Coronation Street star Elle Mulvaney, who plays Amy Barlow, is currently training for a half marathon to raise money for Wigan MS Therapy Centre.

Coronation Street star Elle Mulvaney, who plays Amy Barlow in the long-running ITV soap, has opened up on the reasons her character has found herself getting sucked into The Institute by Leanne Battersby (Jane Danson).

In recent weeks, viewers have seen Leanne introduce Amy to Institute leader Rowan Cunliffe (Emrhys Cooper) and attempt to persuade her to fully immerse herself in the lifestyle, including handing over money to them.

Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk in a break from training for a charity run for Wigan MS Therapy Centre, the star explained that it is her relationship with Leanne which is really drawing her into the cult-like Institute.

She said: “I think it’s really interesting the relationship between Amy and Leanne because there’s a lot of links, which people forget about. Oliver is Amy’s half-brother, who’s Leanne’s son who passed away. But also Leanne is Simon’s mum, and Simon is Amy’s cousin.

“And then also Leanne, obviously dated her dad [Steve McDonald] for a bit, and her and Tracy [Barlow, Amy’s mum] have obviously a lot of history as well. So I think it’s really interesting that whole dynamic.

“I was quite excited when I heard about the storyline because I love watching things like cult documentaries and thrillers and things about serial killers and psychopaths, that kind of thing. I find it interesting getting into the psychology of people and understanding why people do the things that they do.

“So I think when it was originally pitched to me, I thought, wow, this sounds really exciting. And then I obviously getting into it, and it’s getting a little bit weird, I’m curious to see how the public’s going to react,” she admitted.

Elle believes another huge factor in the character’s recent decisions has been the lack of parental guidance in Amy’s life. With her mother Tracy now living in Spain with Tommy Orpington (Matt Milburn) and father Steve moping around forlornly, the teen has very much been left to make her own life choices.

“There is definitely a sense that she’s having to fend for herself a little bit more because she’s not really got the attention of either of her parents. They’re both doing their own things. They both have their own lives,” Elle mused.

“And also, Amy’s vulnerable because she’s still not entirely over her being raped and other things in her life. All of her friends seem to be busy or they’re working or have their own problems in life. So Amy feels very much like she’s fending for herself, like she’s being a proper adult for the first time.

“So I think that has contributed to her leaning back more into Leanne and into the Institute. But it’s also because Amy’s always admired Leanne. Amy sees Leanne as a very successful businesswoman who’s headstrong, she’s very like Amy in lots of ways and I think Amy admires that about her,” she said.

Elle, who has played the role of Amy since 2010, is currently in the middle of training for a half marathon with her sister Georgia to raise money for the Wigan MS Therapy Centre which is a cause close to her heart. She is a patron of the charity and speaks passionately about their work.