'Emmerdale' actress Roxanne Pallett has spoken about how her current domestic abuse storyline has brought back memories of a real-life abusive relationship.
In 'Emmerdale' Pallett's character Jo Sugden is the victim of psychological and domestic violence at the hands of her husband Andy (Kelvin Fletcher), who has recently been released from jail.
The 25-year-old actress told 'This Morning' that the storyline was difficult to film because she once found herself in a similar situation in real-life.
Pallett said: "Kelvin and I have been living this storyline since Christmas and you're researching it and it brings it all back to you and it's devastating."
"I can't even watch these scenes back without it choking me up. I watched it with my mum and we just sat and she held my hand through it all because it's devastating."
The actress also said: "And what you're seeing is just a fraction of what people are still going through."
When asked if her mother knew that she was in an abusive relationship, Pallett said: "She got me out of it."
"A friend found out and she was my rock. And then my mum found out and it was only then that I thought, 'This is it now, I'm at a crossroads in my life where I can either continue in this spiral or I can get out'.
"It just takes one person and you have to just tell one person and confide in one person. People turn a blind eye, people don't want to know other people's problems."
Speaking about her storyline, she said: "We need to bring this subject to the forefront where women are watching it."
"Not just women, I'm sure there are plenty of men in that situation where women are controlling men... But there's people all over the country that I'm sure tonight will be sitting there and they'll see Andy and Jo at home and they'll be watching it. Behind closed doors they're suffering from that."
