Coronation Street star James Cartwright has opened up about his character, Theo Silverton’s, shocking storyline with his partner, Todd Grimshaw. After embarking on an intense relationship, Theo’s toxic behaviour has continued to escalate on the soap, resulting in both emotional and physical abuse.

Speaking about Theo and Todd’s ongoing arc, Cartwright admitted that he’s been shocked by it, too. “There’s certainly been twists and turns along the way that have even had me choking on my cornflakes as I’ve read the scripts,” he said.

Reflecting on Theo’s behaviour, Cartwright noted that he’s become far more “dangerous” than he’d anticipated. “I think we always knew he was a complicated man. But now, as we move further along, you start to see that actually, he’s not just a complicated man, he’s potentially a very dangerous man,” the actor explained.

“The flaws and the damage within him are now manifesting in a way that I’m not sure even he can control. And I think it’s potentially putting people at risk.”

Asked if Theo genuinely loves Todd, Cartwright said: “Oh, absolutely. In his mind he loves Todd too much, his love for Todd is verging on obsession, because also at this point, Todd’s all he’s got. His wife doesn’t speak to him, his kids still won’t speak to him, work isn’t busy, so Todd is literally all he’s got.

“So very often with possessive jealous partners, whether male or female, they seek to isolate you because they know that’s all they’ve got. The idea of losing Todd is shattering, so he clings on like fire, and that’s where the coercive control starts. The where have you been, where are you going, who were you with?”

In episodes set to air next week, Theo will continue to control and manipulate Todd after forcing him to train for a half-marathon, before violently assaulting Todd when he believes that James Bailey has been flirting with him.

For Cartwright, filming these kinds of scenes hasn’t been easy. “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,” he said.

“You’ve got to tread that line between drama, storytelling and authenticity. It will be very challenging to watch for anybody who’s been through it, or is going through something similar, but we also have to be careful not to rush it or you run the risk of doing a disservice to people who’ve been through it.

“Domestic violence can be particularly tricky to tackle because very often, the victims don’t know that’s what it is or they excuse certain behaviours.”