McGarty "honoured" by 'EastEnders' plot

EastEnders Shona McGarty has admitted that she feels "honoured" to have been given her latest hard-hitting plot.

The storyline will see Whitney Dean sexually exploited by newcomer Rob (Jody Latham), who uses the vulnerable teenager for his own financial gain.

"I feel really privileged and honoured," McGarty told RTÉ Ten. "Our scriptwriters have been working on Whitney's development and involvement in this storyline since last year and have taken advice from experts funded by Comic Relief to create a storyline which raises awareness of sexual exploitation."

She continued: "I did a lot of research before I started filming the upcoming scenes and met teenage girls who had been sexually exploited and they told me their stories. It was so shocking to hear how they had been manipulated and abused by people they had trusted."

"I want to do the best I can with this storyline and make it reflect what is happening to vulnerable young people all over the UK," she added. "It's something that people should know about."

> McGarty hopes for positive 'Enders impact