Cosy crimes and gritty sagas by Corrie Blog editor Glenda, published by Headline. Click pic below!

Tuesday 29 September 2020

Joe Duttine interview: Tim and the truth about Geoff


How has Tim been coping since finding out the truth about his dad?

He has been feeling all sorts of emotions, angry, upset, let down, disappointed, betrayed and just very confused about the whole story and about his life. In some ways he also feels guilt and responsibility because he had been so horrible to Alya and Yasmeen and dismissed everybody and chose not to believe anyone. All the good people in his life were just trying to get him to see the light, at times he was really rude to those people so he feels he has let people down and he is starting to question his own judgement. He is also starting to have confidence issues, what he is feeling it is very complex.

He must be devastated that his dad lied to him about his mum?

He feels that this whole life was a lie, there is a photo album with not one picture of his mum and his dad convinced him his mum didn’t like having her photo taken. That is a massive thing to go without for your whole life, it is the ultimate betrayal, bad enough to find out what his dad did to Yasmeen but also that his dad’s behaviour goes back to when he was a child, where did the lies stop and where did they start?

It must be very hard for him with his dad still on the street?

Yes it is hard for Tim to deal with that. His dad isn't going to leave and he wants to try and make things up with Tim. He is trying to stay away from Geoff as he probably can’t trust himself not to lash out and he knows that would make matters worse. And Tim won’t even consider moving away as Geoff will have won.

How determined is he to find Elaine and let justice be done for Yasmeen and his mum and also to try and make up for lost time? 

First and foremost he wants to make sure that she is safe and that she is ok. That is his main concern before he even thinks about the possibility of building a relationship. He doesn’t know her and he doesn't know what sort of person she is. He has sympathy for her because of what Geoff has done and if he finds her that is going to be a bit of a journey for Tim.

Sally and Tim could easily have split up over the whole situation with Sally taking Yasmeen’s side. The wedding must mean even more to them both now.

He probably isn’t feeling as celebratory as he would have done but this is a big step for them to be able to move in in their relationship after everything they have been through. It’s a shame all the restrictions mean that they can’t have the big do they wanted and it would have been lovely to see Tim and Sally come together physically and have a big cuddle, but we just have to imagine that is what happens when they are alone. 

How worried is Tim that Geoff will try and cause problems at the wedding when Faye lets the cat out of the bag?

They really want to try and keep it a secret from him and Faye feels terrible that she has let slip to Geoff about the wedding. The last thing Tim wants is his dad ruining something else, this is too important a day for Tim, he knows that Geoff hates Sally and he does almost manage to spoil it but there are too many people willing to step in and help Sally and Tim.

Does it take the shine off the day for them? Tim must want everything to be perfect for Sally.

This is the wedding that Tim is having to have because he was already married when they had their first wedding, he wants it to go off without any problems so they can finally be married. He messed up before and even though it wasn’t deliberate on his part he has to make it up to Sally. The spectre of Geoff is wanting to be at the feast and he is the last person anyone wants there.

There was a huge reaction on social media when Tim finally realised the truth about his dad and let him have it both barrels. You must have been looking forward to playing that moment.

In the same way that the audience was wanting the storyline to reach this point so was I as an actor, Tim was starting to question things a little in the weeks before that and it was a case of how long can he deny what is in front of his eyes. It was exciting for me to get to that stage and play those scenes.

What has the reaction been like on the street?

I’ve literally had people calling me thick and all sorts on the street, I was filling my car up the other day and someone shouted ‘Oy Tim you thick b****r’ this storyline has reached so many people and everyone wanted Tim to realise what is going on.  The reaction on social media once he found out was brilliant and it was great to get the feedback that people enjoyed the episodes, it’s good to know that people think you are doing a good job, it gave me a real lift and it’s very much appreciated.

Are you looking forward to the developments through the autumn and being part of the 60th anniversary storylines?

Yes it is great to know that this story is part of the anniversary, I haven't seen the scripts so, like everyone else, I am keen to find out what happens to Geoff and where this takes Sally and Tim as we head into next year. It’s exciting, I’m loving it at the moment, working under the restrictions brings its own challenges but everyone is rising to that challenge and we are very fortunate to be working.

Glenda Young




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2 comments:

Humpty Dumpty said...

One thing which hasn't been explored is Tim's literacy issues. Geoff possibly refused to let Tim have additional help at school as a way of controlling him. Poor literacy skills lead to low confidence, limited job prospects and dependence on carers. Would be interesting if Tim eventually remembers that it wasn't him who refused to go to the special needs teacher but his father put a stop to it.

C in Canada said...

@Humpty - that is an excellent observation and I would hazard a guess that you are 100% correct. I would love for Tim to explore that and really realize how far back this goes.
We need Tim's mum to come back and set a few things straight...would love for her to be part of the show. She's Faye's grandma, after all.

GRITTY SAGAS BY CORRIE BLOG EDITOR GLENDA YOUNG, PUBLISHED BY HEADLINE. CLICK PIC BELOW!

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