Emmerdale actress Amy Walsh who plays Tracy Metcalfe in the ITV soap appeared on This Morning today to discuss the upcoming post natal depression diagnosis of her on-screen character.
Viewers have seen Tracy struggling to cope with life as a new mother over the past few weeks and this week will see Amy Walsh's character reach boiling point.
The actress has spoken out about the "immense amount of pressure" she felt to tell her character's story right during her appearance on the breakfast show on Tuesday.
The soap star spoke to new mums to prepare for the "challenging and important" storyline which will see her character Tracy diagnosed with postnatal depression this week.
The 34-year-old star told the show's hosts Eamonn Holmes and Rochelle Humes that: "For anyone who's been through it, it must be a hard watch."
Amy said she has been receiving messages from viewers who have said they have had to stop watching due to finding the story line to distressing and triggering.
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However, she has reassured fans not to be scared of watching and says it was so important to the writers and producers that the storyline ended with the message that you can get help and it will be ok.
Amy said: "People shouldn't shy away from seeing how this journey unfolds.
"I'm getting messages saying ''I've had to switch off, it's too tough, it's too hard'. But I want to say don't worry, she does get help, she's going to be ok, because we wanted to show there is hope."
Amy added: "What is so important is the realistic length of the story line, from the research we have done we found symptoms often don't present themselves immediately.
"One of our case studies only realised after her child was one year old.
"I love the way Emmerdale have told it, we have seen it pan out gradually and build over the weeks.
"We have not dramatised it for entertainment's sake we have just told the truth of it - the raw emotions of this character."
Amy added: “It’s the hardest I’ve worked, probably the whole time I’ve been here, but the most job satisfaction I’ve ever had. It's been an immense amount of pressure but what an honour."
In tonight's poignant scenes, viewers will see Tracy finally receive help from a crisis team after running away from her baby daughter Frankie and breaking down.
And for actress Amy Walsh there’s a huge sense of relief too, that she’s given a voice to the one in ten women in Britain who are also suffering with the condition.
Emmerdale continues tonight at 7pm.
