10 Facts About Georgia Taylor (Corrie’s Toyah)

YOUR lnside soap BRIEFING ON THE STAR BEHIND CORONATION STREET’S TOYAH…

1 Georgia Taylor was born on 26 February 1980 in Wigan. The star was actually born Claire Jackson, but took on her stage name when she started acting. Georgia is half-irish, and grew up with her younger brother David. She got into performing as a teen, and attended Winstanley College in Wigan.

2 In 1997, Georgia joined the cast of Corrie as Toyah Battersby. The youngster arrived on the cobbles with her mum Janice, as well as stepdad Les and stepsister Leanne. Toyah’s most memorable plots included being abducted after she ran away to London to find her biological dad, and her rape by Phil Simmonds. Toyah left in 2003, but Georgia reprised the role in 2016, when it emerged she was having an affair with Leanne’s ex Peter! “The affair was one of the main reasons I agreed to come back to Corrie!” she explained.

3 Georgia is very close to her screen sister, Jane Danson (who plays Leanne). The pair started out on the cobbles as warring siblings – but Georgia and Jane are firm friends away from set. “Jane was a reason for me to go back,” revealed Georgia, when she spoke about her 2016 return. “I get to work with her nearly every day, which is heaven.”

4 Georgia has been on the acting scene for 22 years, although she once had ideas for a different career path. “When I was a kid, I wanted to be a dancer on Top Of The Pops,” confesses the star. “Or something to do with animals, like becoming a vet.”

5 During her break from Corrie, Georgia joined the cast of Casualty as Dr Ruth Winters. Ruth was an ambitious medic, but struggled to cope, and went on to attempt suicide. On returning to work, Ruth started seeing nurse Jay Faldren – and four years after she joined, Ruth left the ED with her lover. “It was meant to just be a six-month, nice little job,” shares the actress. “But they asked me if I’d like to stay on, and I said yeah!”

6 Despite working in Manchester, Georgia lives in Bristol. She shares her home with her partner Mark Letheren, who she met in 2008 on the set of Casualty while he was playing psychiatrist Ben Harding. “I have a base in Manchester, but my home is in Bristol,” Georgia tells us. “I don’t plan to relocate, but I’ll play it week by week, and see how much I’m loving that M6 drive!”

7 Georgia admits that her Law & Order: UK character, Kate Barker – whom she played from 2013 to 2014 – converted her to becoming a lover of UGG boots. “Kate goes into court in her high heels, but as soon as she sits down, she changes into UGG boots,” she said at the time. “Before I got this job, I was like, ‘I’m not buying UGGS, they’re just overpriced slippers’. But my boyfriend told me I’d become a convert once I started wearing them on the job, and he was right!”

8 Georgia likes the occasional drink – but there are some she can’t stomach. “I do sometimes like a Tia Maria with ice,” she shares. “Otherwise I like a cold glass of Sauvignon Blanc on the weekend, but I can’t really drink much any more. When I was a youngster, out clubbing, I’d drink Archers and lemonade. But it’s so sickly, I can’t drink that now. And I can’t do vodka and Red Bull – that’s the devil’s drink!”

9 Before Georgia landed the part of Corrie’s Toyah, she actually auditioned for a different role. “I went up for the part of Zoe Tattersall,” confirms the star. “She was played by an actress called Joanne Froggatt – whatever happened to her?” Georgia and Joanne have remained firm friends ever since Zoe left the Street 1998. “My good friend Jo has obviously gone on to do amazing things in Downton Abbey,” beams Georgia.

10 One celebrity Georgia loves is Tom Hanks. “I think that he’s the most amazing man in the world,” gushes the actress. “Even back in the day when he was in Big – in that performance, you completely believe that he’s a 13-year-old boy. That movie is really underrated. I want Tom Hanks to be my uncle.”