Coronation Street has traditionally proved itself a good breeding ground for strong, focused, aspirational women - think Bet Lynch and Vera Duckworth, dominant and brave and guaranteed all the best one-liners - and Toyah Battersby is the latest to prove herself a female force to be reckoned with.

Initially introduced to the cosy ranks of the soap as an annoying, screeching, two-dimensional teenage scrubber on the side lines, Toyah has become one of the principle focuses for the show. Sweet and determined, kind and uncompromising, anxious to do the right thing by her own devastatingly complete moral code, Toyah Battersby takes no prisoners. She's also taken the unusual step of falling for a man who, if hapless and broke and a bit old for her, has no hidden agenda, not an ounce of cruelty, and is genuinely good.

The Guardian 27/10/1999

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Jane, who plays barmaid Leanne Tilsley, and Georgia, who is lovestruck Toyah Battersby, were inundated with chat-up lines.

Corrie viewer John Martin did his best. He asked: "Did they ever catch the thief who stole the stars from the sky and put them in your eyes?" Then a message from fan Liam McGurk popped up: "Jane, how do you manage to remain as cute as a button and as sexy as a sausage?" he asked. And casanova Grant Ogdem waded in with: "I've had two serious relationships. One was with a girl named Jane and the other with a girl called Leanne. We're destined for each other."

Jane, 20, chuckled: "That's not bad. I'd have to give him 10 out of 10 for effort. Men just think they are talking to Leanne. The worst I've had was, 'Did it hurt when you fell out of the sky from Heaven?' That was cheesy."

Georgia, 19, was envious. "I never get anything romantic in my chat-up lines," she moaned. "I just get, 'Oi Toyah, give us a snog'. It happens all the time. Our characters are quite strong and dominant and men think we're like that. I just laugh them off."

The only problem for these lads is that Jane is dating Emmerdale's Robert Beck, who plays romeo Gavin, and Georgia is mad about her student boyfriend, Phil Collinson.

Lisa Armes wanted to know why Leanne refused to follow hubby Nick to Canada in the show. Jane replied: "Basically, because I didn't want to leave the Street. The door is still open for Nick to return but there are no plans for him to come back at the moment."

Nine-year-old Kate Dyer, who had her mum's permission to go on the computer, wanted to know what Toyah saw in Spider and whether she'd ever go for Tyrone. Georgia said: "There's something quirky about Spider. He's attractive in an unconventional way. Anyway, Tyrone and I would have real trouble kissing because he's quite a bit smaller than me. When I have my platform trainers on, I tower over him."

Michelle Spence asked what it was like being famous and if they minded being recognised in the street. Jane said: "I have to keep doing a reality check to realise how lucky I am. But the thing that really gets to me is the show's global appeal-the fact that our faces are seen all over the world."

Georgia agreed: "Yes, that freaks me out. I try not to think about that because it's too intimidating." On a lighter note, she added: "We get lots of fan mail from young people asking what shampoo we use. For all those people who keep asking about our shiny hair-it's the bright studio lights not the shampoo that does it!"

John Gallagher wanted to know how they kept straight faces during scenes with layabout screen dad Les.
Georgia admitted: "The truth is we don't. There must be hundreds of out-takes by now. The other day I tripped over the mat walking out of the door and stumbled, half hopping, down the street, then tried to carry on. Everyone was in stitches."

Jane added: "The scripts get me laughing when I first see them, but once you've rehearsed a scene four or five times, you focus and don't get the giggles." 

Georgia admits she has become a bit of a computer whiz thanks to her boyfriend, who is studying for a degree in software design. She said: "He's mega into computers and games consoles, and we're linked up to the net. He's on there so much that I had to get into it for us to have some time together. We now sit side by side at the computer.

"I'm quite into visiting the Coronation Street sites." One that you all may want to try is www.coronationstreet.co.uk

The Sun 03/10/1999

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CORRIE Street star Toyah has finally shed her dowdy image and blossomed into a full-on Battersby babe. Millions of viewers were glued to the TV last week as the once gawky teenager got her dream man Spider in a steamy clinch during the Eclipse. And the hot-blooded scene revealed that, without anyone noticing, she has blossomed into a stunning young woman.

For in real life actress Georgia Taylor, 19, has dropped a dress size and is looking gorgeous after a three-month health drive. And Spider is getting all the benefit of it on screen. As she modelled these designer clothes which are streets away from her Plain Jane soap image, she said: "I'm feeling fantastic. I am no longer a little girl - I'm a young woman. "And I'm so glad Toyah is growing up and having a love life at last."

The stunning young actress, who is two years older than her street character, has undergone a total transformation from the time of her Corrie debut. Georgia still remembers the early Toyah with a shudder. She said: "I was so excited to be in Coronation Street which was my first acting role. But I remember being given the outfit I had to wear as Toyah. "I had these hot pants which looked like huge camouflage granny knickers - they were awful. "I had these pale pasty legs at the time and had to wear these mini skirts and have my hair in pigtails. "My make-up was hysterical. I wore bright pink lipstick, no foundation, and had this black eye liner scrawled all over my eyes. I looked absolutely dreadful - I still remember those knickers."

Spider - played by actor Martin Hancock - who has become her lover in the Street would be amazed by these pictures of his co-star. In real life the actress has blossomed into a beautiful leggy blonde with an amazing figure and beautiful looks. Explaining the way she has developed, Georgia said: "People do grow up and young women do have sex. "Coronation Street is very responsible about story lines, but it's really good that they are making things so realistic."When I read that Toyah and Spider were going to have a relationship I cheered. Toyah was getting to be a young woman at last."

Georgia's sleek new figure is the result of her determination to get fit and give up her favourite fatty foods. She said: "I never thought I was fat, but I did enjoy unhealthy foods like crisps and chocolates. I always thought I should cut down for my health. I was always a skinny child and I remember having these little sparrow legs. "But then my body really changed during puberty and I began taking after all the other females in my family. "They are all really voluptuous. That's a wonderful thing - but it did make me more aware of my figure. It took a while to get used to the new curves.

"I have been on countless diets in the past but this is the first time I've really stuck to one. Before I have lost a few pounds then gone straight back on the chocolate. "But this time I'm doing it to get healthy and fit. For three months now I haven't eaten chips. Instead I have been tucking into cereals and healthy dinners like chicken and rice. I still eat like a horse - I'm just eating the right things.

