Toyah Battersby is convinced Peter Barlow is the man for her, as they move in to the Rovers and she looks forward to family life, explains Corrie’s Georgia Taylor

It’s been a tough six months for the love story that is Toyah Battersby and Peter Barlow, but finally things are on the up as they take over the Rovers in Coronation Street.

“Toyah’s really excited – she’s looking forward to the future with Peter,” Georgia Taylor told Soaplife. And the cherry on the cake is that Toyah suspects she is pregnant!

Toyah’s clearly thrilled about the Rovers, but is having a baby still her main focus? “It’s very much a driving force in her life and at times she can be consumed by it. I do feel for her. I can’t imagine what it must be like to have gone through that many rounds of IVF treatment and to have your hopes constantly dashed, when it’s the thing that you want most in life.”

Does Toyah really believe she’s pregnant? “Yes – she’s feeling quite positive because she thinks she’s finally having the longed-for baby. She’s got a really good feeling this time.”

Is Peter in the same place as she is on the matter? “She hopes he is, he’s telling her he is, but only time will tell.”

Why is Peter the man for Toyah? “He’s fun, charismatic and has that twinkle in his eye. While some people see Peter as a womaniser, Toyah believes he’s turned over a new leaf. She genuinely loves Peter, she admires the way he is when he’s with Simon and she believes they can be a family.”

Back to the Rovers... who’s been your favourite Rovers landlady? “I’d say Liz because I think Bev [Callard, who plays her] has created such a classic Corrie matriarch and is just so adept at balancing comedy and drama. Also those outfits are insanely brilliant and I adore her relationship with Steve."

Coronation Street, ITV

Imagine 20 years as a Battersby! Corrie stars Jane Danson and Georgia Taylor chat about how far Leanne and Toyah have come

Hard to believe, but on the fourth of July, it will be exactly 20 years since the Battersby clan pitched up on Coronation Street. Georgia Taylor and Jane Danson – better known as sisters Toyah and Leanne – share their memories from back in the day, and reveal their hopes and dreams for their famous alter-egos...

Congratulations on your anniversary – does it feel like 20 years since you joined Corrie or does it feel like yesterday? Georgia: "It doesn’t feel like yesterday, but then 20 years seems like a huge amount of time. We were filming recently in a set that had that awful picture of me and Jane from our first ever Battersby photo shoot. I've got the hot pants on, and she's got the bleached bits in her hair. When I look at stuff like that, I don’t feel that it’s me." Jane: "It's a really weird one. So much has happened to Leanne and so much has happened to me that I think 'Oh my God, 20 years. That’s forever ago!'"

Will you do anything to mark the occasion? Georgia: "We’ve been joking about maybe recreating one of our classic Toyah and Leanne photo shoots and putting it on Twitter - so watch this space!" Jane: "I might even put the streaks in my hair! Thankfully, you can take them out now, whereas before, you had to live with them for about six months."

Given the initial, negative response to the Battersbys, are you surprised that you’re still here? Georgia: "I signed up for five months, and I never thought it would go on. I just thought: 'I’ve got five months on Corrie, that’s amazing!' and I took each day as it came. To be honest, the initial response didn’t bother me massively, because it’s what the producer at the time, Brian Park, wanted – he was like 'I want you to be the family that everyone hates.' Although I was surprised how much people hated us, I didn't think: 'Oh, they're gonna sack us because we're not popular.'" Jane: "We hadn't even filmed a scene and people hated us. They'd created this media spin. Of course, when we came onto the cobbles, we were really OTT. But as the family separated and became entangled with all the other characters, people warmed to us. You saw Toyah’s vulnerabilities and Leanne’s weaknesses, and how fractious Les and Janice were with each other. So within about three months, the viewers were quite excited by this new family."

Do you remember much of your first day? Georgia: "I remember the night before more. Jane and I stayed in a hotel in Manchester because we had to be at the studios for 7am. We'd met each other because we'd auditioned together and done photo shoots and press, but we weren't best mates. I remember we went to Pizza Express. I’d never been to one before, and I thought it was dead posh!

