Top 25 Favourite Corrie Females - No. 20

20. LEANNE TILSLEY (160 VOTES)

Duration: 1997-2000, 2004-
Played by: Jane Danson
2012 character poll position (men): 16

First introduced as the eldest of the Battersby girls who caused mayhem when they moved into 5 Coronation Street.

Soon after moving into the street she fell for Nick Tilsley, much to the disapproval of his mother Gail who morphed into Ivy Tilsley! The teenagers eloped to Gretna Green in 1998 and Leanne became Rita Sullivan’s assistant at the Kabin. Young love wasn’t what it cracked up to be and when Leanne discovered she was pregnant, Nick told her to abort the baby. This led them to divorce and Nick left for Canada. Leanne then became a barmaid at the Rovers. But after getting involved with drug dealer Jez Quigley, she left the street for Amsterdam.

After a four year hiatus, Leanne was back on our screens when dad Les found her as a belly-dancer. After causing trouble for ex Nick and his girlfriend Maria Sutherland, Leanne began a relationship with Jamie Baldwin. She then had an affair with his dad Danny. Jamie dumped her and then she embarked on a short relationship with Danny before leaving for Spain.

When she returned she harboured a secret that she was prostitute. She later left the profession and opened a restaurant with Paul Clayton. But with business failing, she decided the best thing to do was torch the place to get the insurance money. She manipulated Paul to do the deed and he later fled to avoid prosecution.

Leanne then went on to have a relationship with Peter Barlow and became a much needed mother figure to his son Simon. Peter’s alcoholism caused problems in the relationship. Leanne sought solace in Nick and they embarked on an affair. After the tram crash, Leanne and Peter married in hospital. Peter found out about the affair and their marriage ended. Leanne then went on to fight Peter for custody of Simon, which she eventually won. 

Leanne had become manager at Nick’s newly opened bistro and in 2012 they embarked on a relationship and they eventually remarried. But when Nick suffered a brain injury it caused the marriage to be strained and they also divorced. 

Leanne went on to have a relationship with Kal Nazir in 2014 but when they had just become engaged he died in a fire in Victoria Court. In 2015, Leanne became a victim of domestic abuse at the hands of Simon. 

A fan of Leanne?

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My Current Corrie Highs and Lows

I haven't done this in quite a while and I always find it quite a therapeutic experience so here goes...

Let's start off with some positives - the things I'm really enjoying in Coronation Street at the moment.

After worrying a lot about the Ken and Audrey storyline I've actually quite taken to the idea. To a certain extent I buy into Stuart Blackburn's notion that widowed men move on and find new partners quite quickly following the loss of a loved one. It does seem soon after the death of Deirdre but of course perhaps my judgement is skewed because we lost Anne Kirkbride in real life too. Apart from Ken and Audrey living cheek by jowl for decades without the slightest hint of an interest, I think a companionship storyline could work well if done properly.

Another thing I've changed my mind on is the character of Erica. For a long time I just couldn't see the point of her and I didn't buy the relationship with Nick at all. Recent scenes with Dev and particularly with Liz have changed my opinion. Liz needs a friend around her own age and Erica fits well. The two actresses obviously get on and there is good chemistry between the pair so I'm glad Erica is sticking around. I still think Nessa would be better behind the Corner Shop counter mind you...

I must also praise the Nazir family. I wasn't sure of them for a long while, but Alya's recent grimness aside, I've warmed to them. Sharif is still my least favourite of the bunch but I think Yasmeen, Alya and Zeedan have really come into their own following the demise of Kal. I didn't like Kal at all so perhaps this has something to do with it. Shelley King has really done well as Yasmeen and I'd like to see the softer side of Zeedan more often - his scenes with Leanne were superb.

Believe it or not, I actually quite like the new Connors. I think Kate in particular has the potential for a great Corrie character. She's fresh, sparky and full of life. Let's hope life in Weatherfield doesn't trample too much on these excellent qualities. She has also struck up a lovely friendship with Kirk which is surprising but rather touching. Johnny Connor fits into the classic Mike Baldwin mode and I like Richard Hawley's work so far. I've said before that I'm also a fan of Shayne Ward as Aidan (and not just because of those lovely tight shirts he always seems to be wearing). I know it feels like another deluge of characters but so far, so good.

