In Praise of Eva Price

I have been loving Catherine Tyldesley's performances as Eva Price recently. She is such a breath of fresh air and having her back has made me realise how much I've missed both the character and the actress.

Eva is without a doubt the best thing to come out of the Price family. Do you remember the rest of them? Eva provides great comic relief and is the kind of character that fits in all over the street. She is great in the factory with the rest of the girls, she fits in well behind the bar of the Rovers bantering with the punters, she is a reliable if unlikely friend to Kylie and a terrific support to half sister Leanne.

Indeed Catherine's recent scenes with Jane Danson have been superb. Given how much Eva and Leanne disliked each other when they first met, it's lovely to see these characters bond over their difficult lives. I have found Leanne and Simon hard to watch during this recent storyline but Eva's return and direct involvement has added a very welcome extra dimension. Her support and care for Leanne has been fantastic to watch.

Of course Eva's love life is often at the centre of her storylines. I really liked her with Jason Grimshaw and it's a shame that won't happen now that actor Ryan Thomas is leaving. New factory boss Aidan Connor has been sniffing round and although if I was Eva I'd jump in feet first (as it were), I get the feeling he's a love 'em and leave 'em type of man so perhaps she's better off steering well clear of him. 

I love seeing Eva behind the bar of the Rovers. I know comparisons have been made with the classic Rovers barmaid Raquel. This is probably unfair to both Catherine Tyldesley and Sarah Lancashire. Raquel is an iconic character, one of Corrie's best ever and played by a fabulous actress who has gone on to great success since leaving Weatherfield behind. While there are similarities between Raquel and Eva I think Eva has enough strengths for her to stand out on her own as a great Corrie woman.

I'm glad the powers that be had faith in the character and kept Eva on after the rest of her family departed. Catherine Tyldesley has really come into her own over the past year and long may she continue to brighten up our trips to Weatherfield. 

You can follow me on Twitter @GraemeN82





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