'Coronation Street' Alison King proud of rape plot impact

Coronation Street star Alison King has said that she is delighted by the positive impact of her character's ongoing rape storyline.

The actress's alter ego Carla Connor was sexually assaulted by businessman Frank Foster in September after she called off their wedding. Later that month, Rape Crisis revealed that the plot had sparked an 800% increase in calls to its helpline.

Carla's story takes centre stage again this week as Frank's trial plays out over the course of five episodes.



King, discussing the response to the story, told The Sun: "The reaction from fans has been immense. I have had a lot of letters from women who have come forward since that episode.

"There was an 800% increase in the number of people reporting rapes after we did the story, mainly those who had been raped by someone they knew."

Andrew Lancel, who plays the role of Frank, added: "The storyline has been integral in raising awareness of rape. And if you can achieve something like that from playing a role, that is something to be proud of."

Coronation Street launches the trial episodes tonight at 7.30pm on ITV1.

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