Coronation Street star Samia Longchambon has opened up about what it's like being a parent and filming intense bullying scenes.
In recent scenes, Liam Connor (Charlie Wrenshall) has been mercilessly bullied by Mason Radcliffe (Luca Toolan), who has attacked him by throwing rubbish at him, verbally abusing him, and even stealing his personal belongings.
It's been a horrible time for Liam, and the storyline takes a dramatic turn when he reaches breaking point and Maria (Samia Longchambon) realises the extent of the bullying, which has taken place both face to face and online.
She is devastated to learn that Liam has been researching ways to end his life, and she is at a loss about how to help him and prevent the bullying from escalating even further.
Speaking about the storyline, Samia was full of praise for 14-year-old Charlie, who plays Liam, especially how he's handled a storyline of such a sensitive nature.
Samia told us: "It's really emotional. And Charlie's just been incredible. He's only 14. And it's lovely because he's played Liam since he was three. So we do have a really close relationship, I've known him pretty much all his life, which makes those scenes easier and harder at the same time, because we do have an emotional connection to each other.
"And it is hard because my daughter is 14, the same age as Charlie. And also I've got a son. And to think that either of them could go through something like that, and any child in the whole country, you hear of it on the news when kids have ended their life because of bullying, it's a real thing.
"And as a parent, it's horrible. It's not a nice thing to think about or having to act it because your body doesn't know that it's not real. So me and Charlie have had days where we've just been crying all day to each other. We're exhausted at the end of the day.
"But you know, it's good to think that hopefully, this storyline might help other kids who are going through it – and even the bullies to a certain extent, I hope that it might make them think twice about what they're doing to other kids, and how it might affect them in ways that they don't realise."
To ensure this storyline is told as authentically and delicately as possible, Coronation Street have been working with the National Bullying Helpline for guidance, with the soap's boss Iain MacLeod saying: "This is a story that will have immense personal resonance for many people".
Coronation Street continues on Friday, February 9 on ITV1. Episodes are also available on ITVX.
