Elle Mulvaney is “so pleased about the conservations” about consent inspired by her character’s rape in ‘Coronation Street’.
Elle Mulvaney is happy about the reaction to her rape storyline on Corrie
The 20-year-old actress has played Amy Barlow on the ITV1 soap opera since 2010 and thinks that the online reaction to the storyline has “been insane” with many people have shared their similar experiences with her.
She told the Daily Mirror newspaper: “I am so pleased conversations have started to happen since this story first aired.
“The response on social media has been insane and a lot of people have confided in me.
“They have come forward about their own experiences, saying, ‘This has happened to me too,’ and I’ve been really touched they have. At the same time, I find it horrifying it is so common.
“Mums have told me it has made them want to have a conversation with their son about consent.
“The more teenagers that know about this, the less it is likely to happen.”
Elle - who worked wth the Schools Consent Project on the plot point - believes the problems with having open discussions about sexual assault lies the “stigma” that surrounds opening up.
She said: “It’s the stigma of, ‘Oh gosh, I can’t say anything, it’s too formal’. It isn’t too formal and we should all openly talk about consent.
“Within my own friendship group, nobody is afraid to have those conversations about sexual consent.
Elle - who has been appearing on the cobbles since she was seven years old- confessed that her family ensure she stays “grounded”.
She said: “My parents are very quick to keep me on a level playing field
“They’re proud but keep me grounded, and no, they definitely wouldn’t let me get too above myself!
“When people say, ‘Thirteen years in Corrie’, you go, ‘Wow’. But then you go, ‘I’ve aged so much!’”