'Coronation Street' Alison King: "I'm absolutely drained"

Coronation Street's Alison King has admitted that her alter ego's upcoming rape storyline has left her "physically and mentally exhausted".

The 38-year-old, whose character Carla Connor will be manipulated by scheming businessman Frank Foster in the coming weeks, told TV Times that the story arc has "absolutely drained" her.

King said: "I feel a sense of responsibility to get it right. We all do. Half of it is instinct and the other half is talking to people and doing your research.

"Things look very bleak for Carla in the aftermath and it's been one of the most mentally challenging storylines I've ever done.

"I'm absolutely drained. I've had tears in my eyes for weeks and feel physically and mentally exhausted. It's always hard with a big storyline - I was pregnant when we did the Tony Gordon showdown."

However, the actress said that she hopes actor Andrew Lancel, who plays Frank, will not be compared to the character after the plot ends.

"He's a big softie in real life," she added. "I want to get that across because he has a big, horrible, heavy storyline and the last thing he needs is people thinking he's like his character.

"Andrew's an amazing bloke. Like me, he has a young child, his son Isaac is around the same age as [my daughter] Daisy, so he understands what it's like for me as a working mum."