A recent Coronation Street episode that saw a showdown between Lauren Bolton and her violent predator Joel Deering (Calum Lill) certainly left us very unsettled.

So it’s not surprising that actress Cait Fitton told Metro.co.uk that she found it very tough too.

But this isn’t just because of the intensity of sexual grooming and violent scenes, but because the actress felt an enormous responsibility to the many real-life victims impacted by Lauren’s situation.

She told us: ‘It was very tough. Having a two-hander, there’s an immense amount of pressure there. Even regardless, doing a storyline that’s going to hit so many people, it’s hard!

‘You feel like you’ve got this duty of care to these people who have experienced it, you want it to be good and you want them to be able to look at it and go “wow, how inspiring, our story is out there”. All these issues need to be raised – these girls need justice for what they’ve experienced.’

In the video interview with us, Cait was enthusiastic about the reception she has had from fans, particularly as she is aware of some frustration over the length of time the plot took to resolve.

But, more than that, what Lauren’s disappearance but poor, wrongly accused Roy Cropper (David Neilson) through!

‘I completely get the frustration of the fans,’ she assured us. ‘Lauren looks at Roy as this maternal, parental figure in her life. She’s never had a good relationship with her dad so to have someone like Roy who, again, has given her a second chance at life, she’s so grateful towards him.

‘She might not show it all the time, but deep down she is very grateful. I love their little bond, it’s something I would love to focus on more. I love working with David, he’s such a pleasure to be around, he’s so wise and I learn a lot from him.

‘I was devastated when I got told about what was happening with Roy because you watch it, and you tell yourself it’s not real, but when you’ve watched it for so long, you can’t help but have those feelings. I do understand it!’

And not only this, she also had to deceive viewers by making out she had left Corrie – something that was easier said than done!

‘People’s opinions of the storyline has been really positive,’ Cait enthused. ‘Funnily enough, when I was in the show, I didn’t really get a lot of publicity but as soon as I leave, people ask if I’m coming back!

‘It’s been amazing, a whirlwind of emotions – really overwhelming. I have been back filming since April so, I’ve had to keep a low profile, come in, sneak in, sneak back out again. We’ve filmed on location as well, so that was quite bizarre how I had to dress up in disguise!

‘I’ve known about coming back prior to leaving, so it was quite a fortunate position to be in because obviously, with this industry, you don’t really get that, once you finish a job, you don’t really know what’s going to happen from there whereas I knew, really early on, that I was coming back.

‘I had about six months of keeping quiet which was really tough, because everyone has been so invested in the storyline which is great for us, but it was really tough for me because when people were asking me if Lauren was coming back, I had to go along with it!’ I’m hoping it’s going to be a shock to the audience when it all comes out on screen.’

Cait is clearly excited by the next chapters to come, warning that there is still a long way to go – and that includes peril for her alter-ego as Joel strives to keep his vile actions a secret.

But it’s evident that she is even more passionate about the good that representing this devastating real-world issue can do.

She reflected: ‘I worked closely with the Maggie Oliver Foundation for this storyline and the foundation is known for working with people, survivors, who have experienced sexual exploitation and abuse.

‘On the website it says that Maggie worked with these survivors to turn pain into power, and I love that, it’s such an empowering quote. I think for Lauren, she has so much trauma – from her background to what’s happened recently – I do hope that in the long run, she can turn that pain into power.’

She added: ‘You might experience something really bad in your life, but it doesn’t define you as a person. I think that’s something I want people to take away from the storyline.

‘You might go through a really tough time but there’s support out there for people. There’s people you can reach out to, you’re not alone through it. Just because you’ve been through something that’s really hard, it will pass by and you will come out of it stronger than ever.

‘I think that’s what I want for Lauren. I don’t want her to be remembered as this broken, traumatised child. I want her to be remembered for being this strong, independent young woman, because she is.

‘There are so many empowering women on the show, I really hope Lauren can be one of those people.’

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Source: The Wall Street Journal