"I think the best thing I did was start swimming - I've been doing 50 lengths a time even if I work a 12-hour day. It has given me loads more energy." Georgia first went to the baths with Street co-star Joanne Froggatt, who played Zoe Tattersall. But she said: "We ended up chatting the whole time, so now I go swimming on my own. Nobody recognises me when I've got my goggles on and I'm bombing up and down the pool. "I'm not obsessed about exercise and dieting - I just wanted to feel fitter. I was happy with my body before, but I feel so much fitter and healthier now."

Georgia has lost so much weight that her Street clothes started falling off her. The soap's wardrobe mistress had to go out buy her some trendy new outfits. "Toyah is not exactly into designer labels like these - well, she is a Battersby after all!" said Georgia. "But with a new boyfriend and a new college life, she is a bit more aware of the way she looks. "Thank goodness her new wardrobe doesn't include any more of those dreadful granny knickers."

Spider is not the only one besotted with Georgia's new look. Real-life boyfriend Phil, a 19-year-old computer studies student, is also over the moon. They have been going out together for over a year now and he is also pretty tolerant about her increasingly sexy image in the Granada soap.

Georgia explained: "I read through my scripts with him so he knows what's happening. But Phil is not jealous at all. In fact when I showed him a photograph of me and Martin kissing during the Eclipse he just burst out laughing. "He thinks it is hysterical that I should have a love affair with Spider."

The street-wild Toyah had her first sexy scenes last October when Coronation Street bad boy Dobber took her virginity away on the backseat of his car. But now she is having her first real love affair with handsome eco warrior Spider - and growing up fast.

Pretty Georgia said: "I love the look here. I like getting dressed up and wearing something sophisticated.

"I'm not sure what my screen dad Les would think, though, if I tried going out in some of these outfits. "He'd probably take one look and shriek `Get inside and cover yourself up girl'."

The Sunday People 15/08/1999

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1. My boyfriend, Phil

Phil is my best mate. We have a really good laugh together and he's a lot of fun. We met through a friend of a friend over 15 months ago and we've been together ever since. He's a computer student. He is very down to earth and he laughs at me! We have quite different senses of humour, but we're empathic to each other.

Phil is fine about me being in Coronation Street. He is from down south, and didn't watch the programme until he met me. He isn't in the least bit starstruck. Obviously, he had to get used to people recognising me as we walk down the street, but he's handled it really well.

2. Tea Bags

I couldn't live without a cup of tea. I drink tea and coffee, but tea is my favourite. I must get through about 15 cups of tea and coffee a day. I tend to drink coffee at work because the tea at the studios is awful. So when I go home, the first thing I do is have a lovely cup of tea.

My dad Geoff is a great tea drinker - occasionally he comes to Manchester for work and he pops in for a cup - and I've drunk it since I was little. Back then, I would put loads of milk in my cup. But, as I've got older, my tea has become stronger and stronger until now it's practically black.

3. Tori Amos CDs

I love music in general, but especially Tori Amos. I only really got into her a few years ago. She writes her own stuff and is a pianist. I play piano as well - I had lessons for five years at school - and still enjoy it.

Tori Amos is a woman who's been through a lot in her life and she writes about it in her songs. She was raped when she was younger and is now head of a society called RAINN which helps rape victims and abused women.

I love her music and have her CDs on all the time. I have five albums by Tori Amos, a few of her singles and four of her videos. I guess my favourite songs are Silent All These Years, Crucify and Girl.

4. A Phone

Any phone. Not particularly my mobile because I always forget to charge it up or take it out with me. But I couldn't live without a phone in general because I like to speak to my mum and dad and keep in touch with my friends.

I lived at home in the Wigan area until a year ago. I only moved about 30 miles away, but it's far enough away for me to feel independent and still be near work.

I live in the centre of Manchester and its nearby bars and clubs and that is what I want. But when I want to see Mum and Dad, I can jump on a train and be home in an hour.

My phone bills are enormous. I do this thing where I set myself a limit of £100 per quarter with the phone company and they let you know when you have gone over. I think my biggest bill for three months was about £400 pounds. I made loads of phone calls. I do things like ring people on my mobile and chat for an hour. I'm a rambler, I waffle. I'm not as bad as I used to be - I'm trying to curb it a little bit.

Jane Danson, who plays Leanne, is the worst chatterbox. We're on the phone to each other for ages. Although we're both in Coronation Street, a lot of the time we have different storylines so miss each other at work. We always seem to find things to talk about.

5. A good night out

I love meeting up with friends and some people from work and either going round the bars in Manchester, or visiting a club. What we do depends on what mood we're in. If I'm really up for dancing, then I'll go to a club. But last night, we went for a quiet drink to a local bar. Sometimes it's nice just to pull on a pair of jeans, instead of dressing up, to go out.

We all get on very well at Coronation Street. I usually go out with Jane Danson, who I gossip with all the time, Martin Hancock who plays Spider, Steve Arnold, who's Ashley, and Tracy Shaw, who plays Maxine.

And, if she's in Manchester, I meet up with Joanne Froggatt, who used to play Zoe. We shared a flat together and we're still really close. Joanne is in London now so I don't see as much of her as I would like. But she's doing really well and I'm proud of her.

When I go out with people from Coronation Street, we don't tend to talk about work, which is great. We've been really lucky - we were all thrown together, we gelled and we are genuinely best mates. It could have been awful - we could all have hated each other!

Soap Life Magazine June 1999

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The Date:	Saturday 13th March 1999
The Time:	7 p.m.
The Venue:	The Oxnoble Hotel, Castlefield, Manchester
Guests of honour:	Sue (Cork) Parkinson and daughter Sarah (Cookie Girl)
Celebrity Guests:	Georgia Taylor (Coronation Street's Toyah) and boyfriend Phil Collinson

Tinky's Corrie Homepage 13/03/1999 (Click to enlarge pictures)

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THE cast of Coronation Street got a chance to escape the Weatherfield cobbles - when they stepped back into the 1920s to act out a murder whodunnit. They left the Street behind for a touch of glamour as they dressed up in period finery for an afternoon spent solving a murder most foul.

Tracy Shaw never has the best of luck as hairdresser Maxine in the show. But things work out even worse here - she plays the murder victim the Hon Tracy Campbell-Johnston, a movie star found dead on the stairs at Campbell House. Bruce Jones has better luck. As Les Battersby he's more used to committing crimes than solving them. But he plays Monsieur Bruce the supersleuth who nails the murderer.

The cast took a day off filming the soap to act out these hilarious scenes as a fun photo-shoot for OK! magazine.
In the plot, Sue Nicholls is Lady Susan Campbell-Johnston who summons family and friends to her home at Christmas. Lady Susan (better known as the Street's Audrey Roberts) intends to leave the family fortune to Tracy but nothing to her "lazy" sisters, the Hon Jane (Jane Danson, the soap's Leanne) and the Hon Georgia (Georgia Taylor, who plays Toyah).

