Emma Atkins and Michelle Hardwick didn’t think their ‘Emmerdale’ Vanity union "would work".
The pair were not convinced their characters Charity Dingle and Vanessa Woodfield would fit together when the soap’s bosses initially told them they would become a couple, but they have been delighted with the "incredible" feedback.
She told BANG Showbiz: "We’ve been thrown together out of nowhere and we didn’t think it would work and then suddenly they kept writing us together, so we just formed this friendship/ love story.
"The feedback has been incredible."
Michelle added: "We didn’t really know each other."
Since Vanessa and Charity got together fans have taken to social media in their droves to talk about the couple and given them the ship name Vanity, and Michelle has been inundated with positive social media messages from supporters about coming out.
She said: "We’ve got this ship name, hashtag Vanity. I don’t really know why or what that actually means but I think it’s a good thing.
"I pass on a lot of social media messages to Emma.
"It’s been really positive. Just being able to help people come out.
"We’ve had a lot of teenage girls saying, ‘I’ve been able to come out to my family, you’ve helped.’
"It’s a wonderful thing that we can do, and if we are helping one young girl or one lad then our job is done."
Emma and Michelle have hinted Vanity could go all the way and tie the knot one day.
Michelle said: "I think it’s a proper love story."
Emma added: "Usually my feedback is, ‘She’s such a b***h.’ So it’s really refreshing to get nice things said about you.
"I think they’re going to keep running it."
Emmerdale’s Emma Atkins surprised at Vanity success
