Toyah Battersby

[lizann]

georgia is returning

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz...odes-week.html

[Perdita]

Hold onto your hats - Toyah Battersby is making her comeback to Coronation Street.

Yep, Leanne's long departed sister will be returning to the soap this December for the first time in 13 years.

Toyah has been mentioned regularly on the soap since leaving Weatherfield in February 2003, but had yet to make a comeback - until now that is.

She left the cobbles after discovering that her college lecturer boyfriend had got her friend Maria pregnant... so we'd watch out there, Maria.

Actress Georgia Taylor will be returning to the role and will begin filming next month, and with Leanne pregnant with Steve McDonald's baby, the sisters certainly have a lot of catching up to do.

But viewers will have to wait and see what exactly brings 'Our Toyah' back to the cobbles...

"I am thrilled to be re-joining my old friends on the cobbles and hugely excited to be given the opportunity to explore the character of Toyah 13 years on," said Georgia.

"Coronation Street has always had a place in my heart and I'm delighted to be working again with my good friend Jane Danson and bringing the Battersby sisters back together.

"The script writers and producers have come up with some fantastic, clever, and detailed story-lines that have inspired me and I feel excited to get started!"

Producer Kate Oates said: "I am delighted that Georgia Taylor has agreed to return to the role of Toyah. She is a talented actress who has had great success since leaving the show in 2003.

"Family relationships are the lifeblood of soap operas and I am excited to explore the drama that Toyah will bring with her to the cobbles. She has led an interesting life away from Weatherfield and she has secrets she has kept even from Leanne.

"Her arrival this Christmas looks set to put the cat amongst the Coronation Street pigeons."

But will Leanne be glad to see the return of her sister? Well, Christmas is a time for family after all...

Digital Spy

[alan45]

..

[alan45]

Looks like you were correct

Hold onto your hats - Toyah Battersby is making her comeback to Coronation Street.
Yep, Leanne's long departed sister will be returning to the soap this December for the first time in 13 years.
Toyah has been mentioned regularly on the soap since leaving Weatherfield in February 2003, but had yet to make a comeback - until now that is.
She left the cobbles after discovering that her college lecturer boyfriend had got her friend Maria pregnant... so we'd watch out there, Maria.
Actress Georgia Taylor will be returning to the role and will begin filming next month, and with Leanne pregnant with Steve McDonald's baby, the sisters certainly have a lot of catching up to do.
But viewers will have to wait and see what exactly brings 'Our Toyah' back to the cobbles...
Toyah in Corrie
"I am thrilled to be re-joining my old friends on the cobbles and hugely excited to be given the opportunity to explore the character of Toyah 13 years on," said Georgia.
"Coronation Street has always had a place in my heart and I'm delighted to be working again with my good friend Jane Danson and bringing the Battersby sisters back together.
"The script writers and producers have come up with some fantastic, clever, and detailed story-lines that have inspired me and I feel excited to get started!"
But will Leanne be glad to see the return of her sister? Well, Christmas is a time for family after all...

[Perdita]

So this is happening.

We were already pretty excited about the upcoming returns of Peter Barlow, Adam Barlow, Daniel Osborne and Brian Packham, but today's news that Toyah Battersby will be joining the Weatherfield comeback craze is the icing on the cake.

Last seen in 2003, Toyah is one of Corrie's most fondly-remembered characters and was always right at the top of our wishlist for a big return. Here's our rundown of eight reasons why we can't wait to see her back.

1. She's old school Corrie


Toyah was first introduced to the cobbles in 1997 as part of a huge Corrie shake-up led by no-nonsense producer Brian Park. She joined as part of the four-strong Battersby clan, who made an immediate impact as Weatherfield's family from hell, giving the show a much-needed shake-up.

Fans were furious at first, with protests for the rowdy newcomers to be axed. And it wasn't just a storm in a teacup, either – with no Twitter back then, protests had to be loud to get attention.

Slowly but surely, though, viewers warmed to the Battersbys, with audiences growing to like the more mellow Toyah in particular.

Now seen as a key part of a memorable Corrie era, Toyah is once again being introduced during a major period of change for the show, with new boss Kate Oates aiming to take the soap back to its best. We don't think viewers will be blasting Our Toyah's first scenes this time...

2. Leanne needs someone to talk to


Toyah couldn't be returning at a better time for poor Leanne, who's currently pregnant with Steve McDonald's baby after a one-night stand. Sure, Leanne bravely confided in her boyfriend Nick Tilsley about the whole sorry mess, but he's hardly able to offer much in the way of impartial advice, is he?

