Eden Taylor-Draper admitted she has been "overwhelmed" by the response fans have had to one of her Emmerdale co-stars.
The actress, 27, has worked closely with James Chase over the past year as the two have become a central part of a coercive control storyline, with Tom King later mentally and physically abusing wife Belle.
The long-running storyline has also seen another character play a vital role - Piper the dog.
Tom brought Piper into Belle's life as a way of maintaining control over her, ensuring she had no time to get a proper job.
Their pet pooch sadly became part of Tom's cruel schemes, with the vet previously injecting Piper with a substance that left her unable to move.
READ MORE... Emmerdale superfans get engaged outside Woolpack in surprise move [LATEST]
In August, Tom deliberately ran over and injured Piper to get at his wife. He was was shown revving his car towards Piper as she walked around in the road, before Tom later claimed that he found her like that.
While Eden and James have received incredible feedback from fans in response to the harrowing storyline, Eden shared how they are almost more invested in Piper.
"Everyone's attached to Piper," Eden explained. "Because Minnie is so great and easy to work with, it's been so nice that we've had her in so many scenes. She's always been a part of it."
The soap star added: "Minnie's been in so much of the journey that she's been as much a part of it as me and James. I kind of expected that from the viewers but it has been overwhelming about how much everyone loves Piper."
Don't miss...
All the TV soap products you can get this Christmas – board games to jumpers [LATEST]
Emmerdale couple's kids both diagnosed with incurable condition [LATEST]
Emmerdale's Laura Norton and Mark Jordon share children's health battle [LATEST]
The past year has no doubt been Eden's biggest, yet most challenging in nearly two decades on the show. The TV star touched upon her highlights from the year, revealing the dinner party stands out in her mind.
"That felt like mine and James' first real challenge in terms of, that was the starting point of how dark the story was going to get. That's very vivid," she said.
Eden continued: "The episode where it was Belle's different scenarios she was imagining. That will be a highlight for me, forever. It felt very special. I loved doing the cottage stuff. I think they're the things that stick out to me the most."
She added: "To start the year off with Torvil and Dean and to end it here, it's been such a rollercoaster."
