Chris Harper, who portrays evil groomer Nathan Curtis in the ITV soap, said that the troubled teen (played by Lucy Fallon) would struggle to cope with the ordeal.
In an exclusive interview with Express.co.uk, the 40-year-old actor said: “The impact of the story – Bethany will not be moving on lightly. There’s a lot still in the cannon. There’s more to come in the story.”
He also praised the soap writers for investing time and effort to ensure authenticity and accuracy in the storyline, saying: “They’ve taken it really seriously, the ramifications of this kind of crime upon its victims and also the life-long damage to survivors.
Reflecting on filming the trial scenes, he said: “It was really tense actually. It was closer to theatre. The first time we were in a big space like a theatre.
“The way the director did it, it was very tense and really emotional at the end when the verdicts were given. It was edge-of-your-seat stuff just filming it.”
Chris is now set to be moving on to a completely different role and will be starring in a production of Strangers On A Train, however his campaign work for child sex abuse survivors will be continuing.
Only today it was announced that the British actor was now an ambassador for children’s charity Barnardo’s.
He explained: “Working on Corrie’s grooming storyline has helped bring these issues into the public consciousness, something that organisations like Barnardo’s have been working tirelessly to do for decades.
“Sadly, Bethany’s story is not pure fiction; children and young people all over the country go through this kind of abuse and exploitation every day.
“That’s why I’m delighted to announce that I’ve joined Barnardo’s as a celebrity ambassador. Even after my character Nathan is locked up I’ll be doing my bit to help Barnardo’s support vulnerable children who have been sexually abused.”
Coronation Street continues on ITV on Friday at 7.30pm.
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