Wicked game

Corrie's James Cartwright, who plays abusive Theo, tells us why he thinks his character is so cruel to boyfriend Todd

- WORDS: JORDAN LLOYD BECK

When actor James Cartwright made his debut on Coronation Street as Theo Silverton, who caught the eye of Todd Grimshaw, fans were delighted.

But fast forward a matter of months, and viewers have watched in horror as Theo has turned nasty towards boyfriend Todd, controlling him and subjecting him to bizarre acts of abuse, like pouring milk all over him, forcing him to eat a kebab and smashing up the kitchen over a white lie.

James, 41, finds shooting abusive scenes tough. "They're never easy," he says. "There's a different mood on set when we're shooting these scenes. Everybody just gets on and there's a mood of looking after each other. It's a very serious vibe on set because, one, someone could get hurt, two, we all realise it's pretty horrible and three while we're doing it as actors we're aware this is some people's lives. Domestic violence is real for a lot of people, it often escalates around Christmas, so there's a real level of respect on the set."