The actress can't watch herself in the harrowing scenes
Bethany Platt has been having a bit of a tough time since she's returned to Coronation Street.
Ok, that's an under-exaggeration - it's been one crisis after the other for the poor girl.
Not only did she get horrendously bullied at school, but that drove her to seriously damage her health by becoming addicted to weight loss pills. Then she fell in love with her mum's boyfriend, Gary Windass. Then she attempted suicide.
It's a testament to Lucy Fallon's acting ability that we continue to believe these terrible things happen to poor Bethany.
She appeared on Lorraine this morning with her co-star Chris Harper to discuss the grooming storyline that's currently happening on the show, and said that she actually can't watch the scenes herself.
She said to Helen Skelton, who's currently filling in for Lorraine Kelly: "I haven't actually watched that yet, because it does actually make me feel really uncomfortable, as it does for quite a lot of the viewers."
Helen then addressed the fact that some viewers thought that the scenes were too strong for pre-watershed showing, but Lucy explained why it needed to happen at that time.
She said: "It's so important that we do it at this time, because we're targeting people who watch Coronation Street that are quite young. They're the people that we want to target so it's so important that it's on at that time."
Helen then awkwardly called Chris by his character's name, and explained that "there's a big responsibility in playing this kind of role to deliver it properly."
Chris replied: "I've become an ambassador for a charity called Voicing CSA, and when I met with them and the Escape charity, I met with a lot of survivors and victims or various forms of sexual exploitation.
"When you meet people like that, you realise just how wide-ranging the effects are and how those effects can last a lifetime, so it's really important the get the storyline right, and the Corrie writers have been really good at working with the NSPCC and other victims and survivors to get the story right and reflect what really does happen."
Lucy chimed in: "We actually met with the NSPCC and a girl called Lucy who told us her story, and it was absolutely horrific, and to be honest that made both of us so determined to do this story right for people that this has happened to and that it is happening to, so it's just so important that we get this right."
It was clear from watching the two that they had become personally invested in the storyline, wanting to make sure they portrayed it just right for people who have been through it.
She went on to explain how this might have happened to her character: "Bethany was so vulnerable to begin with – she's gone from being bullied, to falling in love with Gary and then she tried to kill herself.
"Meeting Nathan, who has been so charming and has told her she's so talented, she's really latched onto that. And because he's an older man and she doesn't really have a father figure in her life, she just hangs on every word that he says and believes him."
Chris then said: "She's bright and she comes from a good family but she's very open to the confidence-building and the manipulation that Nathan pours on her to build her self-esteem.
"What she doesn't realise - but what I think the viewers can realise - is that she doesn't read the signals. He's not in for what she's in for, she's gradually falling in love and he's sticking around while he can get something out of it, and where that's going is pretty scary."
They then explained a particular scene where Nathan had gotten his friends involved. Lucy explained: "We did a scene where Nathan takes Bethany into his flat – that was so uncomfortable, it was horrible."
Chris said: "Anything that adds to Nathan's credibility – talking to her parents, having a best friend who's a girl; these things do happen, these are the disguises that people take up in order to get what they want."
Lucy added: "If we didn't do it, it wouldn't be talked about and that's what we want to do – start the conversation."
Chris continued: "The really key thing is to start the conversation whether it's your son or your daughter and you've got concerns, or whether you yourself have been abused in the past."
"Or even present tense – if you're watching the storyline and you think, actually what I'm in isn't right, then it's really important for Coronation Street to spread the news that there are places to go there are fantastic websites, there's a lot of government and police push at the moment to support you."
Although it is tough viewing, we think that Chris and Lucy are handling the storyline VERY well.
Are you watching the grooming storyline? Have you been affected by it in any way? Let us know over on Facebook and Twitter.
Like this? Now read these:
Coronation Street Spoilers: Pregnancy fears for Sinead Tinker AND Bethany Platt
Is Corrie's Catherine Tyldesley going to host the Blind Date reboot?