I have also loved seeing Eva Price return to our screens. Catherine Tyldesley is an absolute joy and her relationship with half sister Leanne is both real and touching. It has added an extra dimension to the simmering Simon storyline and it's great to see Eva support her sister in this way.

Finally, I must say how much I've enjoyed the recent scenes featuring Craig and his new girlfriend Caitlin. Colson Smith is such a fantastic young actor and I love that he's had a lot more screen time this year. It's nice to see him get a girlfriend and for the Street to show a responsible young couple for a change. They are a pairing I will always root for.

Now, for the lows. As always, Corrie can't please me all the time and there are a few niggles for me to share.

To begin, I am heartily sick of all the drama at the Platt house. They have dominated our screens for the entire year and I think the powers that be are in danger of wearing these characters out. The Callum saga was dreadful and it shows no signs of coming to an end even now he's dead. I just couldn't give a monkeys what happens to them all. Bringing Sarah and Bethany back hasn't worked for me either. I really do think all these characters need to be rested in the Corrie Cupboard for a while but I don't see that happening.

I'm sorry to say this but I also don't think the latest misery to befall Tyrone and Fiz is working either. I will always have a soft spot for Tyrone - Alan Halsall plays him superbly and I can't imagine Corrie without him. I have totally gone off Fiz though. She's such a nagging, annoying piece of work these days, meddling in everyone's business. I don't like the Hope storyline and despite the serious nature of it all, I just don't believe in it. 

Another thing I have a problem with is Tracy Barlow. What happened to all that remorse she felt for causing the deaths of Kal and Maddie and allowing Carla to carry all that guilt? Hadn't Robert persuaded her to turn over a new leaf? Hadn't the loss of Deirdre made Tracy see life differently? No, apparently that storyline has hit the floor like a pair of Underworld knickers with a dodgy gusset. Tracy is back in full spiteful nasty b*tch mode and the whole act is wearing thin. If even the death of her own mother can't change her then clearly the character is beyond salvation and it's time for her to toddle off. 

And now for some minor grumbles... 

Why does Anna Windass have to be such a shrew all the time? She's nasty and mean spirited. Who's idea was it to put Carla with Nick? In reality she'd have chewed him up and spat him out a long time ago. Sophie Webster as a business woman, strutting about that garage forecourt? Sigh. And I don't get Sean and Billy the vicar at all. Finally, can someone explain the point of the following characters: Izzy, Todd, Norris, Andy, Sinead and Chesney? Just what do they add?

I think that's enough to be going on with! On the whole, I do think Corrie is in a better state at present than it has been in quite some time. I may live to eat my words though...


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Deirdre: A Life on Coronation Street - official ITV tribute to a soap icon. Available here.

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Midweek Musings

Last night I caught up with Monday evening's Coronation Street which focused on Dan Dan the Brewery Man's drunken revenge on Leanne and Liz. Apart from the fact I love Liz, I think Leanne is a great character and Dan was in Bugsy Malone as a child actor, the whole thing bored me rigid. 

I thought the whole denouement was very tired and it felt like we'd been there many times before. I also thought it was a deeply unpleasant, nasty element to reveal to Simon about Leanne's past. It wasn't an easy watch. As with many aspects of Corrie these days, we also knew in advance what the outcome would be. I do think the decision to explore a domestic violence storyline between Leanne and Simon is an interesting direction to go in however how much more pain and suffering can they inflict on either character? As an aside I thought the scene in the kebab shop with Chesney, Lloyd and Andrea was woeful and wooden. 

Anyway, my main point regarding this latest explosive storyline is the pacing. In my mind Coronation Street has two major issues at the moment with the way storylines are paced out across episodes. As with Jenny's balcony breakdown several weeks before, Dan's siege in the kebab shop flat dragged on across too many scenes and episodes. I don't understand why it is planned that way as the pacing was like swimming through concrete. All dramatic tension was lost as we broke away from scenes of Dan stomping on Leanne's phone to Ken enjoying a bit of stuffed marrow chez Barlow. 

By cutting away so many times it prolongs everything but not for the better. It ends up feeling all bloated and sluggish. At the same time, some stories appear and disappear almost within the same episode - Luke's t-shirt fiasco springs to mind. However, in that case I'm quite glad that one did vanish without a trace.

