Harvey Virdi thinks her controversial \'Hollyoaks\' storyline "needs to be talked about".
The 43-year-old actress\' alter ego Misbah Maalik is at the centre of one of the show\'s most contentious themes to date as her she and her family are targeted by a far-right group, and the star has confessed she thinks the topic needs to be discussed as not "many people are aware of it".
In an interview with Digital Spy, she said: "I think we\'re doing it because it\'s something that needs to be talked about and I don\'t think many people are aware of it - I know I wasn\'t. I didn\'t realise how prevalent it is.
"Finding out that these groups actively use social media to target vulnerable and lost people - and then try to influence the way they see the world - is actually quite scary. I think that\'s why it\'s really important for a show like Hollyoaks to try to raise that awareness.
"It\'s a challenge because of the time we go out. We don\'t air after the watershed. But it\'s also exciting to explore something this serious in that 6.30pm timeslot, to make people aware."
As for whether sensitive subjects should be off-limits for a soap opera to explore, Harvey believes that as long as the topic is explored with sensitivity then nothing should be out of the question.
She said: "Personally, I think the reason people become filmmakers, writers, actors or musicians is to try to explore these subjects.
"I don\'t think there is a subject that is off-limits, but I think it\'s a case of how it\'s done and approached.
"If we all sat there and said these things are off-limits, nothing would ever be explored and we need to make people aware."
