Lisa Riley unleashes furious rant over AI images as ITV’s Emmerdale and Coronation Street back her with stark warning
ITV’s two flagship soaps have been compelled to reissue a joint warning to viewers about the proliferation of AI-generated Facebook pages spreading fabricated stories about their programmes and cast members.
Both Coronation Street and Emmerdale shared the statement again on Tuesday after the Salford-filmed and Leeds-based shows found themselves once more targeted by fake online content.
The renewed alert comes just two months after the soaps first cautioned fans about the issue in June, with the latest reissue prompted by Emmerdale actress Lisa Riley, 50, publicly condemning bogus posts that falsely claimed she was expecting a child.
Ms Riley, best known for portraying Mandy Dingle in the ITV soap, took to Instagram to share the doctored photographs with her followers.
Lisa Riley has hit out at fake posts circulating about her online
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ITVAmong the fabricated images were a picture of her cradling a baby and a manipulated photo depicting her holding up a sonogram, both designed to give the impression she was pregnant.
The Bury-born actress accompanied the posts with a string of angry emojis and a furious message: “THIS HAS TO STOP!!!!! It’s absolutely horrendous!!!”
Following Ms Riley’s public outcry, Emmerdale reshared the warning it had originally posted in June, which also carried Coronation Street’s branding.
The statement read: “It has been brought to our attention that a lot of AI-generated Facebook pages are posting fake news about Emmerdale and Coronation Street actors and the programmes in general.”
It continued: “Some of these posts are extremely hurtful and damaging to reputations.
“Please only follow genuine news outlets and feel free to report those you think are fake via the usual methods.”
Comments were disabled on the reissued post.
Despite comments being turned off on the official post, supporters rallied around Ms Riley on her personal social media.
“Inexcusable. Sending tons of love, Lisa,” one person wrote, as another penned: “Sending you love ye queen.”
“Just awful. Love & hugs darling,” a third fan wrote.
Others sent messages of love and strength to the actress, calling the fake posts “horrible and upsetting.”
Ms Riley has previously spoken candidly about her experience with IVF treatment and her eventual acceptance that becoming a mother was not “meant to be.”
Several prominent British celebrities have also spoken out against the use of artificial intelligence to replicate people’s images, voices and identities without their consent.
Jeremy Clarkson took the unusual step of trademarking his own face after AI-generated social media posts used his likeness to promote cryptocurrency, while personal finance expert Martin Lewis has repeatedly condemned deepfake and face-swapping adverts impersonating him to target potential scam victims.
Meanwhile, Stephen Fry has also criticised AI technology capable of reproducing people’s voices and appearances without permission.
The Emmerdale star branded the fabricated content ‘absolutely horrendous’
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Other leading actors, including Hugh Bonneville, Adrian Lester and Harriet Walter, have backed efforts by performers’ union Equity to secure stronger protections surrounding digital scanning and the use of AI-generated replicas.
Singer Dua Lipa has joined hundreds of musicians in calling for greater safeguards against technology being used to replicate artists and their work, amid growing concerns across the creative industries about the impact of generative AI.
Actress Talulah Riley has similarly supported calls for performers to retain control over their image and voice as the entertainment industry grapples with the rapidly developing technology.
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