As with many Corrie storylines these days, the after effects of the supposedly ratings grabbing scenes are far more enjoyable. Tonight's Corrie showed that again, with both Beverley Callard and Jane Danson on top form.

Before people start saying I'm nitpicking and I'm never happy, there are some aspects of Corrie I'm loving at the moment. I think Tristan Gemmill is a great addition as Robert Preston Mark II. I know there is a secret wife lurking and it's a given he'll end up as Bistro chef, but I think it is bringing out a different dimension in Tracy and I'm all for that. I also love the friendship between Tracy and Beth. Beth brings another side to Tracy and it rights a very common wrong in Corrie - nobody has any friends!

It was also lovely to see scenes between Ken and Emily the other week. Emily is normally only seen with Rita and/or Norris so it was a treat to see Corrie's two longest serving actors together. Also, although I have found Carla's descent into yet another addiction deeply tiresome and unbelievable, it did give us several cracking scenes between Alison King and David Neilson. Two of my favourite Corrie actors who have developed a wonderful odd couple friendship on screen. It was so touching to see Roy demonstrate how much he cares about Carla.

On a final, less positive note can the writers please stop making Gail a comedy drip of a character? I find it loathsome and cringemaking to watch. Gail, although always being flawed, used to have a spine, run her own business and Helen Worth used to portray her as a character the viewing audience could root for, whether it be her battles with Ivy, her troubles with Brian, Martin or Richard or her dreadful children. 

These days she's restricted to a twittery damp squib. It is so important for Corrie to depict strong, mature women and Gail is one of the few middle aged women in the programme with proper history, so please ITV, don't waste it.

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Pics: Kal strips off in The Bistro - and kisses Leanne

In next week's Coronation Street, it's stripper night at The Bistro. 

Leanne's booked a male stripper for a hen night in the Bistro but she's furious when he cancels on her. Under pressure, Kal agrees to step into the role and Leanne can't help but cast quick glances at his six-pack. When they're alone, Leanne helps undo his bow tie.


As Kal and Leanne fall for each other, they decide to tell Nick about their feelings for each other but Nick clearly thinks he and Leanne are getting back together Before Kal can say anything, Nick tells him he plans to get back with Leanne.

As Leanne psyches herself up, will Nick's bombshell stop her in her tracks? Leanne feels terrible when Nick tells her he can't live without her. He kisses her and leaves. He later confides in Kal that he hopes Leanne will take him back. Desperate to spare his feelings, will Leanne tell him how she feels about Kal or lead him to believe he has a chance?

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The faces of Corrie in 2011

If you remember, last year I had a series of posts looking at the top 12 faces of each Corrie decade - the 1960s, the 1970s, the 1980s, the 1990s and the 2000s. For the next few weeks or so, I’ll be looking at the top 12 faces of each year between 1960 and 2013.

With thanks to Corriepedia for the information.

In 2011, 263 episodes were broadcast.

1. Becky McDonald (151 episodes)
2. Steve McDonald (151 episodes)
3. Sean Tully (142 episodes)
4. Carla Connor (136 episodes)
5. Tina McIntyre (133 episodes)
6. Sally Webster (131 episodes)
7. Lloyd Mullaney (128 episodes)
8. Peter Barlow (120 episodes)
9. Tracy Barlow (120 episodes)
10. Fiz Stape (118 episodes)
11. Julie Carp (116 episodes)
12. Leanne Barlow (115 episodes)

Average age: 37

Note: This is the last time, to date, that Becky appears in the top 12

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Top 50 Corrie Couples - No. 14

14. Peter Barlow and Leanne Battersby/Barlow 2008-2012 (98 votes)

Their relationship began when Leanne helped struggling father Peter to look after his son Simon and took a shine to both of them. However, their relationship hit a snag when Peter developed a drinking problem and had to attend rehab. But Leanne was angry to learn that he had a fling while away. Leanne left for Leeds but returned a few months later and they rekindled their relationship and decided to open a new bar under the viaduct. But while the bar was being built, Peter’s alcoholism returned and the plans were scrapped.  But despite this, the relationship survived and they became engaged. Nick Tilsley then returned to the street and was interested in opening a bar under the viaduct and Peter encouraged Leanne to enter into a partnership with Nick.

