ZapGossip

Ian Bartholomew felt ‘horrified’ by Coronation Street plot with Shelley King

‘Coronation Street’ star Ian Bartholomew was "horrified" when he first read his abuse storyline.

The 66-year-old actor – who plays Geoff Metcalfe in the long-running soap – has admitted to being shocked when he read about Geoff abusing Yasmeen Nazir (Shelley King).

Ian shared: "Until you get a script you don’t know what you have to interpret."

But after reading the plot, Ian was left feeling "horrified".

He told ‘This Morning’: "Some of the stuff I read I was horrified that I have to do it."

Ian claimed that playing Geoff has been a "fascinating" experience – but he also insisted it’s not been fun.

The actor explained: "He is dark – it has been fascinating – it has not been fun.

"The thing is that Geoff does not see himself as a villain – he is not well, there is clearly a disconnect."

Last month, Shelley admitted to being exhausted by her intense emotional abuse plot.

The 64-year-old actress confessed that shooting the dramatic scenes had taken its toll on her.

She said: "Some scenes only appear three or four minutes on the screen, but the stabbing scene took us two days to do …

"You really have to concentrate, and not just me and Ian. The cameramen, the props people, the make-up. We all have to be on the ball and in the moment, and remember the lives of the people who have talked to us so we can most truthfully portray their journeys and suffering.

"It’s been quite a time."