'Coronation Street' star Julie Hesmondhalgh thinks viewers of the show can sympathise more with Roy Cropper than her terminally-ill character Hayley.
The 43-year-old actress - who plays the cancer-stricken factory worker - believes the public feel sorry for the hapless cafe owner (David Neilson) because he's struggling to deal with the idea that Hayley wants to end her own life before she is killed off by pancreatic cancer.
Julie said: "I would imagine that a lot of people will have sympathy for Roy because he really doesn't want this to happen and she's very insistent.
"It's very difficult to watch someone like Roy being taken down this road, but I think others will understand Hayley's decision as well."
Meanwhile, Julie admits she's been forced to lose weight and adapt her speed in order to make the devastating storyline believable.
Speaking to RadioTimes.com, she explained: "I lost quite a lot of weight, which it's really noticeable on screen. Also, my natural rhythm is very fast, so I've had to really slow myself down. I think it will be quite shocking to see because Hayley's always been so quick and bubbly. The make-up has also been very good but quite horrible to look at."
Julie is set to bow out of the ITV soap in January when her alter-ego is killed off.
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