While Leanne was busy with the bar, Peter was seeking help from Carla Connor with his drinking problem. Carla made a pass at Peter, and despite being tempted, he remained loyal to Leanne. However, Leanne was embarking on an affair with Nick. Nick begged Leanne not to marry Peter, but Leanne went on to plan to marry Peter. But tragedy struck when a gas fault led to the bar to explode and a tram ran onto the street. Peter, Nick and Ashley were under the rubble. Ashley perished while Peter’s life hung in the balance. Peter and Leanne had a deathbed wedding but Peter recovered but was temporarily paralyzed. They later planned to have a blessing on Valentine’s Day. But Nick was determined to quash the Barlow marriage and manipulated Peter to start drinking again. Peter eventually found out about the affair and exposed it at the blessing and announced they were divorcing but they later reunited. 

Later in the year, Peter started seeing Carla again and when she was raped by boyfriend Frank Foster, Peter was there for her and they began an affair but during Frank’s trial, Peter had to confess under oath about the affair. The Barlow marriage was over and Carla moved in with Peter.

Over the next few months, Peter and Leanne would have a fierce custody battle for Simon but Leanne won custody. Since, they have been on friendly terms and Leanne has remarried Nick.

Were you fans of Peter and Leanne? Should they reunite? Should they be at 14?

Check out who was at 15.

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What do we think of Corrie's Kal so far?

Kal Nazir has now been on our screens for a good few weeks so I thought I would ask the question - what do you think of him so far?

So far we've seen Kal bond with Dev and attempt to help Nick through his current difficulties. We've also seen him attract the attentions of Stella and Come to Deirdre, although I'm sure I'm not the only one who sees the beginnings of a spark with the newly separated Leanne. 

The Corrie writers have done a good job of involving Kal with the Corrie community and now a new gym is planned, that's bound to continue. Really though, can you see the likes of Kirk and Beth pounding the treadmills?

Some might say that Kal has been presented as an overly cheerful character, although we do know he is a widower with children so there is bound to be drama to be had there. We also know that the rest of the Nazirs will be introduced gradually this year and it will be interesting to see how Corrie handles their first Muslim family. 

I must confess I am slightly biased in my opinions where Kal is concerned as I've always had a soft spot for actor Jimi Mistry. 

However, I'm interested in your views. Do you like what you've seen so far? Are you looking forward to seeing the rest of his family onscreen? And who on the street do you think Kal should be partnered off with?

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What will be Corrie's next big storyline?

I'm sure we're all dreading next Monday evening. Coronation Street is about to lose one of its most normal, thoroughly decent, thoughtful characters of recent years. The moral centre of Weatherfield is about to be seriously depleted. We all know Hayley is leaving us once and for all and we've known it for some time. It just doesn't get any easier.

Certainly the next few days at least will be dominated, quite rightly, with praise for Roy and Hayley's storyline and the actors involved. However, what of Corrie once this long running, heartrending story is over? I know the effects of Hayley's death on Roy will continue on screen for some time to come and that will be painful and yet impossible not to watch. 

But what of Corrie as a whole, what will be the next big attention grabber?

The Platt family have dominated screen time for well over a year now and although David and Kylie are back together (remarkably quickly given the depths to which they both sank), Nick and Leanne are still in a pit of despair. Jane Danson is always superb but I for one have reached my limit when it comes to her stomping moodily through the Bistro. Stella is also doing her interfering mother bit again, she'll obviously never learn. And as for Gloria and her acidic little remarks, one can only hope someone's fist eventually lodges itself in her irritating clack.

The Windass crew are also rather worryingly gathering once again in their mismatched new build living room, primed for another drawn out storyline. Viewers across the land will wither faster than the cash leaves Owen's bank account. We all know how this tedium will end. Katy was particularly spiteful and annoying to Anna the other evening. I'm not quite sure what she knows about anything really, but it didn't stop her sticking her oar in. Spiteful and thick - a menacing combination if ever there was one. 

Amidst this new Windass tale, the viewers are left to ponder whatever happened to the Faye/Grace/Simon bullying story. It was commendable in what it set out to do, however Grace seems to have vanished and Faye is back to sitting poutily on Anna's horrible couch as if nothing had happened. Some follow up on this would have been good, however sadly it all seems to have petered out...