"Jane had been working as an actress since she was 11 and she had her own car, and I thought she was the bee’s knees. I even copied what she ordered. She said: 'I’ll have the American and a diet coke' and I was like 'Me too!' And then we got up early the next morning and did our first scene in Freshco's - or it might have been Bettabuys then. There was a big cardboard cut-out of Alma, and Leanne and Toyah drew a moustache on her." Jane: "I remember more about the first day than I do about a few weeks ago sometimes. We were filming on a Sunday, and we were together all day, anticipating what was about to happen - not just the job but everything else that came with it. Georgia was in the middle of her A Levels, so it was a tough time for her because she had exam pressure as well. We really bonded. Even though I’d done a few TV bits, I’d never experienced the attention that we were about to get."

Can you remember your first line? Georgia: "It was 'Dad? Happy birthday.' But actually, that was a mistake because it should’ve been 'Les'. Toyah never called him 'Dad,' she always called him 'Les'. Maybe because it was his birthday, she made a special effort." Jane: "'What took you?' It was on the street, because in our first scene, in Frescho's, we didn't say anything. My voice was really high-pitched then!"

Watch Toyah and Leanne's 1997 Corrie debuts:

https://youtu.be/hiF1efgVca8

What was it like being thrust into the limelight? Georgia: "There were a lot of things that we went through that maybe Vicky Entwistle (Janice) and Bruce Jones (Les) didn’t, because as the two young girls, we were doing photo shoots, kids’ TV shows and going to London to be interviewed. As much as Jane had worked as an actress before, she hadn’t worked on anything with that level of profile, so we kind of clung onto one another. Whatever happens, we will always have those shared memories, and no one else in our Battersby bubble will ever quite understand what we went through together. That cemented our friendship, without a doubt." Jane: "You can’t change history, and we’ve always got that bond. We were kids - 17 and 18. It was such an exciting time, professionally and socially. We were in situations that we wouldn’t normally have been in, but we went through it together. So if we were feeling vulnerable or not sure, we always had the other one to help us out."

Have you kept any memorabilia from back in the day? Georgia: "Early on, my mum kept a lot of magazine clippings from the TV Times and teenage mags, but I think she gave up pretty quickly because of the sheer volume of it. I hated any picture of myself, so I wasn’t going to be making a scrap book. But Jane’s kept quite a lot of stuff, and every now and again, she’ll find something when she's having a clear out, and Whatsapp it to me. She’ll be like: 'Oh my God, what is that outfit?' I can laugh about it now, but at the time, I found it quite stressful." Jane: "I’ve got loads of TV Times covers. I’ve got a little dressing room at home that I made for my eyes only, so I’ve got covers and photo shoots with all the different hairstyles over the years. It’s memories of growing up on screen."

Toyah and Leanne Battersby in 1997

What would be your advice to your younger selves? Georgia: "I’d have probably tried to make myself relax more. Photo shoots were very difficult for me. I used to be very hard on myself - I think you are when you're 17. I’d probably say: 'Don’t stress about it! It’s a daft thing that you’re doing. People will look at it, and they’ll be eating their fish and chips in it next week.' I'd also say: 'You are allowed to say no to things.' We were never forced to do anything, but back then, I thought I had to say yes to everything. I was so grateful to be working, I’d do anything. And I wish I’d kept a diary because there are probably lots of hilarious anecdotes that I wish I’d written down." Jane: "I was a bit more uptight then – I think the whole attention thing scared me. You’ve not got the life skills to be emotionally equipped for it, have you? Someone showed me an old photo of me and Georgia recently, and I’d thought I was really fat back then. We were slightly fuller in the face, but we looked absolutely fine. I was like 'What was I worrying about?'"

What have been your favourite storylines from the past 20 years? Georgia: "I loved all the stuff with Spider when Toyah became an eco warrior – that was when we saw a real shift in the character. I think when you are a teenager, you are looking for direction and you soak things up like a sponge – and she really did. And I loved it when Ken Barlow tutored her.

"Jumping to now, I love working with Chris Gascoyne (Peter). You don't get to rehearse at Corrie, so when we’ve got a bit of down time, we’ll often go into a quiet room and workshop our scenes. It’s nice to work with someone who has a similar work ethic." Jane: "I've never laughed so much in my whole life as I did when I worked with Bradley Walsh (Danny Baldwin). I was pregnant at the time, and I was the size of a house. The tricks they came up with to hide my bump! The best one was when they had me carrying a box of knickers at Underworld, and they cut a hole in the side for me to put my bump in! I also loved it when Leanne had the affair with Nick and the subsequent consequences of that with the tram crash and Peter nearly dying. And I’ve loved all the stuff with Ben Price, who plays Nick."

