Coronation Street: Geoff’s horrific abuse of Yasmeen sends viewing numbers soaring to their highest for over a YEAR
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Coronation Street has seen a huge boost in ratings after viewers were gripped by Geoff Metcalfe’s horrific abuse of his wife Yasmeen.
In dramatic scenes earlier this month, Yasmeen fought back against her husband’s vile mental abuse by stabbing him with a broken bottle, leaving his life hanging in the balance.
While many viewers were outraged by the hard-hitting plot, there was no doubt they tuned in greater numbers than Corrie had seen for months, as the soap saw it’s highest figures since January 2019.
Huge numbers: Coronation Street has seen a huge boost in ratings after viewers were gripped by Geoff’s horrific abuse of his wife Yasmeen (pictured)
According to consolidated figures by BARB, final viewing figures showed that 7.89 million viewers tuned in for the episode that aired on Monday 27 April.
The episode airing on Wednesday 29 April saw Yasmeen’s (played by Shelley King) plot to try and escape Geoff (Ian Bartholomew) exposed by him, with her being forced to beg for mercy in upsetting scenes.
This episode saw a slight increase with 8.08 million viewers tuning in across all devices.
Violent: In dramatic scenes earlier this month, Yasmeen fought back against her husband’s vile mental abuse by stabbing him with a broken bottle
But it was Geoff and Yasmeen’s heart-stopping showdown on Friday 1 May that saw Corrie reach its highest viewership in 17 months, with 8.16 million viewers watching Yasmeen fight back against her abusive husband.
The storyline hasn’t been short of controversy either, with 276 complaining to media watchdog Ofcom about the shocking pre-watershed scenes.
In response to the complaints Ofcom said: ‘We are assessing the complaints against our broadcasting rules, but are yet to decide whether or not to investigate.’
Soaring: While many viewers were outraged by the hard-hitting plot, there was no doubt they tuned in greater numbers than Corrie had seen for months
Scary: A total of 8.16 million viewers watching Geoff and Yasmeen’s dramatic showdown across all devices
Corrie bosses have also confirmed that Yasmeen’s ordeal is far from over, with the hard-hitting storyline set to continue until Christmas at the earliest.
Speaking to The Sun, soap boss Iain MacLeod has revealed Yasmeen’s ordeal is not over yet and will last until the end of this year.
He said: ‘The timelines have been shunted due to the lockdown but I think it’s fair to imagine that it will be this year.
‘What form that comeuppance is is in discussion. We wanted a redemptive ending for Yasmeen obviously and the toughest it’s going to get for her is over the next months.
‘It’s towards the end of the year but the key thing is to impart the right message. For the sake of the people it has impacted we have to tell the right ending with some positivity.’
Upsetting: The storyline hasn’t been short of controversy either, with 276 complaining to media watchdog Ofcom about the shocking pre-watershed scenes
MacLeod added that the show does not want to show Geoff in a sympathetic light, but they will delve into the ‘psychological elements’ of an abuser.
The producer said a large chapter will come that sees Geoff frustrated at his inability to control Yasmeen as the legal proceedings go on.
The storyline could also be ground to a halt mid-stream, after filming for the soap was halted due to the coronavirus pandemic.
With only a limited number episodes already filmed, Corrie could remain on air until the end of June, and a return date for filming to resume is yet to be confirmed.
If you have been affected by this story, please email [email protected] for information and support.
Coronation Street continues on Friday at 7:30pm on ITV.
Is he dead? Geoff’s life was left hanging in the balance in the gripping scenes, though later episodes have confirmed that he is still alive