When Tracy is found dead everyone comes under suspicion in classic Agatha Christie fashion. There's Stephen Billington (Greg Kelly in the Street) as the lawyer; Holly Newman (Rovers barmaid Lorraine) as ambitious starlet Holly Wood; Martin Hancock (Spider) as the butler; Steven Arnold (Ashley) as a crooked accountant; Joanne Froggatt (Zoe) as the maid and the butler's lover.

So, whodunnit? It was Holly Wood - whose crime will see her ending up behind a different sort of bar than she's used to at the Rovers Return.

The Sunday People 27/12/1998

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The story so far: Toyah Battersby has run away to London, been kidnapped by a man she thought was her father (except he wasn't - he turned out to be a nutter) and lost her virginity to a scally of a boyfriend named Dobber (in the back of his van, no less). All this and she still managed to work in Roy's cafe without blowing the fact that his lover Hayley was really a transsexual. Lately, Toyah Battersby - and her real-life, off-screen, non-Coronation Street alter ego, 18-year-old Georgia Taylor - have had something of a rum time, even by soap standards.

Since first setting foot on those Weatherfield cobbles, Georgia's Toyah - a brassy mix of teenage mouthiness, daft-as-Basil-Brush charm and heart-of-gold innocence - has given British soaps something you don't see a lot of - a sense of fun and a sense of reality. 

Since landing the role 18 months ago, Georgia has worked hard not to let her fame do her head in. She spends her free time with her mates and her strictly-non-showbiz boyfriend Phil. "All these famous couples who say there's no pressure living with another actor must be mad," she says.

Though Georgia can't see herself being a Battersby "for the next 30 years", right now she won't consider doing anything other than Corrie. "It would be hard to leave and learn how to budget again!" she giggles. Not that she's given up all the trappings of fame and fortune. "I do go to celebrity parties. I don't do drugs, but I'm well within my rights to have a drink with my mates like everyone else now and then."

The Face Magazine December 1998 (Click picture to enlarge)

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IF there is one thing that Georgia Taylor can't stand it is being called a tart. Playing rebel schoolgirl Toyah Battersby, caked in garish make- up and wearing micro minis, she horrified her Coronation Street neighbours. But no one was more horrified than the actress who played the outlandish teenager.

"In the beginning, the clothes that Toyah wore were terrible. I was very conscious of my bum hanging out from these tiny mini- skirts," she said. "There are a lot of girls who wear those tarty skirts, but I never felt comfortable in that sort of thing." However, wearing Toyah's revealing wardrobe isn't something Georgia has to worry about any more. After taking extra lessons from Ken Barlow, her character has started to smarten up her act, determined to better herself. And as these pictures show, Georgia is anxious to cultivate a more sophisticated image, too.

Georgia, 18, has consistently been at the centre of controversy since she started in the show 18 months ago. And she has the honour of being the first Coronation Street girl to tackle the taboo subject of under-age sex. In a scene that was criticised for being sensationalist, Toyah and her rather unsavoury boyfriend Dobber had sex in the back seat of his car. But Georgia defended the storyline and insisted that Corrie had not been encouraging teenage sex. 

She said: "I thought the whole thing was handled sensibly and sensitively. I couldn't believe it when people complained about the scene in the car. It was suggestive, but you never saw anything at all. "We have taken a strong moral line and are not promoting teenage sex. It's quite the opposite. Toyah's actions should be a lesson for other girls not to fall into the same trap. It was an educational storyline and I feel it was done in a responsible way. "What mattered to me was that after that episode my mother phoned to say that she thought that the story had been really good and that the way we'd done it was spot on."

There were equally tense moments on the Street when Georgia's character ran off to London to find her real father. Georgia said: "The situation Toyah got herself into were frightening. It is rare for the Street to pick up on issues for storylines, but if we can stop one teenager from running away away from home, then it will all have been worthwhile."

After a year on the Street, Georgia finally decided to leave the semi in Wigan where she lived with her parents and her 15- year-old brother. Now the young blonde, who has a student boyfriend called Phil, has her own little flat near the TV studios where Corrie is made in Manchester. "I moved into it for practical reasons, she said. "The family home is only 30 miles away but I haven't passed my driving test, so the traveling was also becoming quite tiring. My mum was upset when I left home but she understood it was the right thing for me to do. "She's fine with it now and really happy for me. "Now I get home whenever I can and we speak on the phone every day."

Having a place of her own has meant that Georgia has had to start developing culinary skills - not one of her favourite tasks. She explained: "I wish I was a good cook, but I'm getting better because I have had to. I'm becoming more conscious of a healthy diet, but chocolate is my weakness."

Joining the Street at such a young age didn't faze Georgia at all. She copes well with the show's tough filming schedules and says that acting has boosted her confidence. She said: "When I was younger, I was really quiet and frightened of being in any strange environment. But once I got into drama class, I came out of my shell." Her very first scene in Coronation Street also helped Georgia to forget any notions about acting being glamorous. She had to rise at dawn to be ready for the cameras at 6.30 am. She added: "I was so worried about over-sleeping on such an important morning that I booked into a hotel round the corner. Jane Danson, who plays my sister Leanne in the show, stayed with me and that was nice. We did not know each other well so we had a few hours chatting and became friends."

Georgia reckons that being pitched in at the deep end also meant that she didn't suffer from nerves at suddenly working with the best known stars in British soap. NOW, after 18 months in the show, she feels completely comfortable with her co-stars. But during every scene, one thing is always at the back of her mind - her parents will be watching at home. She said: "Every time I get a new storyline, I want to do it so well that my parents get taken right into the Toyah story and forget that's just me on the screen. It's nice when they ring me to comment on a particular scene."

Joining the Street has meant that Georgia's lifestyle has changed considerably. But, apart from buying the odd designer dress, she's not changed her spending habits too much. She said: "Most of my clothes are bought on the high street. If I bought designer gear all the time, I'd be skint." Her main treat was a week's holiday in Tenerife with boyfriend Phil and some friends. Being recognised while abroad was a bit of a shock for the young star. She said: "That's something I have had to get used to. I was amazed how quickly people spotted me. It happened after I'd only made one appearance in the Street."

