Shelley King reveals impact harrowing abuse storyline had on private life

Shelley King attends the British Soap Awards at The Lowry Theatre on June 01, 2019 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage)
Shelley King attends the British Soap Awards at The Lowry Theatre on June 01, 2019 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage)

Coronation Street’s Shelley King has revealed her harrowing abuse storyline has impacted on her private life and her ability to unwind while not filming.

The scenes in question see her character Yasmeen Metcalf being emotionally abused by husband Geoff, culminating in her stabbing him with a wine bottle when he attacked her with a knife.

But the storyline has taken its toll on the 64-year-old actress, who said the two years portraying the victim in an abusive relationship were “tiring” and left her feeling a “heaviness” when not on set.

Read more: Shelley King says Corrie character is like 'cornered animal' as she finally fights back

Talking to The Sun, King said: “The past few months were tiring to film. The storyline has been going on for two years and at times it was difficult to unwind.

“I felt a heaviness. It was a feeling that not everything is right in the world.

“But in a strangely positive way, I am getting messages from people all the time.

LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 28: Trilby James and Shelley King attend  the Pride Of Britain Awards 2019 at The Grosvenor House Hotel on October 28, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage)
Trilby James and Shelley King attend the Pride Of Britain Awards 2019 at The Grosvenor House Hotel on October 28, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage)

“I’ve heard the most distressing stories from women and men from so many different backgrounds and cultures.”

The storyline reached its peak recently when Yasmeen used a wine bottle to stave off Geoff, played by actor Ian Bartholomew.

The hard-hitting scene was graphic by Corrie’s usual standards, and prompted 270 Ofcom complaints from viewers.

However, King is not concerned about such criticism as she revealed she “loved” the storyline as it is “such an important issue to tackle”.

Speaking on This Morning earlier this month King compared her character to a “cornered animal”.

Read more: Coronation Street welcomes back a much-loved character

She said on the ITV morning show: “This has been going on, it started two years ago. And if you look back at Geoff’s first introduction, he is a hail-fellow-well-met and we seem to love him. We all love him, because he’s great.

“But it’s been a slow drip, a gradual escalation of abuse so it’s not an attack, she’s defending herself.

“It’s her instinct, she’s a cornered animal… She doesn’t even know in that instance what is actually happening to her.”

Coronation Street is on ITV from 7.30pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.