Interview: Controlling Geoff
We spoke to Ian Bartholomew about what to expect from Geoff and Yasmeen's upcoming coercive control storyline.
Why is it important that Coronation Street explore the effects of coercive control?
It is something that happens in our society much more than we understand, it is very prevalent. Highlighting something like coercive control, I hope it will make people who are perpetrators of this abuse think about their behaviour but I also hope it gives victims of this sort of behaviour a way of realising that they are not alone and if it helps them do something about it then we have achieved something very important.
When did you first hear about this storyline?
I knew when I was first brought in to the programme as Tim’s dad that the character might turn a bit dark so it wasn’t unexpected. For the first few months it was ‘nice Geoff’, ‘funny Geoff’ and ‘silly Geoff’. But now it is slowly starting to become apparent that there is something missing in Geoff’s psychological make-up.
As an acting exercise and something for an actor to get his teeth in to, it is going to be interesting but it is also a privilege to be trusted with such an important storyline that I hope will make a difference.
What is going through Geoff’s mind this week?
At the moment he is so vulnerable and scared of being left on his own. He loves this woman but because there is something missing in his psychological make-up it makes him behave in a way that is not acceptable.
This storyline has been slowly building, why is that important?
We have been trying to feed small clues without being obvious because that is what is true to life. He is misguided which becomes unpleasant and then we will see the true extent of his behaviour in how the story develops.
There have been a few pointers that Geoff hasn’t always been Mr Nice Guy from very early on.
In the coming weeks and months Geoff will escalate his controlling behaviour, even staging a robbery so he can be seen to protect Yasmeen, taking over her bank account and isolating her from friends and family. He will set up CCTV equipment in order to watch her every move at the house.
As is often the case Yasmeen is unaware she is being controlled, and despite some concerns from Alya, Geoff is able to deceive those closest to her.
Since 2015 this form of abuse has been classed as a criminal offence and underpins 95% of all abusive relationships.
Coronation Street producer Iain Macleod said:
"It’s common for people to think abusive behaviour has to be physical - but you can damage someone profoundly without laying a finger on them. Many thousands of people feel trapped in relationships with someone who claims to love them but who is actually taking them apart piece by piece, isolating them from friends and family and locking them in an invisible prison of fear and insecurity. Often, the abusive behaviours accumulate and intensify over time so that you don’t realise it’s happening - it’s an insidious type of brainwashing.
"I hope this story will help anyone going through similar experiences in the real world by highlighting that feeling undermined, belittled, controlled or intimidated by your partner is never okay. The old “sticks and stones” adage is just plain wrong - words can be instruments of torture and manipulation."
Coronation Street have worked closely with two organisations on this storyline - Women’s Aid and Independent Choices Greater Manchester.