Coronation Street star Ian Bartholomew has admitted he feels "uncomfortable" playing the villainous Geoff Metcalfe.
The character horrified fans last week when he killed wife Yasmeen Nazir's (Shelley King) beloved pet chicken as part of an ongoing storyline about coercive control.
Speaking recently, actor Ian explained how Geoff's increasingly "perverse" behaviour has led to him finding filming the scenes "hard".
"He’s now becoming not just manipulative but mean and nasty and intentionally so," Ian told The Mirror.
Related: Coronation Street fans horrified by Geoff as he kills Yasmeen's beloved pet
"Killing her chicken is a turning point, because he starts to enjoy his cruelty in some twisted, perverse way."
What to Read Next
He added: "I’m finding it hard and there are uncomfortable scenes, such as when he pushed his phone into Yasmeen’s face to film her.
"I have to put Geoff in a box and open it when I need it."
Following the upsetting scenes, the Coronation Street team have explained their slow approach to Ian and Yasmeen's storyline.
Here's hoping Yasmeen will soon get the support she needs.
Coronation Street airs Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays on ITV.
Organisations including Women's Aid can provide further support and information on coercive control or coercive behaviour.
Digital Spy now has a newsletter – sign up to get it sent straight to your inbox.
Read more news, spoilers and gossip on our Coronation Street homepage
Digital Spy Soap Scoop video – hit play below for all the latest Coronation Street spoilers, as Sarah and Adam get married, and Gary makes a concerning discovery.
Coronation Street X Joanie - Gilroy Retro Newton And Ridley Sweatshirt
![The Road to Coronation Street [DVD]](https://hips.hearstapps.com/vader-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/1568634215-51d4CaKIrCL.jpg?crop=1xw:1xh;center,top&resize=980:* "The Road to Coronation Street [DVD]")
![The Stars of Coronation Street - 50 Years, 50 Classic Characters [DVD]](https://hips.hearstapps.com/vader-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/1568634418-51we2BNTW1yL.jpg?crop=1xw:1xh;center,top&resize=980:* "The Stars of Coronation Street - 50 Years, 50 Classic Characters [DVD]")
ITV The Stars of Coronation Street - 50 Years, 50 Classic Characters [DVD]
Want up-to-the-minute soaps news, spoilers and gossip on your social feeds? Just hit 'Like' on our Digital Spy Soaps Facebook page and 'Follow' on our @soapscoop Twitter account.
