‘Coronation Street’ star Katie McGlynn thinks it is "very dangerous" to treat cancer with just holistic therapies like her character Sinead Tinker is doing on the ITV soap.
The 25-year-old actress is in the middle of a serious storyline in which her alter ego Sinead has been diagnosed with cervical cancer but has decided to spurn chemotherapy because she is pregnant, without telling her husband Daniel Osbourne (Rob Mallard) that she has stopped the treatment recommended by doctors.
Sinead is trying to deal with the cancer by becoming vegan and trying alternative therapies but in real-life Katie thinks it would be the wrong choice.
In an exclusive interview with The Sun Online, she said: "I personally believe it’s very dangerous because people need to realise cancer is a huge thing. Of course it is a huge thing, and to try and treat it only with complimentary therapies as Sinead is trying to isn’t wise. It is a medical diagnosis that people need to medically treat. Complementary therapies will help in a certain way but the main way for actual treatment is the chemotherapy."
"Sinead’s friend [Steff] believes in holistic therapy and complimentary therapies and she does not believe in chemo so when Sinead befriends her, she thinks that’s the way to go about fighting cancer."
Katie – who has been in ‘Corrie’ since 2013 – admits she has been stunned by the huge reaction from viewers to the plot and it has made her work even harder on set to do every scene justice.
She added: "I feel a bit humbled by it. I don’t know what to say other than thank you. Literally every performance is from the heart, I always try to bring my feelings to it, and I will carry on doing that. If you’re an actor, on television or not on television, with a story like this you have to use real emotions. That’s just what I’ve done so far and I hope it’s OK.
"All I can say is thank you. I’m just glad viewers are happy with the performance. I’ve been really nervous with it because I don’t want to offend or upset anyone."