Emmerdale star Matthew Wolfenden has confirmed that the grooming storyline will "get darker".
Maya Stepney and Jacob Gallagher slept together in a hotel earlier this month in uncomfortable scenes, and while there are hints that evil schoolteacher Maya will be found out at some stage, Wolfenden (who plays David Metcalfe) said in this week's OK! Magazine that the "worst" is yet to come.
"At the moment for me, it's not too difficult as David doesn't have a clue that it's going on behind his back," he said of the abuse storyline. "He's naive to it and he thinks his relationship is going really well, but I've just read some scripts of when things take a turn for the worse and that will all be quite emotional.
"That's when it's going to be difficult for me. The storyline's set to get darker which will be hard to play, particularly because I'm a dad."
Louisa Clein, who plays Maya, said similar things when she spoke about the storyline earlier this month on ITV's Lorraine.
"There is still a lot more of the story to tell, but it's certainly moving to a next level," she said.
What to Read Next
Recent episodes have seen David Metcalfe finding a clue (but jumping to the wrong conclusion) and Maya telling a lie which threatened to backfire.
The full story with Matthew Wolfenden can be read in this week's OK! Magazine, which is out now.
Emmerdale airs weekdays at 7pm on ITV, with an extra episode at 8pm on Thursdays.
Barnardo's protects, supports and nurtures the UK's most vulnerable children and young people.
Readers who are affected by the issues raised in this story are encouraged to contact the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000 (www.nspcc.org.uk). Readers in the US are encouraged to contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline on (1-800-422-4453) or the American SPCC (www.americanspcc.org).
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