What do you think makes a Battersby a Battersby? Georgia: "I think when it comes to family, they are really loyal, and they will stick up for each other. Toyah was probably the softest of the four and didn’t have as many hard edges, but if anyone crossed her family, she would be on them like a ton of bricks, and that hasn’t changed. We saw that recently when Toyah and Leanne confronted Chloe. When we were filming those scenes, we weren't sure how we felt about it, but people went mad for it! And there's humour as well. Toyah and Leanne love each other, but they can really take the mickey out of one other." Jane: "I think Leanne’s the eternal teenager, and still gets a bit stroppy now and again. She’s not quite as bad as she used to be, but that will always be in her. They were all so feisty when they came in, and they didn’t take anything from anybody. They’ve always had to fight for survival. Things didn’t always go right for them, and for Leanne, to a point, that’s still going on."

If you were still on the cobbles in another 20 years time, what would you like Toyah and Leanne to achieve? Georgia: "If Toyah can’t have a child, I’d love her to find something else that she can put all that energy and love into, because she is a very compassionate person. Maybe she could get back into her volunteer work. Or maybe she could open an animal sanctuary. Oh my God, I’d love that! I’m putting that out there! That would be amazing!" Jane: "At some point, I would like Leanne to have some happiness. I think she needs somebody really strong who will look after her, because she’s always doing the looking after in relationships. I think a character like Cain Dingle in Emmerdale would be good. He’s naughty but dead strong, and he’d give as good as he gets!"

There’s turmoil for Toyah Battersby as she discovers Peter Barlow’s dishonesty, Corrie’s Georgia Taylor tells Soaplife

Toyah Battersby knew what she was taking on by sharing her life with Peter Barlow – he cheated and lied to her sister Leanne, after all. Now it seems he’s up to his old tricks.

“To begin with Toyah finds a wad of cash stashed away in a hot chocolate container at the back of a cupboard and she’s immediately suspicious and senses something isn’t right – it niggles her that that Peter may not be being open and honest with her,” Georgia Taylor tells Soaplife…

Does Toyah confront him about the money? “Yes and she wants to believe what he tells her but she still has doubts.”

Peter wants to buy the Rovers… What does Toyah think about that? “Initially and understandably she is hugely concerned as Peter [Chris Gascoyne] is a recovering alcoholic. But when he explains that it's not about the Rovers being a pub but more about it being security, a home for them and hopefully their family, and his commitment to her, she really wants to believe him.”

Does she know anything about Chloe at this point? “No. Chloe’s not on her radar. The very first scene in which we saw Chloe was when Peter took the cab booking and at the time he and Toyah were having a bit of a rocky patch. Peter flirted with Chloe, which annoyed her at the time, but she soon forgot about it. As far as Toyah is concerned now, she wouldn’t give Chloe a second thought.”

Then Ken tells Toyah Peter’s drinking and having an affair! “Her heart sinks. Ken [William Roache] is not a malicious man in the least so why would he make anything up – or tell her stuff he didn’t absolutely believe in his heart was true?”

What’s next for Toyah? “Life with Peter is always quite erratic, dangerous and exciting but it is also exhausting so it’s whether she is going to get tired of the continual ups and downs. The question is whether he’ll push her too far."

Coronation Street, ITV

Toyah finally thinks she and Peter are heading in a positive direction regarding their future and starting a family together but is that about to be blown out of the water when Peter's secret comes to light?

Cabbie Peter's passenger problem recently presented itself in the form of clingy, persistent… and attractive 'Chloe'.

Although the glamorous brunette doesn't seem like much of a problem to flattered Peter yet, it looks like the situation is about to spiral out of control when Chloe makes her intentions clear.

Later on it all hits the fan when Toyah gets suspicious about her other half and a surprise source reveals exactly what Peter's been up to.

Will Toyah put the brakes on her relationship with Peter and what secrets is flirtatious Chloe, hiding?

When taxi driver Peter tells Toyah that he's worried about one of his regular fares and how they're being pestered by their ex, Toyah encourages him to help them. But she assumes he's talking about a male passenger...

When taxi driver Peter tells Toyah that he's worried about one of his regular fares and how they're being pestered by their ex, Toyah encourages him to help them. But she assumes he's talking about a male passenger...

Having had 'permission' from Toyah, Peter turns up at 'worried' Chloe's place to fix extra locks to her doors, which she's very grateful for...

Chloe's so grateful, in fact, that she makes a move on Peter… and tries to kiss him! How will the Barlow bad boy respond?