Like many teenagers, Georgia has no fixed career plan - and much the same attitude applies to her life away from the TV cameras. Although she has a steady boyfriend, she insists that she doesn't have any thoughts about marriage. She said: "When I was younger, I didn't believe in marriage but, if someone amazing comes along, I might want to make that commitment." The subject of children, however, is met with a coy smile. "That's a bit more tricky," she said. "I do get maternal when I see the dancing baby on Ally McBeal. "Every time that comes on, I think that I want one. But I know that real babies aren't like that. They need a lot of care and attention. I'd like kids, but not for a long, long time."

Georgia will line up with a host of other well-known faces from British television for Friday night's Children In Need show on BBC1. She's due to team up with co-star Jane Danson to sing a 70s disco medley - wearing another one of those dreaded mini- skirts. She explained: "I'm wearing quite a sparkly outfit, complete with silver knee- high platform boots." I know it sounds hypocritical, but it was a bit of a laugh and I suppose I can make an exception with the mini- skirt just this time. After all, it is for charity."

Daily Record 17/11/1998

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The girl who plays Toyah Battersby in Coronation Street apparently had no formal training before she landed the part. How did she get it?

Reports that Georgia Taylor, who plays Toyah Battersby, had no acting training before joining the soap are wide of the mark. It is very rare for a person to walk on to a major programme without any acting experience. Georgia had a GCSE in drama and an A-level in theatre studies and was planning to study drama at university when she was signed up by Granada TV. 

She did her drama training at Willpower Youth Theatre, based in Wigan, one of the largest youth theatres in the North West, with 300 members aged six to 18. She attended the Willpower summer school and appeared in various productions, her last one as the Sultan's wife in a new musical version of Arabian Nights, two months before her Coronation Street debut. 

The soap opera's casting director asked me for suggestions for an actress to play teenager Zoe Tattersall and I suggested several girls, including Georgia. They were all auditioned and Joanne Froggatt got that part; but Georgia was chosen to play Toyah instead. 

Caroline Joynt, Inter-City Casting, Manchester.

Through her involvement with youth theatre, Georgia was taken on by an agent who contacted the Granada TV casting department. She was originally auditioned for the part now played by Joanne Froggatt but was called back to try for the role of Toyah. 

The casting department worked her very hard with a series of auditions, workshops and camera tests and was impressed by her academic achievements and knowledge of literature, TV and theatre. 

Sara Moore, Coronation Street Press Office, Granada TV, Manchester.

Daily Mail 09/11/1998

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Ena Sharples, Coronation Street's sternest moral guardian, would have had a seizure. Even today, the latest controversial plot in what used to be TV's least lurid soap caused outrage as wild child Toyah Battersby lost her virginity in the back of a car. Thirteen and a half million viewers watched the shocking episode last Sunday when 16-year-old Toyah agreed to have sex with her loutish boyfriend, Dobber. Moral watchdogs have already blasted the storyline, saying the episode sent out the wrong signals to schoolgirls by promoting sex and the morning after pill.

But yesterday Georgia Taylor, who plays the teenage tearaway, hit back at critics and said: "We have taken a strong moral line and are not promoting teenage sex. It's quite the opposite. "Toyah's actions should be a lesson for other girls not to fall into the same trap. It was an educational storyline, and I feel it was done in a responsible way."

But Valerie Riches, general secretary of the Family and Youth Concern Association said: "It is very powerful propaganda that having sex before marriage is OK as long as contraceptives are taken. "Coronation Street has sunk to the same level as its rivals in a bid to attract viewers."

Georgia, who is 18 and two years older than the character she plays, has been stung by the criticism. "What we have done is to show young girls how Toyah deeply regrets her actions," she said. "She can't turn the clock back because it's too late for her. But girls can learn from her mistake. "Toyah has learnt her lesson the hard way but maybe she can help prevent other girls from making that same error. "Anyone watching can see Dobber is just using Toyah and I hope the message gets across to other girls not to fall into the same trap."

In the story, Toyah's big sister Leanne persuades her to go to the doctor for a morning-after pill. "Leanne has been her conscience and the voice of common sense," said Georgia. "Seeing the mess her sister is in, she told her the best way to deal with it. I believe, in the circumstances it was good, responsible advice."

Georgia has more sense than her screen character and would never allow herself to get into a similar situation. She put her love life on hold for 18 months because she was worried that men might want to date her because of her showbiz celebrity. When she joined the Street cast, Georgia convinced herself she was having too much fun on her own to consider a relationship. But a handsome student she will only name as "Phil" has changed all that.

When the couple were first introduced by mutual friends seven months ago, they chatted about music, films and football. And when the subject got around to television, Phil, 19, confessed: "I really don't know anything about the soaps - I don't watch them." Heartened by the fact that he genuinely did not know who she was, Georgia agreed to see him again.

But her own eagerness to keep her fame under wraps almost backfired when strangers would stop and stare at them in the street. "Phil was puzzled over why they should make such as fuss when we were out," she said. "In fairness to him, I knew I would have to come clean about what I did sooner rather than later. "We were just getting to know each other and I was worried that having found someone who liked me for me, the attention that my role brings would scare him away." But her fears were unfounded and now Phil is a Coronation Street addict.

Speaking for the first time about her new love, Georgia said: "At first we just went out for a few drinks to places where I wouldn't be known. "I was worried how he would handle the ups and downs of my job and I didn't want to scare him off. "I finally told him what I did and he was pretty cool about it. I don't think he fully realised the implications because he did not watch Corrie. "The first two months were the test because he was quite taken aback at how well known I was."

Phil was shocked by the way people would come up for a chat or autograph. "We are just in the early stages of our relationship and I was worried that he might find it all a bit overbearing," said Georgia. "I found it pretty daunting myself at first - but he has been great." A Manchester university undergrad who is taking computer studies, Phil was initially "vetted" by Georgia's close circle of friends - and passed with flying colours. She said: "I've got a great group of friends who watch out for me. They knew Phil and have told me he is the nicest person I've been out with."

The couple have been together for seven months and spent a summer holiday together in Tenerife. They hope to get away again closer to Christmas with friends. Georgia recently moved out of the family semi she shared with her mum, dad and 15-year-old brother in Wigan, and is now renting a flat in Manchester. And where once her mum Caroline or accountant dad Geoff would be her confidantes, she now turns to Phil for support. Georgia said: "He is very understanding. I can come home after filming and say I'm really exhausted because I have done a scene where I have been crying. Some people might think I am being a bit pretentious, but not Phil. He will make me a cup of tea and give me a hug and take care of me. "He realises it can take a lot out of me emotionally. Phil's really into computers and detached from the acting world. He is a real breath of fresh air. "Before I met him, I thought maybe I would end up going out with an actor. But now I think if I went out with another actor it would be very difficult because there would be an atmosphere where it might get too competitive."

