Coronation Street actor Ian Bartholomew has admitted that he has found it "difficult" to play his "hideous" character Geoff Metcalfe.
He also revealed that his children never watch the ITV soap because they don't like watching their dad "like that".
Appearing on Good Morning Britain today, Lorraine Kelly told him: "He is one of the most hideous, manipulative characters that i've ever seen in a while."
Ian agreed, saying: "Geoff is a very nasty person, I don't like him at all, if it's any consolation."
He explained that he had found it tough playing the character, particularly over the last few weeks when he has been "nasty and cruel".
"He's enjoying himself," Ian said.
Probed about reaction to his character out and about, Ian said: "Most people are ok about it, they understand that it's a character I'm playing."
However, he added: "Occasionally they do go, 'Oh, he's a nasty character'."
"It's been difficult because I'm not the sort of person i would want to be or want to be around," Ian said, but had been made easier by the trust between himself and actress Shelley King (Yasmeen Nazir).
Speaking about how his children couldn't watch the scenes incolving Geoff and Yasmeen because they were too unpleasant, Ian said: "They didn’t want to watch, they saw me lock Yasmeen into the box, the ‘magic box’ and they said, ‘No, can’t watch Dad doing that’.
"So they haven’t watched since then and I can’t blame them. It must be quite difficult for them to watch their dad being unpleasant the whole time."
*Coronation Street airs Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 7.30pm on ITV
