Corrie’s Ian Bartholomew says it was ‘upsetting’ watching ‘crumbling’ Shelley King

Loose Women's panelists spoke to Coronation Street actor Ian Bartholomew on Thursday's show.

Ian, who plays evil abuser Geoff Metcalfe on the soap, spoke to hosts Christine Lampard, Jane Moore, Linda Robson and Nadia Sawahla about his tough role.

He admitted it was tough playing such a cruel role alongside his co star Shelley King, who plays his wife Yasmeen Nazir.

Nadia said that playing a villain on EastEnders made her enjoy the power and she started to identify more with her character, and asked Ian if he felt the same.

Ian said he managed to avoid angry viewers as the worst of the abuse aired in lockdown (ITV)

Ian said no, explaining: "Over the last two years, the story has been a very slow burn which in soap terms is very unusual.

"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.

Yasmeen and Geoff's trial will finally come to a conclusion during the anniversary week (ITV)

"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 an distress through coercive control and domestic abuse."

He added: "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." 

Ian said no one had attacked him or abused him in the street over the storyline, mostly because the peak of the abuse aired during the lockdown period.

Otherwise, Ian lives in the countryside and drives, so does not tend to bump into viewers, but said the ones that had approached him about it had been supportive of the soap shining a light on such an important issue.

Ian decided to write and record a charity single for Women's Aid, called This Time It's Forever, as he was in lockdown and was so concerned at reports of the surge in domestic abuse reports, and wanted to help.

* Loose Women airs weekdays on ITV at 12:30pm