Emmerdale star Zoe Henry has admitted that some fans have questioned the scheduling of last night's episode of the ITV soap, which saw newlywed Rhona raped by her husband Pierce.
The drama - which airs at 7:00pm on weeknights - had a warning before Monday's broadcast. But there was no denying that the scenes in which Rhona was attacked were of a particularly intense nature.
Asked on This Morning about the reaction she'd received, Henry said: "Very mixed. There’s been a real cross section – some people have said that it’s brilliant we’re tackling this. This is what soap is about – telling relevant, important stories that affect people out there. We do reflect real life. There have also been those more on the side that it was too early."
Speaking about the warnings that the viewers had been given, the actress added: "Iain MacLeod [series producer] very cleverly said last week that this would end with rape. So you’re forewarned because he put it out there. I’m not a big one for having spoilers out there before the event, but in this case, it was important."
Tonight's episode will see Rhona left traumatised by what's happened to her before heading to the police to report the crime. But will she name Pierce as her attacker?
On the topic of the upcoming drama, Henry commented: "She feels guilty. She feels like she’s brought this about – she’s seen signs and ignored them. She’s defended him and pushed her friends away and here she is on her own. And where does she go from here?"
You can watch a 60-second rundown of next week's episodes of Emmerdale below.
And visit our dedicated Emmerdale page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeSKgzfOTH4
