abuse she said she suffered at the hands of her ex husband Stephen Belafonte. The Leeds-born star opened up about her 10-year marriage to the film producer in her 2018 memoir Brutally Honest.
Following the end of BBC hit series Happy Valley, Mel praised producers for showing the "complexities of abuse" and exploring such an important topic. She said character Joanna's story "resonates with millions of women like me".
In a post on Instagram, Mel wrote: "Having experienced abuse for ten years myself I know this means so much to me and women like me if you need help @womens_aid is here to support you. No longer should we feel ashamed but the complexities of abuse and the silence is all on show here.
"People still to this day say - Why don’t you just leave? Why don’t you tell anyone? Why don’t you go and find help? It’s all here. It never ends."
Mel then admitted she was still struggling, five years after her divorce. The mum-of-three said she would continue to do "everything in my power" to help others.
She said: "Abuse has NOT stopped for me, HE still finds ways to control me AND financially abuse me and I’m five years out of that coercive horrifying degrading relationship. But even when you get away you continue to be abused in the family courts.
"I am doing everything in my power to make change - to public awareness, to the legal system, to the family courts but this show floors me because I know exactly how the character of Joanna felt. I was her. My story is your story."
It comes after Mel announced the happy news that she got engaged to Leeds hairdresser Rory McPhee. Speaking about her fiancé, Mel previously said: "For the first time in my life, I'm engaged to a beautiful, honest person who makes me feel protected, nurtured and so loved, and I want to savour that."
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