Jane Cox: 'I'd hate Zak and Lisa split'

Jane Cox has revealed that she would be very unhappy if her Emmerdale character Lisa Dingle were to split from her husband Zak (Steve Halliwell).

Fans of the Dales-based soap have seen the Dingles gripped in a crisis, after Lisa revealed that she was raped by family friend Derek Benrose (Stephen Bent).

Zak has struggled to cope with the aftermath of the trauma, which has put an increasing strain on his relationship with a confused and hurt Lisa.

Cox told Inside Soap that she is flattered by the warm reception the plot has received from fans.

"I've been surprised when people have said nice things about my performance," she explained. "If our storyline helps anyone, that's great."

However, the actress said that she hopes Zak and Lisa are able to resolve their issues and return to their marriage.

"I couldn't bear it if Zak and Lisa split up properly," she explained. "Steve Halliwell and I are virtually married ourselves!"

Previously, Cox said that the rape storyline is important to debunk the myths of sexual assault.