Which, strangely enough, brings me to Peter Barlow. He's been skulking about in the background since Tina left, rather like a well-groomed, tattooed skunk. It's been lovely to have a break from Tina - I wonder what she's up to in that London. Anyway, she's bound to career herself back into Peter's arms before too long. Cue much wretching in our household. I hope Rita gives her short shrift when she does return - the least Tina could have done was say goodbye before she fled into the night. 

Another thing I don't understand is how upset Liz was when Tina departed. Never mind Tina, Liz should be round at number 1, sharing more scenes with "Come to Deirdre".

So I think the next big attention grabber will be the fallout from Tina and Peter's affair and Tina's subsequent demise. The only good thing about this as far as I can see is the prospect of more screen time for the fantastic Alison King. She has played a blinder throughout Hayley's farewell and Carla is now a much more rounded character. 

I'm preparing myself for more of Michelle, Dev dancing round Stella like a school boy and toxic Todd leering over Marcus like the snake in the Jungle Book. I might take myself off to Youtube to be in the company of Annie, Elsie and Hilda while all that plays out. I do hope we find out exactly why Todd has turned into such nasty, unbearable creep and that the subsequent revelation softens him a great deal. At the moment I've had more than enough already.

So what do you think will dominate Coronation Street over the next few months? 


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Favourite Corrie couples - third poll

Hello all! Now, I hope you voted in the first poll of ten because that is now officially closed. But you have until midnight next Monday (18th November) to vote for two of your favourite couples in the second poll.

 

So, who's in our third poll?

 

Bert and Ivy Tilsley (1979-1983) – During the four years that we saw the senior Tilsleys’ marriage on our screens, it was Ivy’s hatred and judgement of daughter in law Gail as a wife, mother and as an Anglican that dominated storylines. Poor Bert had to be a referee between the two women and regularly escaped to the Rovers. Bert was also unemployed for most of his time on screen and this was a constant thread in their marriage. Bert died in 1984.

 

Alan Bradley and Rita Fairclough (1986-1989) – Poor Rita had no idea of the trauma she’d go through when she fell for foster daughter Jenny’s dad Alan. What began as two lonely middle aged people falling in love ended up with Alan cheating on, lying to, stealing from, manipulating and trying to kill Rita. It was a storyline that gripped the nation in the late 80s and ended with Alan being run by a tram in Blackpool.

 

Peter Barlow and Leanne Battersby/Barlow (2008-2012) - Their relationship began when Leanne helped struggling father Peter to look after his son Simon. Their colourful pasts leads to a tempestuous relationship with break-ups and reconciliation the norm. Peter’s alcoholism also causes problems. Both are unfaithful to each other: Leanne had an affair with ex Nick and then Peter had an affair with Carla.

 

Steve McDonald and Karen Phillips/McDonald (2001-2004) – Unlike other married couples, Steve and Karen ended up at the altar thanks to a bet. But by then, they had already fallen in love. But they also had problems: Steve had a one night stand with Tracy Barlow and Karen had an affair with Joe Carter. They reunited and Karen sought a divorce so she could have her dream white wedding. They remarried but the wedding was dampened when Tracy announced that Steve was the father of her daughter Amy! The second marriage was burdened by Karen and Tracy’s feud and Karen suffering a miscarriage. Karen left the street on Christmas Day and the McDonalds divorced in 2006.

 

Brian Packham and Julie Carp (2010-2013) – Reminiscent of Derek and Mavis, Brian and Julie’s first attempt at a relationship was sabotaged by John Stape when he contacted Brian’s estranged wife. Brian and his wife Margaret reunite but Brian returns in 2011 – his marriage over and wanting to retry with Julie and she happily accepts. In 2012, Julie discovered she was pregnant but she actually has a growth and has to remove her ovaries, dashing her hopes of being a biological mother. Julie has since been interested in fostering but Brian is not so keen. They complement themselves as a couple.

 

So which two of those five are your favourites? Well vote, vote, vote!

Voting closes on Monday, 25th November.
 

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Sharing a coke with Leanne and Peter

With full credit to Coronation Street fan @sheldakenji13 on twitter for posting this fab picture.    They should sell them in the Rovers Return.

 

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Karl threatens to kill Leanne

There's a good interview with Jane Danson, who plays Leanne Barlow on Coronation Street, over at Digital Spy today.

