Coronation Street star Ian Bartholomew has admitted that he has found working on the soap tough over the past couple of years.
A long-running plotline saw Bartholomew's character Geoff slowly tighten his grip on wife Yasmeen (Shelley King), controlling almost every aspect of her life, and culminated with her striking him with a wine bottle as she feared for her life.
Yasmeen is now in prison and awaiting trial for the attempted murder of Geoff - and with the conclusion of the storyline now in sight at the end of the year, Bartholomew has revealed that it has been an "upsetting" role to play.
"Over the last two years, the story has been a very slow burn which in soap terms is very unusual," he told Loose Women.
"I realised that playing Geoff has been very different through Geoff's eyes, seeing Yasmeen crumble in front of him, is very different to Ian the actor, watching Shelley crumble in front of him. That's what's been most upsetting for me.
"We did a lot of research with survivors and victims of domestic abuse, who were very involved in the storyline, and the stories we heard are very upsetting. It's a difficult thing to listen to, someone's pain and distress through coercive control and domestic abuse.
"But actually watching it in front of me for the last two years, it's not just getting your mindset as the actor into Geoff, who enjoys what he is doing - obviously he is a very cruel and unpleasant man.
"But as the actor watching it, I have to say it has been quite difficult."
Coronation Street continues Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays on ITV.
> Click here to read what's coming up on the soap this week
Neil Wilkes
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