Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Look who’s back to crimp Nick’s style..
Nat returns to Corrie after 10 years
CORRIE hairdresser Natasha Blakeman will make an explosive return to the cobbles after 10 years away.
The troubled character was last seen in 2010, when she left following an attempt to take her own life after three years in Weatherfield.
Now she’s coming back – much to the surprise of her old flame Nick Tilsley.
A chance encounter at the hospital with his ex-girlfriend will put extra strain on Nick and girlfriend Leanne Battersby’s already fragile relationship.
Actress Rachel Leskovac, 44, who plays Natasha, said: “I am very excited and proud to be welcomed back to Coronation Street, especially as so many old friends are still there. It’s always great to be able to return to a character to explore a whole new path for them.”
It is not known how long Rachel’s character will stay in Corrie for this time.
Her return will cause issues for Nick, played by Ben Price. She could be about to widen the rift between Nick and partner Leanne Battersby.
She began a relationship with Nick in 2010 but he dumped her. When she discovered she was pregnant with his child, he refused to take her back – so she had an abortion.
When Nick came round to the idea of fatherhood and asked her to take him back she did. She kept the news of the abortion secret until Gail found out and told a devastated Nick who left Natasha.
Broken-hearted Natasha took an overdose but was found by Nick. Shortly afterwards she left in the back of a cab.
The pair will bump into each other by chance this time.
A Coronation Street source said: “On a visit to hospital in the early autumn
Nick is surprised to see Natasha. The pair catch up on the news of the past decade, but Nick is reluctant to tell Leanne about the meeting. It could put an extra strain on their relationship.”
When Rachel left a decade ago, then-producer Phil Collinson said: “Rachel is a really talented actress who has been an asset to the show.”
Rachel has since appeared in Sky One sitcom Trollied, Channel 4 comedy drama Shameless and Jimmy Mcgovern drama series Accused. In 2015, she joined the cast of Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks but left the following year.