Corrie role sheds light on 'insidious' grooming

Coronation Street actress Beth Nixon has said she is determined to "do justice" to the soap's current grooming plot in order to "serve the people who have been through it".

Nixon, from York, plays school sports coach Megan Walsh, who is in a sexual relationship with her 16-year-old student Will Driscoll.

Nixon said she had been determined to handle the "incredibly dark" role with "as much care as possible".

Meanwhile, children's charity Barnado's said despite the uncomfortable nature of the storyline it was important to highlight the "insidious dangers" of grooming.

Nixon, 25, studied drama at York College before getting a place at The Arden School of Theatre in Manchester.

She said she auditioned twice for parts in Coronation Street before being cast as Walsh.

Ahead of filming, she said she had to "delve into research" to prepare for the role.

"I have to do it justice to serve the people who have been through it," she told BBC Radio York.

"There's been a rise in cases, and a few in Manchester [where Coronation Street is based], so you just have to try and handle it with as much care as you possibly can."

Nixon said that, as the plotline develops, Will "comes to realise he is a victim [and that] it's not love and she will get her comeuppance".

Luneta Tajblova, a senior practitioner at Barnado's TIGER service, which supports exploited children, said she hoped shining a spotlight on the issue might help a young person realise they are being groomed.

"That's what makes grooming so dangerous and so insidious," she said.

"Sometimes it might be that they've been groomed in the past and they're out of that situation, but still don't quite realise that that's what's happened."

She said the charity had been consulted about the storyline to ensure it was believable, not overly sensationalist and "trauma informed".

Tajblova said, while the majority of groomers were men, the number of women exploiting children may be under-reported due to the perception of an attractive older woman with a younger partner.

"It's really important to address that, and if we think that a victim looks a particular way and a perpetrator looks a particular way, we actually miss the vast majority of people affected," she said.

"[Overall] I think the writers have done a really good job and wanted to ensure the storyline is just right, so it will hopefully raise a lot of awareness."

Despite the "challenging" role, Nixon said working on the famed Weatherfield cobbles was "so much fun" if a little daunting.

"It can be overwhelming, but the team is such a well-oiled machine, you feel very comfortable and you get a lot of support", she said.

Asked if she gets recognised in public or if anyone had given her a hard time about her controversial character, Nixon said: "It's scary taking on a role like this but people seem to be more understanding then they used to be that's it's a soap."

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article support is available via the BBC Action Line.

Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.