High praise for Corrie Star Lucy's performance

Bethany Platt broke down in the second of the ITV soap’s two-part episode after her mother Sarah (Tina O’Brien) rescued her from the home of older fiance Nathan Curtis (Chris Harper), who had arranged for her to spend an evening with yet another one of his friends.

Sarah and Gary Windass (Mikey North) found her drunk and unconscious in Nathan’s flat and brought her home, but Bethany flew into a panicked rage when they stopped her from returning.

She stabbed Gary in the arm with broken glass before making her escape and the episode finale found her sobbing and bleeding as she hid under a bridge.

Viewers applauded the 21-year-old star for her portrayal of teenage Bethany’s desperate situation.

Jillian Birnie tweeted the soap: “Amazing scenes from @lufallon tonight as always. Hard to watch Bethany be treated badly but so well acted and good to raise awareness.#Corrie.”

“So sad to think this actually happens! Brilliant acting from everyone! Especially @lufallon,” added Kirsty.

Christina commented: “Hope they save her soon as it’s so sad. Fantastic acting by @lufallon.”

Fallon has spoken openly throughout the sexual exploitation story amid swarms of viewer complaints that it is too grim for the pre-watershed audience.

While she has admitted she sometimes struggles to watch her own episodes, she has also shared her belief that grooming is a crucial topic for the soap.

Her performance on Friday had fans calling for awards, with William Fairchild tweeting the star: “@lufallon does deserve the British Soap Award for her performance in #Corrie as Bethany.”

Complimenting the whole cast involved, one viewer posted: “And this is why they both deserve all the awards in the world!!” while Kathy added: “All three were brilliant, @lufallon deserves a BSA.”

Fallon has already secured a best actress nomination at next month’s British Soap Awards, along with co-star Kym Marsh who portrayed Michelle Connor’s heartbreaking miscarriage story earlier this year.