Coronation Street actress Shelley King has been having “dreams about abandonment” because of her current soap plot.
The 64-year-old star’s character, Yasmeen Metcalfe, has been at the centre of a coercive control storyline on the cobbles in recent months, with her on-screen husband Geoff Metcalfe abusing her and sleeping with escorts.
Opening up during lockdown, Shelley told OK! magazine: “If Barty [co-star Ian Bartholemew] and I didn’t get on well and didn’t trust each other, I don’t think we could explore this whole process.
“We have been calling each other and we miss each other during lockdown. Being at home has made me think about the storyline so much more.
“I’ve had a lot of dreams about abandonment. The people in them have changed so it’s Barty, then a friend or a past relationship and then they turn into Trilby [James, her director partner], even though it’s nothing to do with her.”
The actress, who first appeared on Corrie back in 2014, admitted she and Ian have to rely on “lavatory jokes” to keep the atmosphere from getting too heavy between takes.
She added: “There are only so many tears you can cry as you actually start getting headaches. Sometimes nothing comes out.
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“Usually when Barty and I get through something that is particularly heavy, we revert to the humour of a 14-year-old boy and there are a lot of lavatory jokes!
“But during some scenes there was just silence in the studio because some of the things are just too difficult to hop in and out of.”
What’s next for Geoff and Yasmeen in Coronation Street?
Next week, things end badly when Yasmeen is forced to defend herself against abusive Geoff.
After Geoff discovers she tested positive for chlamydia, he is furious and accuses her of cheating.
But when Yasmeen brings up him meeting with escorts, Geoff gets even more angry. He then declares she caught it from her ex-husband Sharif.
Locked in
Later Geoff storms out to the shop but watches Yasmeen through his hidden security camera. He’s intrigued as he sees her shove clothes into a holdall and locking it under the stairs.
When he returns he innocently asks for a key to the cupboard. But as Yasmeen pretends to look for the key, Geoff grabs it from her pocket and demands she open it.
He ends up confiscating her phone and locking her in the house as he goes out. When he returns, Sally invites Yasmeen and Geoff to the Bistro reopening.
As they prepare to leave, Geoff forces Yasmeen to wear a dress she clearly isn’t comfortable in. As they go to The Rovers for a drink, shocked Yasmeen hears Geoff is paying for Sally and Tim’s wedding.
When they return home, a scuffle ensues after Yasmeen grabs a bottle of wine off the table.
She is forced to defend herself, and Geoff falls to the kitchen floor.
If you or someone you know is at risk from domestic abuse please go to www.womensaid.org.uk
Coronation Street airs Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 7.30pm on ITV.
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