Eva gives birth in a bathroom!
TOYAH GETS HER LITTLE ONE AT LAST – BUT IS IT A DONE DEAL?
This is the heartbreaking moment when Eva cradles her newborn baby – before having to say a tearful goodbye and hand the little one over to Toyah!
The secret surrogacy pact struck by the two women suddenly becomes a reality this week, after Eva goes into premature labour while trapped in the bathroom of her hideaway cottage – with Toyah forced to step in as midwife.
“Toyah hears Eva’s screams that the baby is coming – but unfortunately the handle to the bathroom door has fallen off and Eva is locked inside!” explains actress Georgia Taylor, who plays Toyah. “Toyah smashes the hell out of the door because she wants to make sure Eva is okay – and ends up delivering the baby. It took me back to my days on Casualty [in which Georgia played Dr Ruth Winters], as that kind of thing happened all the time!”
The drama unfolds as Eva remains at a secret location in Lymm, so that she can give birth away from cobbles and enable Toyah to pass off her baby as the child she and Peter were meant to receive from their original surrogate, Jacqui. Eva’s family and friends think she is away on a beauty course – while Toyah remains stationed at the Rovers, video-calling
Eva so that she can check in on her.
“The plan is crazy, and it doesn’t seem like it’ll ever work – but Toyah and Eva are too far down the line to back out,” sighs Georgia. “What’s interesting is that if Toyah were counselling a friend of hers, she’d strongly advise against it! However, she is so vulnerable and desperate for a child that her rationality has been overruled, and her heart is leading her head.”
“The plan is crazy, but Toyah and Eva can’t back out now”
It’s through a video session with Eva that Toyah begins to notice that she is unwell, and decides to head over to the cottage. But when teen terror Simon and his pals steal Toyah’s car keys, it delays her in getting to Eva, who is already in labour as Toyah arrives.
“There’s a real dramatic currency to the moment that Toyah is literally on her knees to receive this baby from Eva,” shares Georgia. “As terrified as she is, Toyah knows there is no one else there to help them and she needs to get on with it. Ultimately she is trying to save her child’s life.”
With Toyah’s help, brave
Eva gives birth to a little girl and is rushed to hospital – where reality quickly sets in. She is desperate to avoid holding her daughter, to make the handover to Toyah as painless as possible. However, after Toyah leaves the baby and new mum alone, Eva has no choice but to pick up the baby – and clearly feels conflicted about her decision.
“When Toyah leaves the hospital, she is on cloud nine,” says Georgia. “At this point she believes the plan is going to work, and everything will be perfect. Toyah is so in love with this baby that she doesn’t worry for a second that Eva will go back on the deal.”
Eva’s misgivings grow as a hospital photographer swings by the ward and asks if she’d like a picture with her daughter. Toyah is relieved when Eva declines – but will her emotions get the better of her as she wrestles with her conscience?
Meanwhile, Toyah is busy spinning Peter a yarn as she tells him that their surrogate – whom he still believes is Jacqui – has gone into labour.
“She comes up with a plan to cover her back,” reveals Georgia. “It’s so far-fetched that there’s a chance Peter won’t buy it, but he’s overwhelmed and he doesn’t have time to think or question it.”
Once some time has passed, Toyah video-calls Peter from the cottage and introduces him to their daughter, whom they name Susie after Peter’s late twin sister, Susan. However, when Toyah eventually returns to Weatherfield and introduces the new arrival to the locals, will any of them smell a rat?
“Toyah turns up at the Rovers with Susie, utterly overwhelmed in this little bubble of love, and everyone is thrilled for her,” Georgia tells us. “There is a really powerful moment where Peter picks up what he believes to be his child for the first time, and she sees the love in his eyes. In that moment, Toyah absolutely believes that she has made the right decision for the right reasons.”
As Peter and Toyah begin a new chapter of their lives together, poor Eva sits quietly alone at the cottage, reflecting on the mammoth choice she has made in giving up her baby. Will she remain loyal to her friend and honour their agreement – or will Eva set off a series of dire consequences by concluding that she has made a terrible mistake?