Coronation Street Blog: Sally Dynevor interview: Can Sally bring down Geoff?

Tuesday, 2 June 2020

Sally Dynevor interview: Can Sally bring down Geoff?

As Sally’s suspicions continue to grow, how tricky does it become living with Geoff?

Well yes, as Geoff is still under the same roof, this is when Sally is finding out all these little details about him and having to go home and not say anything. After visiting Yasmeen in prison, she doesn’t tell Tim she is going, or Geoff – and that comes out later on – but she’s doing this secretly because she wants to get all the facts before she takes sides really because it’s detrimental to her marriage.

When Sally tells Tim that actually she wants Geoff to move out, how does he take that?

He’s really not happy about it. Tim thinks that Geoff is this man who is in desperate need and we should be supporting him and looking after him and Sally says no, I just don’t believe him. But Tim at this point just doesn’t seem to be listening to Sally, he’s supporting his dad, and from that point of view, you can understand both sides really.

Yasmeen decides to plead not guilty. Does that only strengthen Sally’s feeling that Geoff’s story doesn’t add up?

Absolutely, yes. Sally herself has been in prison and she doesn’t want Yasmeen to be in there anymore. She knows that she is innocent, and I think hopefully when we go back and get the scripts – because it kind of stopped there – I’m really hoping that the scripts come back and that Sally helps and fights for her. I think it might make them even closer because Yasmeen and Sally have this funny relationship. They really care about each other, but then every now and again, they’re quite similar. They have these quirky sort-of rows, but then deep down they’re both on a similar trajectory, with their posh conservatories on the back of their houses! They are both well-to-do and want to get on in the world, and so I’m hoping this will make them really close. I love working with Shelley and Barty, they are such a pleasure.

Eileen starts to voice her suspicions as well and that gives Tim food for thought… but is it going to be harder for him to see his dad’s true colours?

Well I think Eileen starts to say a few things and Tim starts to… Sally has said things but hearing them out of the family home and from someone else starts to make him think. He’s not really listening to Sally, but listening to someone like Eileen who is not part of it makes him suddenly think. Actually, Tim is disgusted that his dad has had prostitutes, he can’t believe it and is as shocked as anyone. And when Yasmeen wore that red dress, when she came in the Rovers, that was all really odd when it didn’t properly fit her. So when Sally looks back, she can see that something wasn’t right and it all didn’t make sense.

Ultimately how is this going to affect Sally and Tim?

Well because of what has happened I have no idea where they are going to go with this. I’m really hoping that’s how it goes, that it puts a massive strain on their relationship. I can’t wait to get more scripts actually to find out how this will affect Sally and Tim going forward, as we were at such a pinnacle moment in the story when production completely stopped. If we can play two to three hander scenes it’s going to be interesting to see Sally and Tim’s take on it.

Is it fair to assume that Tim shouldn’t underestimate Sally’s determination to expose Geoff?

Oh absolutely. Because she has been in that position as well, it’s really important for Sally that she gets to the truth as I think she is just so shocked by the situation.

How far would she be willing to go to expose Geoff? Possibly at the cost of her own marriage?

I think she would be prepared to risk it as, how could she live with someone who is not accepting of some of the issues that have been raised about Geoff? So, I think Sally would go far to defend Yasmeen because she is so upset about it and determined to help her at the detriment of her own relationship. She says to Ayla at one point, what about my relationship, but the more time goes on the more she is thinking I’m going to do everything I can for Yasmeen and Tim is going to have to come to the realisation that his father is an abuser.

Glenda Young

Author of gritty, family saga novels with Headline