'How difficult to live with someone who doesn’t have the same morals that you do'
Coronation Street star Sally Dynevor, who plays Sally Metcalfe, has spoken about the Geoff and Yasmeen abuse storyline, and says her character would be prepared to put her marriage to husband Tim on the line in order to support the traumatised wife.
Yasmeen (Shelley King) is currently on remand in prison, charged with attempted murder, after recently stabbing Geoff (Ian Bartholomew) in self-defence when she thought he was going to kill her. The attack came after Geoff had coercively controlled the former librarian for months.
Geoff’s son Tim believes his dad’s claim that Yasmeen was a volatile alcoholic, but Sally is starting to suspect that her father-in-law isn’t the innocent victim he claims to be.
Explains Dynevor: “It started in the hospital when Sally was listening to the detective saying that Geoff had been involved in an incident before, and then Alya said ‘You’ve been bullying my gran for ages.'
“And there’ve been other things - she heard about Geoff locking Yasmeen in a box, and there was Yasmeen wearing that red dress to the pub, which was really weird. Discovering Geoff saw prostitutes pushed her over the edge.
“Also, Sally was domestically abused years ago by Greg Kelly, so there’s a bit of that, and remembering how bloody awful that was. That was a different kind of abuse – Sally was beaten up, whereas this was a mental abuse - but Sally is putting all these things together and getting angrier and angrier.”
Asked if Sally would be prepared to put Yasmeen before Tim, if he continued to take his dad’s ‘side’, the 57 year old adds:
“Yes, I think she would, because how difficult to live with someone who doesn’t have the same morals and feelings that you do.
“How could she trust him again or respect him if he is not standing up to a man who is a bully? I don’t think she’d respect Tim if he doesn’t come round to this. I don’t think she would look at him the same again, because he’d be a pushover.”
Monday’s episode of Coronation Street ended on a cliff hanger, as Yasmeen stood up in court for her plea hearing, and debated whether to say the words ‘guilty’ or ‘not guilty.’
Much to Alya’s relief, in Wednesday’s episode, her gran will plead ‘not guilty,’ meaning the case will go to trial.
“I would like Sally to testify in court,” says Dynevor. "She would do anything for Yasmeen.”
Coronation Street continues on ITV.
