Coronation Street legend Vicky Entwistle has offered a fresh update on missing Tenerife teenager Jay Slater after revealing her family connection.

The actress yesterday announced the 19-year-old lad is her godmother’s grandson as she joined the fight to find him, days after he was last seen. Jay vanished after reportedly making a phone call to his pals saying he was in the “middle of nowhere” having visited the Spanish island for a music festival.

Vicky, best known for her role as motormouth Janice Battersby in the ITV soap, is keeping in close contact with the worried family after she begged her fans to pray for the missing teen. She responded to someone’s offer of support with details on the search, writing: “I know all the authorities are pulling out all the stops to find him. Helicopters & drones etc.”

She told another follower: “It seems everyone is looking so that gives us all some hope that he will be found.” Jay, originally from Oswaldtwistle in Lancashire, was seen wearing a grey sports top with a light green strip on the shoulders and a black bag. Vicky has shared one of the missing posters of Jay that has been circulating online.

Jay mum said she wishes she “hadn’t encouraged” him to go on holiday to Tenerife as the search enters its fourth day. The search for the apprentice bricklayer began in the Rural Teno Park that is a mountainous area popular with hikers and the closest town is Santiago del Teide. But since then it has been extended to tourist areas near to where he was staying including Los Cristianos and Playa de Las Americas.

Vicky said on Tuesday: “My God Mother’s Grandson has gone missing. His Mother has flown out 7pm. To join the police search. Hope to God they find him. Please pray for him.” As the news circulated, fans rallied around Vicky, sharing words of comfort and hope. An empathetic follower shared: “Saw this on Facebook Vicky, it seems to be getting shared far and wide, hopefully there will be some good news imminently with all the love and support out there, just makes it so much harder when abroad! Love and prayers for you all.”

Another person offered their assistance, commenting: “We are in Tenerife if we can help in any way let us know.” Jay has been missing since approximately 8am on Monday June 17, having travelled to the Spanish island for a music festival. The 19-year-old had phoned a friend to say he was lost and his phone battery was nearly dead, before the call abruptly ended.

He had chosen to continue his night out on Sunday after meeting some new friends, while his pals returned to their accommodation. His mobile was last located in the Rural de Teno Park – also known as the National Park of Teno – a region frequented by walkers.

His distraught mother Debbie, who has flown to Tenerife with her eldest son, expressed her anxiety: “I’m obviously beside myself with worry which is why I’ve flown out here with my eldest son to do anything we can to help. We’re just praying the police or someone finds Jay. I know there’s a mountain rescue team out and a helicopter. Nothing’s ever going to be enough when your youngest son’s gone missing but it sounds as if the police here are taking this very seriously and doing the best job they can.”

A Snapchat video showing Jay was shared in a Facebook group set up to aid in his search, which has amassed over 40,000 members. Accompanying the footage, a post stated: “This is a clear video of what Jay was wearing the night he went missing. All of our family and friends are so worried, we’re all just praying and hoping he gets found soon unharmed.”

Jay’s stepfather says the missing teenager would not have walked for eight hours, as at home he would have to drive him to even get his hair cut. Andy Watson, told reporters: “He has me run him down to the hairdressers, 200 yards away – why would he walk eight hours?”

His friend Lucy Mae received a call from Jay on Monday morning to say he was attempting a long walk back through a mountainous area after going off with other friends the night before. She told Sky News how he “cut his leg on a cactus” and was “not a stupid boy”.

Lucy said she had also driven around looking for mountains next to a home featured in a photograph Jay posted online. She continued: “It’s very warm in the day and very cold at night, so in the day he’s going to be really warm without a drink, and then at night he’s going to be very cold without any suitable clothing.”