The interview's in two parts.  The first part Jane talks about the upcoming storyline for Leanne when she finds out that mum Stella and Karl are not only back together again, but that Karl's proposed to her.  Stella's going to find herself stuck for cash to keep the Rovers going as she can't afford to pay Owen. So she asks Leanne for the loan of the money and Leanne agrees - on condition that Stella bins Karl.

Karl, as you might imagine, doesn't take this news well and threatens Leanne.

The second part of the interview Jane reveals what it's like working with Chris Gascoyne, who plays Peter Barlow and she also tells us a little bit about the new Rovers Return set:  "There's a new photograph of Betty on the wall, and the style of the pub isn't too dissimilar from what it was before. The layout is the same, but the design is a bit different."

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Christmas wedding for Corrie couple

In Coronation Street producer Phil Collinson's interview with Digital Spy, which we blogged here, he revealed there'll be a wedding for Nick and Leanne, says the fab Inside Soap magazine this week.

Inside Soap quotes Phil saying in the interview: "There's going to be a wedding at Christmas, but will it go ahead? I'm not sue whether it will or not! That will obviously coincide with Peter's return  I find the Peter, Carla, Nick and Leanne 'love square' really fascinating, and I love all four of those characters. So they'll feature in a big story for us over Christmas and into the New Year."

You might remember that Leanne and Nick have already been married - and divorced. Should they get married again? What do you think?

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Video: Jane Danson on climax of Corrie custody battle

Jane Danson, who plays Leanne Barlow on Coronation Street, was interviewed on ITV's Daybreak this week.  She talks about the climax of the custody battle over Simon and what Peter might have done with him and where he's taken him.

The end of the story comes soon when Peter and Carla leave Coronation Street - for a few months anyway - and what impact this has on little Simon..

Jane says that Leanne really does love Simon and waves hello to her own two sons and her husband Robert Beck who played Tony Gordon's henchman on Corrie.

Jane's been on Coronation Street since 1997 and talks about her first day on the Street as an 18 year old. She says it's been life-changing, magical and all four who have played the Battersby family have stayed in touch away from the soap.

She admits she does hanker after playing other roles but says "Why would I want to be elsewhere?" with the great storylines she gets on Corrie.

Watch the video interview here and for those overseas, it's on YouTube too.

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Love the one you're with, Leanne

There's a song about that sort of thing. If you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with - and I think that's exactly what Leanne is doing. She's the love of Nick's life. Is he the love of hers?

I don't think so and it's got nothing to do with him "always" wanting to be a dad. Yes, I know you've all been hollering about the rewriting of that little piece of history.  But maybe that's not why he said it. Here's what I think about it. Maybe he didn't really mean it literally. What do you think?


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When Corrie gets it wrong

See also: The truth about Leanne and Corrie's nasty Nick

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Jane Danson wants Toyah to return to Corrie

There's a long interview with Jane Danson, who plays Leanne Barlow, over at Digital Spy today. It's one of those interviews with lots of words in it - but it doesn't manage to say very much. To be fair, it's a promotional piece for Leanne's Coronation Street storyline.  Nick and Leanne get back together. Peter's not happy. Eva's not happy. Staple soap fare. 

There were a couple of things however that this fan did find interesting. One is that because Leanne and Nick are getting back together, this means more interaction between Leanne and Gail. Jane Danson says it's the first time she's had regular interaction with Helen Worth, who plays Gail, in about 10 years!

And there was yet another mention of Leanne's step-sister Toyah Battersby, played by Georgia Taylor.

Jane was asked: "Georgia Taylor, who played Toyah Battersby, left Casualty last year. Do you hold out hope that she could return to Corrie one day?"

And she replied: "Always! We're such great friends and always have been. As an actor, I'm sure she's keen to explore other things. But if the opportunity came up and it was the right time, I'd be really hopeful that she would say yes. Hopefully one day - I'd just like Leanne to have somebody around who would be really on her side 100% of the time! From my point of view, it would be fantastic." And from my point of view too.

Should Toyah return to Corrie? The campaign to get her back starts here!

See also: Georgia Taylor wants Toyah to return to Corrie

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Character Study: Leanne Anneke Battersby Tilsley Barlow

Simon is recovering from his own battle with a bottle and Leanne and Peter are continuing to battle over custody. Will this crisis be the one that makes Peter realize how much Simon is suffering? Leanne is fighting ferociously for the lad. One thing you can say about Leanne, she's never been afraid of a fight.

