Coronation Street star Ruxandra Porojnicu has said she has been called a ‘homewrecker’ and told to ‘go back to your own country’ by some vile soap trolls.
The Romanian actress, 27, who plays Alina Pop, has recently been involved in an affair storyline with Tyrone Dobbs, played by Alan Halsall.
In recent scenes, the two characters kissed and Tyrone is set to dump long-term partner, Fiz Stape – played by Jennie McAlpine, and declare his love for Alina.
Awful: Coronation Street star Ruxandra Porojnicu has said she has been called a ‘homewrecker’ and told to ‘go back to your own country’ by some vile soap trolls
Talking about the storyline and the backlash she has received, Ruxandra admitted she was concerned soap fans would ‘hate’ her.
She told The Sun: ‘Fiz and Tyrone are such an amazing and iconic couple, so when I found out what was planned I was surprised. And my first thought was, everyone is going to hate me.’
Ruxandra added that she was ‘torn’ over the storyline as it is a ‘great opportunity’ but as a viewer she is ‘gutted’ over the storyline due to her love for Tyrone and Fiz.
She added: ‘The way the storyline has gone I’ve found the reactions to be quite mixed, which I was not expecting. The way it has been written created a good environment for Alina to be accepted by the audience. Well, some of them.
Storyline: The Romanian actress, 27, who plays Alina Pop, has recently been involved in an affair storyline with Tyrone Dobbs, played by Alan Halsall (pictured in soap still)
‘But I’ve also had people saying, “Go back to your own country”, and calling me a homewrecker. I don’t take those comments seriously.’
Ruxandra’s character was previously involved in a hard-hitting modern slavery and human trafficking storyline.
The actress said that she feels ‘privileged’ to have been given such a big storyline and proud to represent her country.
Ruxandra admitted that she still ‘pinches herself’ to just be a part of Coronation Street and that her experience on the soap has been a ‘whirlwind’.
Scandal: In recent scenes, the two characters kissed and Tyrone is set to dump long-term partner, Fiz Stape (pictured in still) – played by Jennie McAlpine, and declare his love for Alina
Elsewhere during the interview, the actress said that she has been unable to see her family since 2019 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Ruxandra added that they keep in touch over FaceTime and she sends them soap clips as there is no Coronation Street in Romania.
Teasing what’s next for Alina and Tyrone, the actress admitted that fans will have to ‘wait and see’ if they end up together.
It comes after Alan said that he is worried he will receive backlash after his character Tyrone cheated on his long-term partner Fiz.
Fears: Talking about the storyline and the backlash she has received, Ruxandra admitted she was concerned soap fans would ‘hate’ her
Just last week, the actor, 38, admitted that he fears the affair plot will turn fans of the show against his character, who he has played for more than 23 years.
Alan told the Daily Star over the storyline: ‘Tyrone is quite a simple fella. Future thinking isn’t his strong point. He gets his head turned by an attractive girl and it’s exciting for him.
‘I don’t think Tyrone will get away with it. I think he’ll be portrayed as the bad lad, and rightly so. I’m sure I’ll get a clip around the ear in Tesco a few times for this.’
The actor revealed that he was ‘shocked’ at the change in his character, but added that it came from his own ‘selfish’ reasons
Worries: It comes after Alan said that he is worried he will receive backlash after his character Tyrone cheated on his long-term partner Fiz (pictured in soap still)
He said: ‘I was thinking, “Oh, I don’t want that – I love working with Jennie every day”. Myself and Jennie have known each other for 20 years and honestly there’s not a day goes by that I don’t love working with that woman.’
Last month, Corrie bosses revealed they used body doubles to film Tyrone and Alina’s steamy kiss scene in a bid to follow Covid guidelines.
In place of co-stars Alan and Ruxandra, producers drafted in soap extra Alex Mulvaney and his wife Hannah to record the shocking liaison, with clever camera angles used to hide their identity.
After weeks of tension with the stunning Alina, Tyrone finally succumbed to temptation, cheating on his partner Fiz by moving in for a kiss.
Clever! Last month, Corrie bosses revealed they used body doubles to film Tyrone and Alina’s steamy kiss scene in a bid to follow Covid guidelines (pictured)
Due to the Covid pandemic, actors on the Corrie set are ordered to stay two metres apart between filming, meaning any close contact or kissing would be out of the question.
To accurately depict the chemistry in Tyrone and Alina’s affair, bosses drafted in Alex, who is an extra on the soap, and his wife Hannah, who bear some resemblance to the pair.
For the scenes, actors Alan and Ruxandra recorded their dialogue separately before being edited together in post-production.
To ensure the pair maintained the illusion that they were looking into each other’s eyes, producers used a pair of sunglasses taped on a telescopic radio aerial.
Alex and Hannah, who wore hair paint to make her tresses look more like Ruxandra’s, were then brought onto the set to record the kiss, with the camera pulling back to show the pair in a clinch on the Victoria Gardens bench.
Due to the Covid pandemic, Corrie bosses have been forced to get creative to ensure they could continue filming while adhering to government guidelines.
Cast are ordered to stay at least two metres apart during scenes, with clever camera angles used to hide the gaps between characters.
That’s not them! In place of co-stars Alan and Ruxandra, producers drafted in soap extra Alex Mulvaney and his wife Hannah to record the shocking liaison, with clever camera angles used to hide their identity