Georgia's own upbringing is a far cry from the troubled and troublesome schoolgirl she portrays. Her own most rebellious action was having her nose pierced when she left school at 16 to go to college. "I had asked my mum and she said 'no way'. But I thought I would do it anyway. She actually quite liked it, but my dad hated it. "Then there was the time when I dyed my blonde fringe bright red, but it looked awful. "I washed it three times a day to try and get rid of the colour but it just went from a lurid red to pink. "It didn't look cool, just silly."

Fans often confuse the real Georgia with her 16-year-old soap character. Worried mums tell her off if they see her light a cigarette, and she was once barred from a club because the men on the door refused to believe she was 18. Georgia said: "They wouldn't let me in. They thought I was too young and asked for my ID. "I didn't have any so we had to leave. Funnily enough, my picture had been in the papers that day because it was my birthday. But I couldn't play the big 'Don't you know who I am?' bit."

Despite her status as a high profile actress in Britain's top soap and the wealth and glamour the role brings, Georgia is incredibly down-to-earth and still worries about overspending. She can barely bring herself to confess that her most extravagant buy to date is a Vivienne Westwood dress which set her back £400. In fact, it was a bargain - the original price tag was £900. Georgia said: "I bought it six weeks ago and I still feel bad about it. It's a beautiful dress but I haven't had the nerve to wear it yet. "I was in a real dilemma over it - I've never spent that much on one outfit before and I kept thinking that kind of money could buy a well for children in Africa. "My boyfriend finally convinced me by telling me I work hard so why shouldn't I splash out on myself. "He said I deserved a treat, so I got it."

Daily Mirror 10/10/1998

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Toyah Battersby is home from her holiday in Spain this fortnight and she has brought back a lot more than just a suntan. While away, she started dating a lad by the unlikely name of Dobber - and he just so happens to live around the corner from her in Weatherfield.

Georgia Taylor, who plays Toyah, is pleased the troublesome teenager has finally got a love interest, although she admits she isn't sure dodgy Dobber is Mr Right. "Toyah is so desperate to get a boyfriend that she'll have anyone who will take her," says the 18-year-old.

"Dobber turns out to be quite manipulative, but Toyah is naive and doesn't recognise that he's dominating her." Dobber is going to lead Toyah into all sorts of trouble in the next few weeks. "I hope she's going to kick him into touch once she realises what he's really like," says Georgia. "She's starting to sort out her life so it would be a shame if he messed that up for her."

Georgia herself has been seeing her boyfriend Phil, a computing student, for seven months. "He knows nothing about what I do and I know nothing about computers, but he's very sympathetic if I've had a bad day." she says. "You tend to get a lot of attention when you're on television, but Phil deals with it really well."

Since joining the Street last year, Georgia has become a firm favourite with fans and recently became the proud owner of the 1998 Inside Soap Award for Best Young Actor. "I was so pleased to win," she says. "I hope it's because Toyah is quite real. She can be cocky, but a lot of the time she's putting up a defensive wall because she doesn't want to get hurt. I think people empathise with that."

Inside Soap 03/10/1998

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BY 'ECK, there's more to Coronation Street's brightest young stars than mere talent-as the News of the World discovered when we got pals Holly Newman, Jane Danson, and Georgia Taylor together for a spot of revealing girlie gossip. 

The girls, who put more froth into the famous soap than you'd find in rivers of Newton and Ridley's bitter, talked to us frankly about what makes them tick on and OFF the Street. About fame, fellas and fans, wealth and worries...like flashing your knickers to camera in a skirt that's too short! 

Scene: A swanky restaurant. Cue: barmaid Lorraine Brownlow (that's Holly, the oldest of the group at 23), shopgirl Leanne Tilsley (19-year-old Jane) and teenage terror Toyah Battersby (Georgia, 17). As the wine flowed, the News of the World's Deputy Show business Editor JANE ATKINSON asked the questions. Action...

MEN

News of the World: What attracts you to a man?

Jane: They don't have to be particularly good looking, but it does help. I go for men with dark hair.
Georgia: I have to fancy a bloke initially and I like men with dark hair.
Holly: I go for personality and chemical vibes because then you know if you're attracted straight away.

News of the World: Have you ever had a crush on a man?

Georgia: Johnny Depp...
Jane (interrupting): You still have...
Georgia (laughing):...it has only been going on for six years.
Holly: I fancied Michael Praed out of Robin Of Sherwood when I was about eight but I look at him now and think of him as really cheesy.

News of the World: What do you find most embarrassing about men?

Georgia: When a bloke gets the wrong impression going on a couple of dates-they take it that you're having a relationship!
Holly: I hate it when blokes ring and you don't want to hurt their feelings so you say that you will go out with them...it's dreadful!
Jane: It's difficult to get someone who understands the job in terms of you being so busy.

News of the World: Are some men attracted just because you're famous?

Jane: A lot of blokes who look like Adam Rickitt (who plays Leanne's husband) come on to me presuming that I am like Leanne and go for that type. I love Adam to bits but he is just not my type of guy at all.
Holly: I get letters from blokes who have never met me. One wrote me a very sweet letter telling me he wanted to treat me to dinner every two weeks.

News of the World: Do you kiss in real life on a first date?

Jane, Georgia and Holly scream: Definitely!

News of the World: Tell us about your early experiences of dates

Holly: I went to Blackpool Pleasure Beach for the day with a boy when I was 14. We didn't match at all. He would ask if I wanted to go on a ride and it was 'I am not bothered...'
Jane: On dates I waffle on about nothing. I realise I've been boring the pants off him.
Holly: One guy invited me to a club and bought me flowers. Then I saw him dance and my friends were laughing. He was boasting about winning a dance competition but he was terrible. I thought, "I've got to get rid of him."

News of the World: If you had to take a star on your perfect date, which one?

Jane: This is really sad but I am a complete soap fan and I love Sunset Beach on Channel 5. I think Cole in that is gorgeous.
Georgia: I actually think Martin Hancock (who plays Spider in the Street) is looking gorgeous at the moment. He looks brilliant.
Holly: George Clooney is lovely-I go for older men.

News of the World: What's the best date you've ever been on?
Georgia: With a guy who engraved a poem about our love on a stone which he was going to take up Snowdon. He told me that when we were old and married we could go and find it.

MONEY

News of the World: What are your biggest indulgences since becoming soap stars?

Jane: Well, mine is a house-now that is extravagant. This time last year I would never have dreamed of buying things for the home. I am moving in next week. It's exciting. I am looking forward to it.
Holly: Definitely clothes, although I am not into designer stuff.
Georgia: Neither am I, but I did pay £400 for a Vivienne Westwood dress, reduced from £900. It was indulgent but I love it.
Holly (interrupting): I have tried to like her stuff but never have done, I don't think the corsets suit me...what is it like?
Georgia: It's black and shimmery. My boyfriend and a friend bullied me to get it. I felt guilty-and I still haven't worn it.

News of the World: Have boyfriends always paid for you and bought expensive gifts?

Holly: All my boyfriends have let me go 50-50. I've never been out and not paid for anything. The best present I was ever given was a camera. I was out of work at the time so he thought I might like to take up photography as a hobby. It was constructive.
Jane: I'm lucky-the blokes have been traditional so have paid for everything.
Georgia: One bloke bought me bracelets and chocolates and wrote poetic love letters. Looking back it was really cheesy, but I loved them at the time. I later found out he had done the same for another girl.

News of the World: What are the best parts of the job?

Holly: The best is definitely getting your cheque for something you always wanted to do. I pinch myself to think I'm doing something I really want to do and getting paid.

FAME

News of the World: Is being recognised a problem?

Holly: In supermarkets mums and daughters will walk past you, stare then come back to have another good look! Before, you would go shopping looking a mess, but now you can't. Well, actually, I still do.
Georgia: If you nip to get a loaf and a pint of milk it can be a nightmare. I prefer going shopping with a mate. I always get asked if I've lost weight. When I say No they don't think twice about saying, "Oh, you look chubby on telly."
Jane: Well they say TV puts a stone on you. People say to me, "You are different in size, aren't you?" Most people are lovely, but being on your own can be a nightmare. You turn around in Boots and you've got an entourage of kids following you. I feel vulnerable if I am on my own.

News of the World: So has your life changed a lot?

Jane: You can't help but change. One minute we were jobbing actors, the next thing on TV. People tell me I've changed but perhaps I'm growing up now with a different circle of people from my friends. I hope my personality hasn't changed too much.
Georgia: I moved away from home and I'm renting a flat, but I want to buy a house. One of my friends said I had changed and I was really upset. But he explained I had grown up a lot. I used to be really giddy, but now I am working with older people so it is bound to change you.
Holly: I think if I did change my friends would say: "Holly, back down to earth please."

News of the World: Where do you see yourself in five years' time?

Holly: I hate looking into the future. Hopefully I will be satisfied with what I've done. My greatest ambition is to work at the National Theatre in a classical play. But who knows, I might still be in Coronation Street in five years.
Jane: We all might be!

WORK

News of the World: What has been your most embarrassing scene in the Street?

Holly: Spending the night with Spider-I was terrified my sarong would come off in front of the crew. The director said, "Right, action, snog" and let us carry on. He said, "That was a rehearsal, you didn't need to kiss." I was mortified.
Georgia: Being sick! I had vegetable soup all over me. It was awful. I had to leave it in my mouth between takes.
Jane: Getting married. I got the giggles taking my vows. Adam had the ring in his pocket and he couldn't find it. It felt so weird.

News of the World: Do you ever get embarrassed about your characters' clothes?

Georgia: My school uniform is skimming the bottom of my bum. I don't know if anyone noticed, but I saw a knicker shot and was horrified.
Jane: My hair used to be disgusting at the front with pink bits in it.
Holly: I feel a bit of a tent in my stuff but it's good because it isn't a typical barmaid's outfit.

News of the World 27/09/1998

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Just for a second her forehead puckers and her bottom lip pouts. But Georgia Taylor is not on the point of lapsing into a Toyah Battersby strop. Far from it. A clever young woman with 11 GCSEs to her name, Georgia, 18, who plays Coronation Street's mixed-up teenager, is thinking hard before giving a highly astute response to the question of what makes the family from hell tick.

'The family row an awful lot, but they love each other and stick together through thick and thin. If one was in trouble the others would be there instantly,' she says. It's 18 months since Georgia first stomped into the Street on her platform shoes, baby mouth moulded into a permanent sulk, fingers fidgeting for the next shoplifting blitz, in a performance that should ensure a long career in or out of soap.

She's shown enormous talent for such a young actress, who was at sixth-form college doing her A-levels when she landed her chance of a lifetime in TV's top soap. Now she's keen to develop the character. 'I kept thinking there's going to have to be more to this person. What if I carry on doing this for the next year, just thieving and being bolshie? There's going to be nothing to her. But I'm sure she's a lot deeper than that.'

Georgia was glad when Toyah developed a crush on eco-warrior Spider, which has changed the 'bolshie and cocky 15-year-old madam. it was a turning point. You saw that she had quite human emotions, she was naive, vulnerable and able to be hurt.' Viewers have taken Toyah to their hearts. But the changes undergone are nothing in comparison with Georgia's own life, although they have one thing in common - finding a new man.

'He's called Phil and I've known him for six and a half months. He's really laid back, and very good-looking - 6ft 1in, dark hair, slightly tanned with big blue eyes. I can get on with him on a friendship level and on an emotional level. he's not involved in showbusiness, but he understands the pressure. Having stayed over with me, he sees me after working 12 hours when I come home saying: "I've had the most brilliant day and I've loved it, but I've been crying all day and I need to go to bed." He cooks my tea, and really looks after me. He's fantastic.'

They were brought together when a mutual friend suggested they meet for a drink. 'We got on really well, and when we went out again, to a club, the date ended with a kiss', says Georgia. 'It all developed from there and we started a relationship. Neither of us had had a proper relationship for quite awhile.'

Her new life has inevitably taken her away from her old friendships, although Georgia keeps in touch with some of her school and college friends. 'Obviously life has changed. When I was at college, people didn't point at me when I walked down the street,' she says with a sparkle of dry wit that would be lost on Toyah. 'When I go out now, people want to buy me drinks. Or they stop me in the street for a chat. They feel as though they know me, which is natural if they see me four times a week on TV.'

Georgia, who had planned to go to university to do drama, gave up her studies to act in Coronation Street. 'It worried me a bit at first, because I didn't know how permanent the job was going to be. I was initially only given a five-month contract,' she says. 'But I've become too used to working full-time to go back to education. It would take an awful lot of discipline.

Georgia also left her home in Wigan and now has her own flat in Manchester. 'The travelling just got a bit too much,' she explains. 'Leaving home was all right if a bit tearful. My mum was upset because I'm the oldest and the first one to leave, but she was really supportive. She comes and stays over and my dad works in Manchester now and again, so he'll visit for a cup of tea.'

Georgia's upbringing in a close, middle-class family is as different as possible from the Battersby home life. Dad Geoff is a financial advisor and mum Caroline, a housewife. ''My mum's always been really great with me. I can talk to her about anything, like my latest crush or, as I got older, about sex. It's probably a little bit more difficult for my dad to accept that I'm older and having relationships. I've always been really close to them, really affectionate, and I don't think I've ever had an argument with my dad. The only time I argued with my mum was when I was going through puberty and started to get a little bit stroppy about things. I had my nose pierced as soon as I left school, against my mum's wishes. But I genuinely didn't do it to rebel, I just wanted a change. I've grown up an awful lot in the past year.'

Like any teenager, however, she loves clubbing and shopping. 'I spend money on nights out, but not outrageous amounts. I buy a lot of clothes, but only the odd designer dress,' she says. 'I bought a beautiful black Vivienne Westwood dress which was reduced from £900 to £400, but I felt guilty about it for weeks and I still haven't worn it because I'm waiting for something special.'

 That special event could be October's NTA ceremony, where the Street is up for an award. It's intoxicating stuff, but Georgia's aim now is simply to do good work and not think ahead too much. 'I know how lucky I am to have this chance. If I'm wanted for another couple of years that's great. One day I'd like to do some stage work. But at the moment, I'm really happy working on Coronation Street.'

TV Times 26/09/98 - 02/10/98

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 Georgia Answers Questions About Summer

Describe your coolest summer ever.

It was two years ago when I was 16. I went to the National Youth Theatre Festival. It was fab! We'd do acting workshops in the day and have huge discos at night.

Does the summer make you feel fruity?

Oh yeah! It's sunny, everyone's happy and people wear less clothes! I'm a Piscean and so swimming makes me feel fruity too!

Who would you most like to share a steamy summer evening with?

I've got to say my boyfriend!? But if he couldn't come out, Johnny Depp would do!

Where would you love to go on your summer holidays and what would you do?

I'd love to go on a Caribbean cruise - we'd stop off at deserted beaches and have barbecues with steel drums playing in the background. Bliss! 

Live and Kicking Magazine September 1998 (Click picture to enlarge)

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The crew spent two days in London, where filming was fraught with difficulties. 'Bruce Jones and Vicky Entwistle, who play my screen parents, had big problems because we were filming in really busy places, such as the tube and bus stations,' says 18-year-old Georgia, who lives in Manchester. 'People kept spotting the cameras and leaping in front of them!'

Life's been pretty busy since wild child Toyah and the Battersbys joined the cast last summer. It was Georgia's first big TV break. 'I was absolutely terrified,' she admits.

'I'd never worked in front of the camera before, so I had no idea what to do. Nobody told me. I just copied Jane Danson, who plays Leanne.

'Luckily, I had the rest of my screen family to help me. It really helped that we were all new together. If it had just been me there, I would probably have run away after the first day!'

Extracted from What's On TV article 29/08/1998 - 04/09/1998

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When the Battersby's first arrived last year, there was uproar from the fans. A year on, they are firm favourites.

"My life has changed so dramatically," says Georgia. "I've have moved out of home and now rent a flat which is about 10 minutes from the studios. I don't see my family as much as I did, which takes some getting used to. "And I have more responsibilities. 

I may have more money now, but remembering to pay things like Council Tax and TV license takes some getting used to. My dad is forever on the phone reminding me to sort out my bills.

Welcome to the real world, eh?"

Extracted from Inside Soap article 07/08/1998

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Joining a top soap attracted all the wrong men, says Georgia Taylor. But now she's found the perfect man to go out clubbing with. Now gave her three fresh looks for those nights out with her new boyfriend.

You'd think being a soap star would improve your pulling power with the opposite sex, especially when you're 18, pretty, blonde - and single. Yet Coronation Street actress Georgia Taylor - who joined the cast a year ago as schoolgirl-from-hell Toyah Battersby - saw her love life go downhill as her career soared in the first few months of joining the soap.

'For the first six or seven months I did go through a really big trauma,' says Georgia. Like a lot of soap actresses before her, she was a target for men who only wanted to date her for her showbiz connections. 

'I used to date a lot of men,' she says. 'But it wasn't always that they were interested in me because of who I am. Sometimes we just weren't compatible. 'But I did come across quite a few who wanted to talk about my work all the time.

'I can spot them a mile away now,' she says. 'I'm not as naive as when I first started. Once they want to talk about your work, and who you know...' she trails off resignedly.

'I went out with one guy who would never shut up about how many famous people he knew. I could just see right through it. He was obviously pleased to be seen with someone from the Street and he kept telling me how he was best friends with all these showbiz people. 'He thought he was impressing me, but I just thought: "So what?"'

In contrast, Georgia's current boyfriend, a 19-year-old university student, didn't even know who she was when they met. 'I've known him for three months and he's absolutely perfect,' she says, beaming. 'I love him to bits. He's just great.'

The couple met through a mutual friend. 'I was staying in a hotel in Manchester and my friend came over to go out for a drink and brought him along. She told me that she'd been thinking of trying to get us together for ages, as she'd been friends with him for quite a while.

'He's not in show business, which is great. he doesn't even watch Coronation Street. When he met me, he didn't know who I was - someone had to tell him afterwards. It's so nice to know that it doesn't bother him at all,' says Georgia, who's anxious not to put pressure on her new relationship by divulging any further details about him.

Just over a year ago, she was living in Wigan with her parents and her 15-year-old brother studying for three A levels in English, theatre studies and psychology and hoping to get a place on a degree course to study drama. When she landed the part of Toyah, she gave up her studies and became an overnight star.

TV bosses warned her to expect a huge amount of public interest. 'They told me that when you're in such a high-profile show, the media will be very interested in you,' she says. 'So they told me to be very careful about what I did.'

But Georgia, who loves going out clubbing, insists that her high profile doesn't stop her from enjoying life just like any other teenage girl.

'They told me not to let it restrict my life, but it's not as I'm into drugs or anything, so it doesn't bother me,' she says. 'It's not as if I go out and do a couple of lines of coke or whatever.'

But Georgia admits she's longing for the chance to be at the centre of a big storyline and suggests that teen drug abuse is one of the issues the Street could raise using her character. 'Coronation Street's come very much into the 1990s with a lot of the issues it's looked at lately,' she says. 'I'd love to be right in the middle of a big storyline - something really controversial.

