'Hollyoaks' Rachel Shenton plans Kilimanjaro charity climb

Hollyoaks star Rachel Shenton is to climb Mount Kilimanjaro to raise money for charity, it has been announced.

The actress, who plays glamour girl Mitzeee Minniver on the Channel 4 soap, is taking on the challenge in aid of the National Deaf Children's Society (NDCS).

Shenton is believed to have started training for the expedition last month.

Climbing the 19,341ft Tanzanian peak typically takes between five and seven days depending on training and the route taken.

Shenton has supported NDCS for some time and completed her first ever skydive to raise funds for the charity in March 2011.

The 24-year-old has personal experience of deafness as her late father was deaf in the final two years of his life.

After learning British Sign Language (BSL) at the age of 16, Shenton has since worked as a BSL interpreter and volunteered for Staffordshire charity Deaflinks, running drama workshops for deaf children.

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Watch a clip of Hollyoaks' Mitzeee in the video below: