Fair City’s Rebecca Grimes said she understands the uproar over controversial religious scenes - but insists it’s important that bosses continue to ruffle feathers with real life issues.
Best known in Carrigstown as Hayley, Rebecca and her co-stars have been in the centre of a controversial storm in recent weeks following a storyline that involved her biological dad being revealed as Fr Liam, in a confession scene on screen.
Whilst the scenes divided fans - and provoked a lot of debate amongst viewers, Rebecca said it won’t stop soaps from tackling tricky topics in the future.
“It’s understandable,” she told the Irish Daily Mirror of the backlash, which kicked off when Kerry priest Fr Kevin McNamara blasted the RTE soap and accused them of portraying confession ‘in a disrespectful and very hurtful way’.
The Dubliner added: “People love to get involved and weigh in with opinions and then when it is something as divisive and important to people as religion, obviously people are going to be a little bit more involved..
“When it is very close to them, and they feel so strongly about it.
“So it is understandable when people see their church being portrayed a certain way, or just being portrayed on the television.
“And it is obviously going to ruffle a couple of feathers.”
However, having weathered a lot of storylines and storms in her six years on the show, she said: “But I don’t think soap is ever one to shy away from ruffling feathers.”
She went on: “The fact that the issues are being addressed [is good].. These things are happening.
“It’s not that these things are complete fabrications or that story writers, obviously ours is a fabrication, but not beyond the realms of possibility.
“These things do happen and whether or not you want to see them on your television doesn’t mean they are not happening.
“So they are real lives for people, and stories, and I think it is important for us to show that.”
Fair City chiefs have since apologised for the timing of the controversial scene, which aired on Divine Mercy Sunday.
And despite the public debate that circulated online and beyond, the broadcaster said they have received no official complaints about the episode.
But the drama doesn’t end there for Carrigstown, as Rebecca revealed there are more twists and turns ahead for Hayley and her new found family as Fr. Liam, played by Phelim Drew, finally reveals that he is her father in tonight’s[Thur] episode.
“It’s so much to take in for her.
“Just now when she is getting back on even ground with it, the rug has been pulled from under her again.
“So it’s a lot to take it, and it feels like another betrayal to her.”
Meanwhile, Rebecca said she has been loving the rollercoaster her character has been on, as she hailed her busy storylines as a saving grace in the past year.
“I’ve been so grateful. I had a conversation with Aisling O’Neill, who plays Carol the other day, and we were just saying how grateful we were for the work.
“Because work is so good for you in these times, especially after we were shut down for five months the first time.
“It’s incredibly rewarding and has really thrown me a raft like in these times, where you are feeling adrift, and everything is unstable and you just don’t know what the future holds.”
Fair City airs Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday 8PM on RTÉ One.
