Julie Lordan chats to Rachel Leskovac, who plays Natasha in Corrie

Rachel Leskovac, who plays Natasha Blakeman, is back in Coronation Street and talks about how she’s changed, her relationship with Nick Tilsley, and what’s in store for her character

Natasha Blakeman made her first appearance in 2008, when she arrived as Audrey Roberts’s new temp hairdresser at the salon. After several romances with some of the Street’s not so eligible men, Natasha fell in love with Nick Tilsley. However, Nick broke her heart and Natasha always felt she was second-best to Nick who still had feelings for his ex-wife Leanne. And it didn’t help that interfering mother-in-law, Gail, didn’t like Natasha and thought she was just not good enough for her son. So, Natasha left the Street and made a fresh start for herself. But now she is back, and has a son, Sam, whose presence she kept from Nick. So, Rachel Leskovac talks about what all this means for Nick, Leanne, Gail and her own character, as she returns after almost a decade.

So how does it feel to be back?

It’s pretty much 10 years since Natasha left in the back of a taxi heartbroken and in some respects it feels like I’ve never been away because so many of the cast and crew are still there. It feels like I’m being welcomed back into the family which is such a lovely feeling. I’m incredibly happy to be back on the cobbles.

Can you give us a hint as to why Natasha is back?

It’s a chance meeting between Natasha and Nick, she’s in the hospital car park, she drops her purse and Nick, being the gentleman he is, picks it up not knowing it’s her. Then there’s this big dramatic movement of ‘Nick!’ ‘Natasha!’ which was good fun to film. She’s certainly not engineered it in any way, it’s just a chance meeting.

We discover Natasha has a son, Sam. How does Nick react to hearing that?

Inside the hospital, Nick overhears a conversation about her having a son and the fact she didn’t mention it when he bumped into her makes Nick start asking questions. He asks her about it, he looks at her social media before realising he could be the father of her son.

Why has Natasha kept this from Nick?

Well, she’s found happiness elsewhere, she went through a lot before she left in the back of that taxi. I think it was just too raw to go there at first, since then she’s done a lot of work on herself emotionally and decided they don’t need him in their

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