Isabel Hodgins felt "really vulnerable" when her character Victoria Sugden had to tell Moira Barton about her horrific rape ordeal.
The ‘Emmerdale’ star’s alter-ego was attacked in her own home earlier this year by Lee Posner (Kris Mochrie), and the actress felt "embarrassed" having to cry her heart out in front of the cast and crew while shooting the hard-hitting scenes with Natalie J. Robb (Moira).
She told Whats On TV magazine: "I was quite daunted by that, because I knew it was really important. They were big scenes, and the director said that each scene needed to have a journey.
"I’ve never had to really sob, and I didn’t want to just scrunch my eyes up and cry – it needed to be from the soul.
"But that’s so exposing. Even though I’ve worked at ‘Emmerdale’ nearly 13 years and I’m friends with all the crew, I was a bit embarrassed; sitting there while everyone’s watching you sob your heart out. I just felt really vulnerable."
Isabel’s alter-ego is pregnant as a result of the sexual assault, and while Victoria reported the crime to the police, a lack of evidence means Lee hasn’t been charged.
The 25-year-old actress revealed she had help on set when it came to channeling the right emotions and realising where she had to take a character she’d been playing since 2006.
She explained: "The director was good at tapping into where he needed me to get to.
"He said, ‘Victoria is dead; she doesn’t exist any more. She is broken, she is a shell,’ and that makes you sad because of the woman she has become.
"I’ve been playing her for a long time and I’ve grown up with her. I’ve had to evolve from a girl to a teenager to a woman, and she’s been on that journey as well, and they were like ‘That’s all gone now, you’re starting from scratch.’ "
Isabel Hodgins felt exposed with emotional storyline