Enter Toyah, who's sure to have a wise word or two for her stepsister. And they could even swap notes on the McDonald brothers. Do you remember how Toyah slept with Steve's twin brother Andy during her first stint on the cobbles?

3. She'll finally get to meet Eva the Diva


With Toyah gone, Leanne's main source of support in Weatherfield in the past few years has been her feisty half-sister Eva. In fairness, Eva is usually pretty good at getting Leanne through a crisis – when she's not too busy with her own troubles and the occasional diva outburst, that is.

But what will Toyah make of Eva and her dramas? Let's be honest, after growing up with the likes of Les and Janice, dealing with Eva should be a doddle. But there's still plenty of scope for the writers to explore some classic soapy tension between the pair – could Toyah put Eva's nose out of joint?

4. She has beef with Maria

When Toyah left the street, it's fair to say that Maria wasn't in her good books. Toyah's boyfriend John Arnley, a university tutor, had an affair with Maria and got her pregnant. Understandably miffed, Toyah decided to leave the Street for good once the truth about their betrayal was exposed.

13 years later, we're sure that all's forgiven and forgotten, right? Well, this storyline was actually one of the first things Corrie mentioned on their Toyah press release today, so it seems not. (And hats off to Corrie's continuity department for remembering.)

Whatever happens, we're sure Toyah will have something to say once it's revealed that Maria hasn't learned from her mistakes and has recently slept with unavailable Aidan. Although we have to say, we do feel a bit sorry for Maria and hope Toyah isn't too hard on her. Hasn't she got enough on her plate with crazy Caz at the moment?

5. She has connections to some Corrie classic characters

It seems like everyone is returning to Corrie right now, but could producer Kate Oates have some more shock comebacks up her sleeve?

We haven't heard any whispers that there are more to come, but the potential is definitely there if the writing room are having a slow day for ideas. Bringing back Janice and Les, even for a guest appearance, would make for a ratings-winning Battersby reunion (without the viewer outrage they sparked last time).

And what about Toyah's childhood sweetheart Spider – could he return from Peru to pay her a visit? Come on, Kate Oates, it's time to get on the phone to actor Martin Hancock if you haven't already...

6. She has a history of gritty storylines


Corrie's writers certainly put Toyah through the mill during her first stint on the Street. She was abducted, there was an underage sex plot (slightly less run-of-the-mill back in 1998), she went all-eco-warrior with Spider and she was also raped in one of Corrie's most controversial stories ever.

In truth, we're hoping it won't all be doom and gloom for Toyah, but it's clear that Georgia Taylor is more than equipped to take on a big headline-grabbing story.

And we don't think Georgia would have returned just for the pay cheque, either. In her announcement today, she's already revealed that it was the promise of big storylines that won her back. Of course, she was keeping tight-lipped for now, but watch this space for more gossip as we have it.

7. We'll finally be really excited about Corrie at Christmas


As much as we love Corrie, it's EastEnders that hogs the limelight at Christmas by airing big reveals, festive fallouts and the occasional murder. Corrie's Christmas can be dramatic too, but the show tends to hold back on its biggest treats until National Television Awards week in January.

But not any more! Corrie have confirmed that Toyah's return will air at Christmas, so the Yuletide dramas for the Mitchells and the Carters finally have a rival.

And let's not forget that Kate Oates previously hinted that a big development in Leanne and Steve's baby secret could air at Christmas this year. Could Toyah find herself thrown right into the centre of the drama? We hope so...

8. Leanne is stuck in Weatherfield now

Leanne is one of our favourite Corrie characters, so we hate it whenever she gets all huffy over some problem or other and threatens to move to Liverpool to be with Toyah (at least once every six months).

The prospect of a Leanne-less Corrie always frightens us, but now she doesn't have a sister in a nearby city to rely on for a speedy move, she's stuck in Weatherfield forever – hurrah!


Digital Spy

[lizann]

i predict a dalliance for her with peter or nick

[LouiseP]

So what happened to Maria's baby then ?

[Perdita]

So what happened to Maria's baby then ?

She had an abortion

[lizann]

https://www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbi...left-the-soap/

security stepped up on set as cast begin filming Toyah Battersby’s dramatic comeback

[lizann]

https://www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbi...left-the-soap/

security stepped up on set as cast begin filming Toyah Battersby’s dramatic comeback