Back at home, Toyah discovers the stash of cash Peter has been hiding, having received generous tips from a persistent Chloe. What will she make of it and will she confront him?

When Peter returns, concerned Toyah keeps her counsel and doesn't question him. But she's secretly fretting about what he's hiding...

When Peter visits the Rovers, which he hopes will soon be his and Toyah's, he's shocked to learn there's a new cash buyer on the scene...

A furious Peter erupts when he realises it's Chloe who wants to gazump him and ruin his plans with Toyah. Having witnessed the outburst, a naive Ken later listens to Chloe's fantasy tales about her 'affair' with Peter, among other shocking lies...

So when a concerned and gullible Ken enlightens Toyah about Peter's 'cheating and boozing', how will she react? Watch Coronation Street on ITV from Monday, March 20

Trapped Leanne Battersby has to rely on her stepsister Toyah when her waters break in Coronation Street

Given their acrimonious relationship, it's hardly like that Toyah would be the person Leanne would pick as her ideal birth partner in Corrie – especially if she were stuck in a lift at the time.

But the bickering stepsisters have to face exactly that situation when Leanne's waters break at the worst possible moment.

Once the baby arrives, there's another awkward moment to confront when Michelle insists on seeing the new-born – unaware, of course, that her husband Steve is the tot's dad!

Trapped together in a lift at Victoria Court, Leanne and Toyah start to panic when Leanne's waters break!

Trapped together in a lift at Victoria Court, Leanne and Toyah start to panic when Leanne's waters break!

Earlier, Toyah had followed her stepsister into the lift to accuse her of making insensitive remarks

With the lift alarm not working and no phone signal, the situation is looking serious for the pair!

When Leanne's contractions increase, she hangs on to Toyah, while Rana shouts up instructions from the lobby

With the baby having arrived, emotional Michelle is thrilled for Leanne and insists on seeing the tot

Leanne tries to conceal her guilt as Michelle – who recently lost her own baby – gazes at the little boy

It's clearly a difficult moment for Michelle – who is still oblivious to the fact Steve is the dad!

Later, Gail puts on a party at the bistro to celebrate the birth – and it proves unforgettable! Catch all the drama on Coronation Street, ITV, from Monday, February 20

Toyah’s heartbroken to learn that her lover Peter doesn’t want to make a baby with her, reveals Georgia Taylor. Now what’s she going to do?

After years of fruitless IVF treatment with husband Toby Chapman, broody Toyah has been hoping that now she’ll be able to start a family with secret lover Peter Barlow, but it seems he doesn’t want any more kids.

“When Peter tells Toyah this she’s devastated because it looks like giving up on her dream of having children, at least it does if she wants to be with the man she loves – it’s a kind of Catch 22 situation and she doesn’t know what to do,” actress Georgia Taylor tells Soaplife.

She’s in even more of a dilemma when Toby turns up and suggests they have another go at getting pregnant...

How does Toyah react to Toby’s appearance? “She doesn’t know what to do. She’s madly in love with Peter, but Toby’s offering her everything she wants. Toyah no longer loves Toby [Andrew Dowbiggin] in the way she once did, but they’ve been through a lot together and they’ve got all that history.”

Peter finds out about her IVF from someone else. Why hasn’t Toyah mentioned it to him? “Because until now her relationship with Peter [Chris Gascoyne] has been about excitement, passion, and escaping what she’s seen as the drudgery of real life – arguing with Toby, the stress of IVF and worrying about money. She hasn’t said anything about it to Leanne [Jane Danson], either. I think unfortunately she's at a point now where it's gone on so long, she doesn’t know how to say anything. If she knew he knew, she’d be worried in case it made him question being with her.”

Why would she want kids with Peter? He’s hardly a great dad! “He can be a rubbish dad, but he can also be brilliant. Simon [Alex Bain] clearly loves him and it’s Peter who Toyah would love to father her child. But with Peter there’s always the potential for him to go off the rails. If he started drinking and womanising again, I don’t know if she would stay with him.”

What will happen when Leanne finds out who Toyah’s secret lover really is? “Well… If Toyah decides to stay with Peter rather than try again with Toby, she’s not going to want to give him up. That would be a massive sacrifice so I hope she and Leanne will be able to work something out.”

Coronation Street, ITV

Corrie's Georgia Taylor explains why she returned to the Street and reveals there's fireworks ahead when the identity of Toyah's mystery boyfriend is uncovered by Leanne...

It’s set to be a huge week for Corrie’s Toyah Battersby when Leanne looks in danger of discovering her big secret – that her sister’s new boyfriend is her very own ex husband, Peter Barlow!

Actress Georgia Taylor tells us about the possible ramifications for the Battersby siblings, and reveals that she loves playing Peter Barlow’s latest lover…

What did you think when you found out that Toyah was going to be Peter Barlow’s love interest? "That was honestly one of the main reasons I agreed to come back to Coronation Street. I just think Chris Gascoyne (who plays Peter) is such a great actor, and there is always going to be drama around that character and the fact that he was previously married to Leanne. So I was coming back to guaranteed drama and guaranteed storylines with great people."

What is it like working with Chris? "Just brilliant. My first day’s filming was in bed with him all day at a hotel. We were thrown in at the deep end – literally in a bed all day! But it ended up being the best way to start working together, because it broke the ice and we just had to get on with it. We ended up having a proper laugh and it made us very relaxed. You can’t have any inhibitions if you want the audience to believe that these people have been together for six months and are genuinely in love and at that very passionate stage of their relationship."

What is it about Peter that attracts Toyah? "He has that twinkle in his eye and is very charismatic. Chris has a natural charm about him that you can’t deny, which comes across on screen. But I think that because Toyah has previously worked and trained as a counsellor and she has found herself drawn to someone who is a recovering alcoholic, who has a huge amount of his own demons, then ethically and morally that could be questionable. The fact that she comes professionally from that background and now she is with an addict, maybe she thinks she can fix him. And in trying to fix someone else, you can ignore your own demons."

What do you know about their relationship history? "The story is that Toyah was visiting a friend in Portsmouth and they bumped into each other in a bar and got chatting. She was in a very vulnerable place as she was in a relationship that wasn’t working. Had she been happily married it would probably have just been a brief chat and a drink and they would’ve gone their separate ways. But it is all to do with timing, and they ended up having an affair."

Why haven’t they told Leanne about their relationship before now? "Because Toyah is fearful of what the reaction would be. She doesn’t think Leanne is still in love with Peter, she can see how devoted she is to Nick, but still it is kind of strange isn’t it, getting involved with your sister’s ex husband!

"The initial plan was not to keep it a secret; they made the pact at Christmas to 'rip the plaster off and deal with it', but then Leanne had a scare with the pregnancy and was told stress could be bad for her and the baby so that moment was gone. Again it is all to do with timing. From then on there hasn’t been a right time and it drags the process out. But along the way, other people have found out so they are living on borrowed time."

What do you think it will it mean for the sisters' relationship when Toyah's secret comes out? "I think the biggest thing is the act of betrayal. Leanne would get over the fact that she is with Peter if only she had been honest with her. Jane Danson (who plays Leanne) and I have talked about this. They grew up together and went through so much together. They are sisters not in blood, but in every other way. They are best friends and she hasn’t told her about a significant relationship – or that her marriage was in trouble because of going through unsuccessful IVF treatment. It is the betrayal of that sisterhood and Leanne feeling that they are not as close as she thought they were."

Toyah wants to become a mum. Do you think Peter Barlow would be a good father for her children? "When he is on good form and he is sober and at his best, he has glimmers of being a wonderful dad. But obviously, his behaviour and addiction has got in the way in the past. If he stays on the straight and narrow then potentially, he could be. But this is soap so is he going to stay in the straight and narrow?"

Georgia Taylor: 'It was horrendous watching old Corrie episodes. I didn't recognise myself!'

Georgia Taylor on rover Toyah Battersby’s grim return to Corrie!

‘I don’t want to mess things up,’ says Corrie’s Georgia Taylor about her return as Toyah

It's a bad week for a broody Toyah when she learns that Peter doesn't want children with her, and Leanne walks in on them together...

Toyah's torn when her husband, Toby, informs her that the fertility clinic are asking what they want to do with her frozen embryos, and he wants to give their relationship another chance in Corrie.

She was pinning her hopes on playing happy families with lover Peter, but he leaves her devastated when he tells her he doesn't want any more kids. When Peter finds out about Toyah's secret IVF attempts, he begins to wonder what other lies she's told him. And when Leanne walks in on the couple together, it throws their whole relationship into chaos.

Will Leanne put two and two together and realise her sister is having an affair with her ex?

Will Toyah go back to her husband when she realises she may not have the future she wants with Peter?

Will Toyah go back to her husband when she realises she may not have the future she wants with Peter?

Earlier, Toby tells her he wants to make another go of things

But is he the man Toyah really wants?

When Peter finds out about Toyah's secret struggle to have a baby, he begins to doubt whether he can trust her…

Peter goes for coffee with a glamorous taxi fare, Chloe

Is he up to his old tricks again?

When Leanne tries to sort out Toyah's love life by secretly replying to a text from 'Fred', knowing he's her secret lover, she'll be in for a shock when she sees Peter…

Will Leanne realise what's going on between Toyah and Peter? Watch Corrie on ITV from Monday, January 30

Returning Coronation Street actress Georgia Taylor tells Soaplife why she’s so happy to back on the cobbles

Georgia Taylor reveals just how big a decision it was to return to Corrie, but she has been loving playing Toyah again and reuniting with sis Jane Danson...

Are you enjoying being back in Corrie, Georgia? “It’s just fantastic to be back here. Playing Toyah Battersby again is very exciting, although there’s been a lot for me to take in.”

How long are you back for? “At least a year, so we’ll see how it goes. I have a base in Manchester, but my home is in Bristol. I don’t plan to relocate, but I’ll play it week by week and see how much I’m loving that M6 drive.”

Were there any times when you were asked to come back and you said ‘No’? “Never on a full-time basis. I was asked back for a couple of episodes for Les and Cilla’s wedding, so that shows you how long ago it was. I couldn’t do it because I was working on something else and, anyway, I always said if I came back it would be for a real reason and not just as a wedding guest or something.”

Have you watched old episodes to get back into Toyah’s character? “Yes… and it’s been horrendous! I didn’t recognise myself because I was so young, my voice was different and I looked different. But what was nice was seeing me and Jane Danson as Toyah and Leanne – two sisters who were so rough around the edges. That made me feel all nostalgic.”

How did you tell Jane you were coming back? “I messaged her and told her they’d asked me to return. She was delighted, but she also understood it was a massive decision to make, so she didn’t try and pressure me.”

Why was it such a big decision? “I’ve been a jobbing actress for 13 years and, when you’re in a show like Corrie, you’re committed. You can’t just go off doing other things. There isn’t the time. So it was, ‘Am I ready again to get myself in a position where I’m just in one job and just focused on one character?”

Did Jane help you make your mind up? "I was in contact with Jane the whole time. She was like my counsellor. Jane went away from Corrie a bit and came back again, so I knew she understood how it felt to make the decision to return. Jane has such a balanced view on things and she’s also one of my best friends. She was over the moon when I finally made the decision."

What’s the viewers’ reaction to Toyah being back? "It’s so positive. People are very nostalgic about the Battersbys. I was constantly being asked when I was coming back and now I’m here. It’s nice that people have cared enough to ask me that, but now I’ll get a break from that question!"

Toyah Battersby left Weatherfield 2003 to see the world. But now she’s back in the Street and she’s trailing an affair and a broken marriage behind her, Georgia Taylor tells Soaplife…

Toyah was meant to be entertaining her sister Leanne for Christmas… what goes wrong? “Leanne, Leanne’s fella, Nick, and their stepson, Simon, are supposed to be going to Toyah’s in Liverpool for Christmas. But before they set off, she arrives in Weatherfield, announcing that Christmas is off and so is her marriage!”

Why choose Christmas Day to drop this bombshell on her family? “Things haven’t been good with her husband for a while and I think Toyah invited Leanne and her family over in order to put a brave face on everything. But when she has a massive row with her husband on Christmas morning, she can’t pretend any longer and she ups and leaves.”

How does Toyah explain things to Leanne? “She reveals she’s been having an affair, but she doesn’t really elaborate at this stage. Toyah’s just relieved to be with her sister and to have the support.”

No clues as to who her lover might be? “Not at this stage. That’s something that will be revealed as time goes on…”

What about the Christmas dinner Toyah was supposed to be laying on? “Everyone ends up going to the Barlows. This isn’t exactly what Leanne and especially Nick would have wanted, but they don’t have much choice.”

Will Toyah be staying in Weatherfield for a while? “Yes. It’s interesting for her to be in the place where she grew up. Toyah’s at a real crossroads and she needs her sister’s support.”

What will she do for work? “She’s a trained counsellor, so I imagine she’ll find something in that line.”

Has Toyah changed much in the years she’s been away? “She’s been out in the world and met a variety of people, so that will affect how accepting she is of people. She’s more confident, because we all are as we get older. There are things that have happened in her relationship with her husband, which impact on the woman she’s become.”

Does Toyah still hold a grudge against Maria Connor for that time Maria had an affair with the college tutor Toyah was dating? “Oh yes. Toyah’s marked Maria’s card! She’s never forgotten it and she can’t let it go. It’s things like this that give a nod to the past and I’m very pleased about that.”

Toyah Battersby is back on Christmas Day, as a big part of the Coronation Street festive special – and more. Here, Georgia Taylor talks about the tricky decision to go back…

Sitting in Nick’s Bistro, Weatherfield’s alternative to a pint and pork scratchings in the Rovers, it’s time for a chat with Coronation Street’s Georgia Taylor, who has returned to the soap after a 14-year absence to bring back Toyah Battersby. Such fancy establishments weren’t around in Toyah’s day. The whole set, in fact the whole studio, is brand new to Georgia. Now 36, Georgia was a just 22 when she left the soap. Having arrived as a gobby, riotous teenager, she turned into a tree-hugging hippy with her on-screen love, Spider (Martin Hancock).

And now she’s back, turning up at stepsister Leanne’s flat on Christmas Day after an almighty bust-up with her husband. Since she left, Georgia has been a jobbing actress on everything from Law & Order: UK to Casualty, where she played Doctor Ruth Winters for four years and met her long-term boyfriend Mark Letheren, who she lives with in Bristol. Georgia talked to The Mirror about finding her feet on her return, the horrors of looking back at the early days, and comedy Christmas turkeys…

Was it terrifying to be back at first? “I’m kind of the new girl, but I’m kind of not. The first time I walked into the green room I saw Jennie McAlpine [Fiz], one of my best friends, so I had a cup of tea with her, and that helped. And it took half an hour to eat a sandwich, because people kept coming up and giving me hugs. There’s a lot to take in, we’re in a new studio and there are a lot of new faces.”

And you’re back as a part of the Christmas Day episode. So, no pressure… “I know how much importance they place on those kind of episodes. It’s a privilege to be part of it, but it’s not like I carry the whole episode, there are so many things going on.”

Have you been asked back before? “I was asked for a couple of episodes for Les and Cilla’s wedding. But I was working on something else and I’ve always said if I came back I’d want to commit to it and not just be a wedding guest. I wanted good storylines and a real reason to return.”

Was coming back a tricky decision? “It took me a few months. My heart said ‘yes’ and I was getting excited, but there was a lot to think about. People responded to Toyah first time around and I don’t want to mess that up and undo the good work I did. That still might happen, I suppose… Also, I’ve been a jobbing actress for 13 years and when you’re in a show like this you’re committed. So it was, ‘Am I ready to get myself in a position where I’m just in one job and focused on one character?’.”

Did you ask for advice from anyone? “I messaged Jane [Danson, who plays Leanne] straight away. She was delighted at the prospect, but she understood why it was a massive decision to make, so she wasn’t trying to emotionally blackmail me. She was like my counsellor. She’s got such a balanced view on things, and she’s also one of my best friends. When I made the decision she was over the moon.”

What did your boyfriend make of you going back to full-on soap stardom? “When I got the call I felt flattered but panicked, and he’s been really supportive. He’s an actor, we’ve had long periods of time with him away on tour, or working in New York, so it’s not alien for one of us to be away. Bristol will be my sanctuary, it’ll be good for me.”

Did you watch old footage of Toyah before you came back? “I did and it was horrendous. I’m not exaggerating, I don’t know how I lasted as long as I did. How did they not go, ‘She’s awful’? They nurtured me and gave me the benefit of the doubt. I hope I was a better actress when I left than when I arrived.”

What kind of reaction have you had about your big comeback? “People who’ve been messaging me have been positive. They’re nostalgic about the Battersbys and grew up with Toyah and Leanne causing mayhem. And it won’t be anything like back in the day. It was crazy. I just clung on to Jane then, the attention was insane.”

Has it been easy to slip back into character? “I’m still finding her. It would be ridiculous if I played her how I did when I left. I was just a baby. I want to see the massive contrast between her and Eva [Catherine Tyldesley, who plays Leanne’s half-sister]. She’s not as well put together as Eva.”

Coronation Street, ITV