IS THE FAVOURITE SOAP ON A SLIPPERY SLOPE?

NO TINA O’BRIEN Coronation Street actress

THE storyline involving my on-screen daughter Bethany being groomed may have been dark – but it highlighted serious real-life issues.

As a mother myself, I hoped it would encourage young girls to be careful.

When I was first told about the storyline, I felt really queasy because, as a mum, it’s the worst-case scenario.

But it was good to highlight it and encourage girls to be more vigilant.

The dangers for children are so much more complicated these days. All you can do is try to make sure your children talk to you about things.

And it is important not to shy away from keeping yourself up to date with what sort of dangers are out there.

Yes, it is a difficult watch sometimes.

But once Coronation Street had decided to explore it, they couldn’t do it half-heartedly.

For every person complaining that they simply can’t watch, there are dozens more praising us for doing it.

YES MICHAEL PARKINSON TV presenter

I NEVER imagined I would recoil from watching Coronation Street.

The recent storyline of kidnapping and murder involving Pat Phelan had little to do with that gentle, funny reminder of life in the north country I so admired in the early 1960s.

In those days, Ena, Minnie and Martha dominated the snug, Elsie Tanner was everyone’s idea of the good-time girl with a heart of gold.

Later, Hilda Ogden made three pot ducks flying up a wall a fashion statement.

In the Sixties, Hilda and Stan formed an unforgettable comedy couple.

Who can forget Hilda experimenting with a new perfume. “What’s that smell, love?” asked Stan. “Woman, Stan, woman,” said Hilda.

Jack and Vera arrived in the Seventies. Yet more comedy gold and a vivid and warm reminder of the people I once shared a life with.

Ironically, its overwhelming success carried seeds of change that would transform Tony Warren’s wonderful idea into a gold mine, more suited to a horror channel than a family show.