EMMERDALE’S Claire King has slammed “disrespectful” Covid sceptic stars and admitted she “shouts” at those refusing to wear masks on set.
The 58-year-old soap legend said she had been forced to reprimand her co-stars, telling them to “have a bit of respect” for those at risk.
Opening up about her soap stardom experience, Claire told of she walked out of several castings because sleazy directors were trying to seduce her.
And she hit out at “snowflakes” for getting “offended” at even the simplest banter as she revealed her own fight with sexism and ageism.
Not holding back about her thoughts on the coronavirus pandemic either, Claire, who plays Kim Tate in Emmerdale, lashed out at her co-stars.
“I still shout at people for not wearing masks – it’s just respect for other people, isn’t it?” she told The Celeb Report on Sunday of her presence on set.
Claire had to take six months off work after her GP said she had a “high possibility” of dying from Covid-19 as she suffers from rheumatoid arthritis and has a weakened immune system.
Having shielded for a long period of time, the soap actress said she was infuriated by “disrespectful” people refusing to wear their masks.
“I don’t understand why some people don’t want the vaccine, either,” she added. “I’ve had both my jabs and if I get side effects, I’ll deal with them.
“I was told there was a high chance if I got Covid-19 I wouldn’t survive it, so it was always the better option. I have no issues with it.”
She concluded: “If you’re not going to get the vaccine, have a bit of respect for other people and wear a mask.”
It comes after fellow Emmerdale star James Hooton revealed he wouldn’t be getting the coronavirus vaccine, insisting taking vitamins will protect him.
The actor, known for playing Sam Dingle since 1995 on the soap, took to Twitter saying he would be taking different types of vitamins instead.
Aware that he may be labelled an “anti-vaxxer”, James penned: “I’m 47yrs old. I take Vit c,d, zinc, b-12, Q10 and anti virals such as Andrographis, Sambucus, Curcumin, along with regular exercise and a varied diet.”
In light of his post, the ITV star was inundated with comments from fans who disagreed with his statement and hit back against him.
“I completely get your choice not to take it but it’s the impact on others,” another wrote. “Especially people like me who have shielded for so long and are immunosuppressed and it’s a scary thing to get covid”.
“Not a team player, James? It’s good you are okay, but taking the vaccine is about protecting those who are vulnerable,” a follower commented.
“You’ve only considered yourself in your decision according to your tweet, which essentially says ‘I’m alright, Jack.’ You could have a mild case and spread,” a third added.
Another Emmerdale star, Jurell Carter – who plays Nate Robinson – lashed out that the vaccine was ‘experimental’ in a post to his 11k Instagram fans.
He wrote: “If you wanna take this EXPERIMENTAL vaccine, go ahead but don’t start pushing people to take it or start promoting it.
“I’m even seeing others demonising others for not wanting it. Your body, your decision, my body, my decision. The blind leading the blind. And I’m not here for it.”
Back in December Jurell posted other false claims about the vaccine and cast doubt on its safety.
Nonetheless, Emmerdale scriptwriters have been working around-the-clock to keep up with the latest Covid developments in real life dealing with a six week lag before it appears on screen.
The ITV soap was forced to shut down production after an outbreak of covid at the Leeds studios.
Bosses at ITV decided to pause production on both their soaps earlier this year to give staff a break during the pandemic.
A source said: “It’s been a really hard year for both soaps. They’ve had to work through the most difficult period in television history.
“Everyone has decided that a break is in order, which is almost unprecedented.
“The storyliners plan a long way in advance, and there’s certain things they’d have hoped they could write in for later in the year.
“But scenes that involve kissing, fighting and anything that really breaks social distancing are out for now. So there’s had to be rewrites.”
