ACTOR Jack P Shepherd, who trained at Bradford theatre school Stage 84, is at the centre of one of the most controversial storylines in Coronation Street's 58-year history.

The male rape story has been praised by many viewers for bringing the issue to public attention, while others say the storyline is too dark for a soap.

On Friday viewers saw Jack's character, David Platt, drinking in a bar with mechanic Josh Tucker. The pair had a heart-to-heart conversation about their families, and when David went to the toilet Josh spiked his drink and later took him to his home. In last night’s episodes David was traumatised at the realisation that he had been raped, and struggled to cope when Josh arrived at his house, taunting him.

A victim of male rape has worked with Jack and the Coronation Street team on the harrowing storyline.

Viewers took to Twitter to praise the soap for tackling the issue of male rape. @LozzaLou_XX tweeted: “Corrie always does so well at raising awareness for real issues no matter how disturbing some of them may be. Well done to all for portraying such important and sensitive storylines.”

But on Facebook, viewer Carole Brown posted: "Well acted but the subject is not suitable for a family show".

Coronation Street boss Kate Oates has defended the ITV soap’s dark storylines. Asked if it was deliberately trying to shock, she told Good Morning Britain: “We’re doing it because we’re a drama. We’re telling stories and some stories are challenging and that’s the way it’s always been.

“We suggest often a lot more than we show, very deliberately. The show isn’t designed for very young children. But I think it is still, to a certain extent, family viewing.”

She added: “Male sexual assault happens. We know from research that men take in excess of 25 years to disclose when a male sexual assault happens to them. This needs discussion.”

The male rape plot is the latest in several explosive storylines Pudsey actor Jack Shepherd has been involved with since joining Coronation Street in 2000, when he was 12 and a student at Stage 84 in Idle. David's most dramatic scenes include pushing his mother, Gail, down the stairs then going on a rampage on the street, smashing vehicles and windows and assaulting a policewoman, which saw him sent to a young offenders Institution. He later caused a car accident that left his brother, Nick, in a coma and with permanent brain damage, and when his wife Kylie killed Callum Logan, David helped to cover it up, burying the body beneath the extension of the Platts' home.

Jack, 30, has won several awards, including ‘Best Villain’ at the British Soap Awards in 2008.