Two soap stars have spoken about the emotional toll of filming difficult storylines. Jack P Shepherd, who plays David Platt on Coronation Street, said he has to 'shake off' his character after filming scenes for his male rape storyline. Meanwhile, Emmerdale star Emma Atkins described filming scenes exploring Charity Dingle's past as the hardest thing she has done on the soap.
A 30-minute flashback episode airing on 29 May focuses on abuse Charity suffered when she was 14. The episode follows her character speaking to partner Vanessa Woodfield, played by Michelle Hardwick, about her traumatic childhood. Atkins said she 'loved every second' despite the difficulty, praising the teamwork and her co-star's support.
Atkins explained that actors must draw on personal emotions for such scenes, which can be unpleasant but necessary. Emmerdale worked with North Yorkshire's Rape Unit during research. Atkins noted that implied content can be more powerful than explicit depiction.
Jack P Shepherd, 30, said he takes himself off to a dark place to get the emotion but stressed the importance of returning to reality quickly. He described the storyline as 'such an important story to tell' and rewarding due to the public response.
