I would never do OnlyFans but the Corrie plot has made me realise how people can get coerced into it

Standing on the Coronation Street set with his top off, ready to film scenes where his character talks dirty for cash online, actor Ryan Prescott admits the storyline has at times made him feel awkward, very awkward.

- CHRISTINE SMITH

But the 34-year-old star says the cast and crew have helped him cope with any nerves he had before working on the dark new plot exploring sex work online.

Ryan says: "It's all tastefully done, of course, but there are part-nude elements.

"In one scene we've filmed, they said, 'Think sexy!

"I had to take my top off and dirty talk to the camera, saying, 'Give me more cash'. It was possibly the most awkward moment of my career thus far.

"But we've had a lot of fun on set and everyone has been amazing to make me feel comfortable."

The Corrie favourite received letters from fans across the globe praising him for his portrayal of an acid attack on his character, Ryan Connor, earlier this year.

The character was left with facial and neck scars after saving Daisy Midgeley from being doused with acid by her stalker Justin.

This week, Ryan will be seen posting shirtless selfies without showing his facial scars on an OnlyFans-style site after getting hooked on steroids to bulk up in a bid to regain his confidence.

He then gets flattering messages from "O-Vidz" subscribers, who tell him: "We love your body, show us more."

Before long he is posting more explicit pictures, and when users then offer to pay Ryan hundreds of pounds in return for live sex videos, the barman finds himself accepting.

Ryan, the actor, says: "The response to the acid attack on Ryan has been amazing. I have had messages from people with facial scarring from all over the world telling me how grateful they were to finally have representation on TV, and that absolutely broke my heart.

"It's been emotional over the past six months, but knowing it's had that impact gives you the impetus to do the best you possibly can. Ryan is understandably still very traumatised and so, when producers told me, 'We are looking at a psychological thriller' as to how he copes, it threw me off guard.