Coronation Street’s Tanisha Gorey feels her new hard-hitting storyline has "pushed [her] as an actress".
The 17-year-old star is "happy" to have been given the responsibility to highlight a current issue after it was revealed her 14-year-old character Asha Alahan will be at the centre of a plot that deals with the sharing of sexual material.
Asked if she is pleased to be given this storyline and issue to highlight, she replied: "Definitely, it’s pushed me as an actress and I’m happy to be given the responsibility of highlighting something that’s so important.
"I want to do it justice and make sure it’s portrayed in the right way, in the society we live in this happens to someone everyday and people need to see what can happen and what the worst case scenario can do to someone."
During a video chat, Asha is to strip for her boyfriend Corey Brent, and he later betrays her trust by taking a screenshot without her consent and shares the material online.
The pictures go viral, and Tanisha admitted her character will face "absolute despair, shock and disgrace" at Corey’s actions.
She said: "Her first feeling is that her life is ruined, then as time goes on it’s the shock of why would he do that to me.
"It’s a deep betrayal from someone she trusted so much because in her eyes the only person who could have done this is Corey so all guns are blazing for him.
"It’s absolute despair, shock and disgrace, the fact that everyone at the party knew and had seen it before she did also hits hard."
Tanisha has encouraged others to not put themselves in the same position as Asha, but admitted a similar experience has happened to some of her pals.
She said: "Yes it happened to people I knew a few times when I was in secondary school and it was an awful thing to watch.
"Everyone had seen it but then when the police came into school everyone could see that unfolding and how serious it was.
"No one should ever have to go through that and that’s why it’s great to be shining a light on this issue."
The ITV soap has worked with the NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children) on the plot, which the charity says is typical of hundreds of teenagers across the UK.
Tanisha Gorey’s new Corrie plot has ‘pushed her as an actress’
