Corrie made me a sex symbol at 16

ROSIE ROLE REAL DRAMA

- by HANNAH BRITT

HELEN Flanagan says her Corrie costar Alison King accused soap bosses of sexualising her - after scenes showing her character having an underage affair with a teacher.

Just nine when she joined Coronation Street as Rosie Webster, Helen, 35, was 16 a year older than her character when Rosie was groomed by teacher John Stape (Graeme Hawley), who was later revealed to be a serial killer. After the affair was exposed and he was sacked she was later kidnapped and held hostage by Stape.

Helen said: "Was it morally right that I was expected to parade about in my knickers like some mad nymphomaniac when I was still just a teenager?

"Alison King, who plays Carla Connor, once kicked off in the green room, saying how disgusting it was that they were sexualising me when I was a young girl. I didn't fully comprehend what she was talking about at the time. I do now.

"I had to do kissing and bedroom scenes with a man a lot older than me.

"Obviously the actor [Graeme Hawley] was lovely, but I don't think it would happen now.