Gemma Merna would've liked her 'Hollyoaks' facial disfigurement storyline to have gone "deeper".
Gemma Merna as Carmel
The 37-year-old star's character Carmel McQueen was left with severe injuries when a tanning machine exploded in her face, but Gemma wishes she could've explored the plot even more and particularly the "mental health side of it".
Speaking on the 'Soap from the Box' podcast, she said: "It was based on the model who had acid thrown in her face [TV presenter Katie Piper].
"For me as an actor it would have been amazing to go deeper into the storyline and the mental health side of it."
But last year, Gemma - who played Carmel from 2006 to 2014 - admitted she was "very proud" of her "life-changing" time on the Channel 4 soap.
She said: "My experience was incredible. To create Carmel McQueen was a dream come true.
"Also, to win Best Comedy’ at the British Soap Awards 2007 was probably the highlight. That first year was life changing. I look back now and I’m very proud of what I achieved.
"At the time, I don’t think I and the rest of the family realised how iconic the McQueen Family was for the world of soap. I’m so grateful I was part of it."
Carmel was killed off in an explosion following a train crash at her cousin Porsche McQueen's (Twinnie Lee Moore) wedding, and Gemma is "very proud" of her exit.
She said: "It was incredible. It was shot like an action film. Graeme Harper, our director, was amazing, and he let me have a lot of input into the episodes.
"There was a shot that I asked if we could put in, of Carmel waving goodbye before she gets on the train.
"I thought it was a way of her saying goodbye. Also, her death scene was very emotional … we all just cried all day! Ha. I am very proud of it."
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