Corrie actress "touched" by plot reaction

Coronation Street star Samia Smith has revealed that she is "touched" by the reaction to her recent stillbirth storyline.

Earlier this year, the actress's character Maria Sutherland faced the ordeal of giving birth to a lifeless baby boy after six months of pregnancy. Before the episode was aired in April, Samia admitted that it had been her "most challenging" plot yet.

In real life, the storyline sparked a surprising reaction from Samia's mother, Patsy. When the soap star told her mum about the plot, Patsy revealed that she had suffered the same ordeal 30 years ago.

"My mum was the person I wanted to watch [the episode] and give me her absolute honest opinion," Samia told The Mirror. "After it, she was choked up but said she thought I'd portrayed it well, which was the biggest compliment.

"Women have stopped me in the street and even husbands whose wives have been through it. It's really touching. I think I've been put off having kids for a little while, though."