Leanne has been on our Corrie screens on and off since 1997 and she's never been a boring character. In the past, she never quite got the hang of being satisfied with what she's got and she still seems to lurch from pillar to post, looking for stability. She's tough, she's a survivor, and she has the makings of one of the classic Corrie women of steel.

I've written a character study about her over here.

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Some thoughts on last night's Corrie

Leanne always seems to end up back at Nick's door. Nick still has that soft spot for her and he wants to be her friend and confidant. He'd take her back in a minute and if she's been knocked back yet again, she could end up back in his arms, too. You can still see that longing in his eyes, can't you?

It can't have been the weekend, Dev picked up the kids from school. But Rick and his thugs managed to stomp all over the garage and beat the crap out of Tommy. Where was Tyrone? Kevin? And all that screaming out of Tina, did nobody hear it through the wall of the Kabin or from outside that thin metal door?

Someone please put an end to this appalling Karl and Stella thing. Please. Or at least let Dev get a clue.

It looks like Kirsty's actually making friends and fitting in with the girls in the factory. I like that she stood up to Carla and encouraged the strike on Eileen's behalf. Carla might just have met her match if she doesn't sack Kirsty first. But it had better be for a good reason or Kirsty will have her up in front of a tribunal. I don't understand why nobody else has in the past, not just Carla but many of the Underworld bosses have sacked folk for very little reason. One or two have threated action but most have always got their jobs back but it's a very real concern. You don't even hear most of the sackees threaten it as a rule.

Missing persons/characters in the cupboard:

Does Hayley still work in the factory? If they were a machinist down, where was she?
Where's Sylvia?
Chesney and Katy and the baby?
Things seem quiet on the Salon front. Is all forgiven?

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Top 60 Corrie Characters - Nos. 26 and 25

26. Sophie Webster 1994- (68 votes)

The youngest daughter of Kevin and Sally and since Brooke Vincent took up the role in 2004 Sophie has become her own character. She’s pretended to be pregnant, converted to Christianity and became the first lesbian character on Corrie. She’s portrayed as strong-willed, determined and expresses sarcasm towards her parents, her sister Rosie, busybody Norris and employer Dev. After dating Ben Richardson, she discovered her true sexuality when she fell for best friend Sian Powers in 2010. They became engaged and planned to marry in 2011 but Sophie had cold feet following her attraction to Amber Kalirai. Sian left the street and since then Sophie seems lost, especially since Rosie left for London earlier this year.

Should Sophie be at 26? Are you a fan? Leave a comment!

25. Leanne Barlow (known as Battersby) 1997-2000, 2004- (72 votes)

She’s blossomed from a terrible teen into a responsible mother. Part of the hellish Battersby clan, she’s now become a Street favourite. She’s been married to Nick Tilsley and is now married to Peter Barlow. Her storylines over the years have included having a forced abortion, becoming a drug addict, working as a belly dancer, becoming an escort that inevitably led to client Paul Connor’s death, trying to help boyfriend and later hubby Peter to fight alcoholism and having an affair with ex-husband Nick. As well as Nick and Peter, Leanne’s conquests include Vikram Desai, Jamie Baldwin, Danny Baldwin, Liam Connor and Dan Mason.

Should Leanne be at 25? Are you a fan? Leave a comment!

Check out who's at 28 and 27.

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Very Big Issues

On Friday so many big issues were on the Street. To mention one, there was the issue of child custody as Peter told the counsellor that all Leanne wanted to do was punish him by applying for custody of Simon. Maybe, just maybe there is some truth in this claim, but Leanne fired back with the superb retort that Peter leads an 'erratic and unstable' lifestyle and at the moment it would be hard to refute such a statement.

Then of course there was the issue of Anna, refusing to be bought by Owen and her proud declaration that she is 'not for sale.'

Gambling, debt and broken relationships were in there as was the great likelihood of an extra marital affair. Sunita's attraction to Karl is unmissable.

On a lighter note it was good to see Sylvia loosen up, thanks to the sherry and turn herself into a gossip bank. As she said, Karl certainly was getting 'what for' and it seems unlikely Stella will welcome him back any time soon.
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