Melanie Lynskey has said a crew member suggested she lose weight

She said: "They were asking me, 'What do you plan to do? I'm sure the producers will get you a trainer. They'd love to help you with this."

However, the star went on to imply that she took no notice of the comments as it was "really important" for her character to feel "comfortable and sexy" because she wanted women be able to relate to her.

She told Rolling Stone magazine: "It was really important to me for [Shauna] to not ever comment on my body, to not have me putting a dress on and being like, 'I wish I looked a bit better. "I did find it important that this character is just comfortable and sexual and not thinking or talking about it, because I want women to be able to to watch it and be like, 'Wow, she looks like me and nobody's saying she's the fat one.' That representation is important."

Melanie - whose character in the show has an affair with young artist and body shop owner Adam - later went on to give her take on the reported backlash that the storyline was unrealistic.

She said: "I'm just like, 'Wow, really? That's where people's heads are at, that the most important thing is being thin or young?"