Can it seriously be 10 years since Natasha's incredibly camp departure from Corrie? Double-crossed by Nick, and Gail, she flounced across the cobbles unleashing venomous diatribe to all and sundry, before leaving the cobbles in a taxi. As a fan of the show, Natasha still stands out as great femme fatale and something the show continues to do well.
Fast forward a decade, and as a Corrie superfan, I’m not only overjoyed that she is returning to the show, but unbelievably, I got a chance to chat with actress Rachel Leskovac for this very blog!
Q - Welcome back to Coronation Street! How are you settling in?
A - It’s been interesting adjusting and following strict rules, it’s felt like the first day, every day. At the minute I’m filming about once a week but today it doesn’t feel like it, so that’s a good thing!
Q - What’s it like stepping back into a character after 10 years, and have you watched back any of the old episodes?
A -I did look back at a few of the old episodes as 10 years is a long time and my memory is not great. A fan had put up a load of old clips together on Instagram of my last few episodes, and I loved watching those old interactions with Gail and in the factory, I had a lot of fun doing it. When it comes to reengaging with Natasha, however, I don’t think it was that beneficial as her life has changed so much. The ‘powers that be’ wanted her to come back as a stronger and independent woman.
Q- What has Natasha been up to in the last 10 years, and what makes her tick these days?
A - She’s still in the hairdressing business and runs a couple of salons and it's scripted that she’s looking to open a third, so she’s a good businesswoman. She’s good at her job and has thrown all of her efforts into that. initially, all we see of her is the fact that it’s just been her and her son. She’s not kept Nick a secret from him, he was just too young. However, he’s not at an age where he’s questioning who his Dad is and she’s trying to be open about it. We have a lot of blended families these days so it’s quite a common storyline. It wasn’t an intentional secret for Natasha though.
Q - Is Natasha coming back to get together with Nick?
A - No. I was relieved when I got the call, I wondered if she was coming back to steal someone’s man because you see that quite often in character returns but luckily it’s a story that has a bit more depth than that.
Q - Were you shocked when you got a call to return to Corrie?
A - I think so. Because of the exit, I always thought the door was left open to return and they contacted me a couple of times at least over the last few years, they checked my availability and interests but it never materialised for one reason or another. It’s nice to know that they have actively been trying to bring her back. When you join a soap unless you came with a family, you are on the periphery, which is fine but it does come with some uncertainty. To come back with Nick’s son is just brilliant.
Q - Why has she kept Sam (her son) a secret from Nick for all this time?
A - I’ve not been told the reasoning but I don’t think she’s purposely kept this a secret. She always knew she was going to tell her son who his Dad was when the time came, it was just a case of her telling Nick. I think given the fact that when she left, he had no intention of a relationship with her and still had feelings for Leanne, she was devastated about the abortion and the emotional attachment to him so didn’t want to deal with it. Fans on Twitter have speculated that she’s back to break up Nick and Leanne but that’s not the case at all!!
Q- How does Leanne feel then when she finds Natasha back on the scene?
A - Initially Leanne is very suspicious of Sam being Nick’s son and Natasha’s intentions but Natasha is now a parent as well, so she sympathises with Leanne and it becomes a Mother to Mother understanding. When Nick feels that the time is right, she wants him to be a full-time father to Sam, and for keeps, but the timing may be a bit difficult.
Welcome back, Natasha! I cant wait to see how this story develops.
Rachel also disclosed that she’s just done some filming with Helen Worth (aka Gail Platt), so we’ve also got that to look forward to!
Keep your eyes peeled on the Corrie blog as I also chatted Ben Price about how Nick will cope with Oliver’s illness and to Jack P Shepherd about David Platt’s 21 years on the street!
All to come this week.
I’m @rybazoxo your cobbles connoisseur and Wednesday episode reviewer
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