KATHERINE Kelly has opened up about what it was like living in Yorkshire around the time of Peter Sutcliffe's killing spree.
The former Corrie star is part of ITV's new serial killer drama, The Long Shadow, illustrating the true horrors of the Yorkshire Ripper's heinous crimes.
The seven-part drama based on the repercussions of the Ripper's evil doings.
Between 1975 and 1980, serial killer Peter Sutcliffe, dubbed the Yorkshire Ripper, murdered 13 women and attacked many more in Manchester and West Yorkshire in a horrifying crime spree.
This new, truly compelling drama will feature an outstanding cast, including Daniel Mays, Toby Jones and David Morrissey.
Katherine, 43, will play Emily Jackson, a wife and mother forced into prostitution due to mounting debts, which her and her husband, Sydney Jackson, had acquired.
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She was sadly killed by the deranged serial killer in 1976.
The star has admitted in an exclusive interview that the drama was chillingly close to home.
She told The Sun's TV Mag: "I grew up in Yorkshire in full knowledge of those five years of terror. It still lives within those people.
"It changed everything – it was indeed a long shadow. And it wasn't in an abstract way, it was day to day – you went and met women from bus stops, and if a woman was 10 minutes late for work, it was panic."
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She continued: "It left a scar on the landscape.
"The drama has been made with nuance and authenticity. I trust the team, I believe in the four years of research, and I do not take the responsibility of playing someone who existed lightly."
The former Corrie actress did not take the role lightly, and when she was asked about coming face to face with Emily's loved ones, she stated: "I walk with the fact that one day I may be confronted by Emily's friend or family member and I have to look them in the eye and be answerable to that."
Writer George Kay avoided using the name Yorkshire Ripper for
the series' title, as he wanted to show respect to the victims and their families.
He expressed: "We learnt that name was disrespectful, especially to the victims' families – it creates a sort of dark brand around a man who doesn't deserve that attention.
"The Long Shadow' is more in tune with the broader story we're trying to tell, not just about the investigation but the effects of the crimes, that continued long after Sutcliffe was arrested."
The Long Shadow premiers tonight at 9pm on ITV1. The Sun's TV Mag is available every Saturday for free.
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