Hollyoaks: Gemma Merna says she cried after Carmel was facially scarred by exploding tanning machine

Hollyoaks: Gemma Merna says she cried after Carmel was facially scarred by exploding tanning machine

GEMMA MERNA has praised her Hollyoaks character’s hard-hitting facial injury sub-plot.

She plays Carmel, who has been left permanently scarred by an exploding tanning machine. She told ITV1’s This Morning: “We kind of wanted a hard-hitting storyline.

“The thing that hits her now is no one will fancy her any more, no one will want to be with her. When I had on the (injury) make-up and they did a scene ... some of the characters, the way they looked at me, it really made me cry.”

And Gemma, sensitive to the dangers of skin cancer, warned viewers: “Just stay off sunbeds because there’s so much damage that can be caused by them.”