'I think it would be good - from my point of view, anyway - if Toyah, because she's really young and naive, started dabbing in drugs. They could look at the effect that would have on the family and everything. I love  doing comedy but, on another level, teenagers do have crises and it isn't all humorous. So I hope the Street gives me more opportunity to deal with more serious storylines. It is nice having one-liners - but at Toyah's age everything isn't a bed of roses and I think it would be good if they could start looking at more teenage issues.'

As her baby-faced Street character is only 16, Georgia admits that she does come in for some stick when she lights up or has a drink while she's out on the town. 'Sometimes I'll get the odd comment like: "You shouldn't be drinking," or I'll go to buy some cigarettes and they'll say: "Are you old enough?" They're only joking but, after the hundredth time, I do get a bit fed up.'

'Occasionally I wish I was playing someone my age, but at the same time the 15-16 age period is a very interesting one. You're going though a lot of emotions and you have a lot of personal things to deal with, so it's a good age to play. When I was that age I wasn't as cocky as Toyah is, by any means. I'd say the only similarity is that, at 16, I was quite vulnerable and naive like her - even though she puts on this tough persona.'

Isn't she cute? Georgia at six is already a natural in front of the camera. 'I had proper princess hair until I was nine,' she says. 'It was down to my bum and very, very blonde. But I got sick of it.'
	At 14, Georgia (back row, fourth left) landed her first acting role in a production of Joseph And His Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat at the Palace Theatre Manchester.
At 15 she looks totally different to her bolshie TV character Toyah. The aspiring actress had this shot done professionally to launch her acting career - with great results.
	Georgia at 16, pictured at home with her mum Caroline. The actress is still living in Wigan with her family, but is planning to move so she's closer to the Street's studios in Manchester.
She sports a Bindi and backcombed hair after a night out at a fancy dress party with college friends last year. The hairstyle started off as an Afro but even tons of hairspray couldn't save it from the rigours of a night out.
The changing face of a future star: from pigtails to student grunge

As a schoolgirl, Georgia was into grunge fashion, chopping her hair off and dyeing it bright red. 'I was just like any other teenager... I liked experimenting with the clothes I wore and the way I looked. In character, she's usually in dowdy clothes and wears little make-up, so Georgia loved being given the chance to get dressed up for a night out clubbing, courtesy of Now.

'You've given me some great ideas' she says. 'This blue outfit (right) was my favourite look - in fact, I'm going to go out and buy it now because I'm going to an award ceremony on Sunday. I've had my eye on the blue embroidered top for a while. Every time I went into Kendall's in Manchester I'd look at it, but wonder what I could wear underneath it. Now I know.'

Though she can afford to, Georgia says she doesn't splash out on designer clothes, "I shop at Morgan, Kookai and Oasis, which aren't expensive shops but they do nice clothes. When I was at college, I was a Top Shop girl. I did splash out £200 pounds on a dress from Karen Millen for the National TV Awards last year, though. It's the most that I've ever spent and I did feel a bit guilty buying it!'

Georgia is still coming to terms with the best bits of being famous. 'I was in a club the other week and they offered me a free bottle of champagne. I felt really guilty, so I said a bottle of wine would do instead. My friends couldn't believe it,' she laughs.

But she does appreciate her good fortune. 'I've been so lucky,' she says. 'I always said I would do a three-year BA in acting. When I started at Coronation Street, I still thought: "Well, if this finishes in five months, I'll go back to college for another year". But to be honest, now that I've been here a year I think I'd find it really difficult to go back. I think working is the best experience you can have. I think that to go back to college and have to write essays and things again... Well, after having such a break, I don't think I'd be able to do it.

'I'm very happy at the moment and I've made an awful lot of friends at Coronation Street. Working here is still as exciting as it was on my first day. It's still quite unbelievable, but it sometimes scares me too. I've made a big jump from being a student to being in a top-rated soap opera - and I can't help hoping my career doesn't start going downhill after this.'

Now Magazine (Click pictures to enlarge) 04/06/1998

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SOAP star Georgia Taylor turned heads at her 18th birthday party by sporting a trendy Hindu decoration on her forehead.

The actress, Coronation Street's Toyah Battersby, placed the colourful Bindi between her eyes before setting off on a night out with telly chums. And she proved the centre of attention during the party at Manchester's Metz
Bar. 

A pal said: "As it was her 18th, Georgia made a real effort. She's worn a Bindi before and loves them. "It's not for religion, she just likes to wear one out on the town.

"The colourful designs, traditionally worn by Hindus, have become a popular fashion accessory. The Spice Girls each wore one when they played in India.

Revellers at Georgia's party included Street pals Jane Danson, who plays Leanne Battersby, Simon Gregson (Steve McDonald) and Kevin Kennedy (Curly Watts).

A Street source said: "It was a great night."

The Sun 02/03/1998

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Something strange has happened to Toyah Battersby. Instead of tearing around the Street, making life hell for everyone, she's showing the telltale signs of a teenager in love. But if she's hoping for a New Year romance with Emily's eco-warrior nephew Spider, she could be in for a long wait...

"Toyah's pretty naive about the whole thing," reckons 17-year-old Georgia Taylor, who plays her. "He likes her as a person, but he doesn't feel romantic towards her. There's a big age gap there, and she's not the most mature 15-year-old. It's probably the first time she's been in love."

Georgia could give Toyah some advice on how to avoid a broken heart. "When I was 11, I had a crush on this boy for about four years, but he wasn't interested. I was too loud and I think he was quite intimidated by me. I don't think you can actually warn someone about things like that. You have to let them make their own mistakes."

Although she'd like to see Toyah be luckier in love in 1998, Georgia has relished this new storyline. "It's been a nice chance for me to show that I can play more than a teenager who just shouts all the time, especially to people like the producer, Brian Park. As this is my first TV role, I want to prove myself."

Being a big soap fan, Georgia says it's a dream come true to be starring in Coronation Street. How has it changed her life? "People recognise me in the street, and I've made a lot of new friends. But I still keep in touch with all my old friends, and I spend as much time with my family as I can."

So has she met any celebrity? "Me and Jane Danson (Leanne) have met Boyzone twice. I tried to be professional about it, when really I just wanted to giggle and smile a lot!"

Finally, Georgia reveals that she has one big ambition for the New Year. "I want to pass my driving test," she says. "I'm OK, but I haven't had much time to practice because I've been working. But I've got my fingers crossed. Then I can get a car - something small but funky!"

Inside Soap Magazine 27 Dec 1997

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Your Questions Answered

Don't you wish your character could smile a bit more?

Sometimes I do, yes, but at the same time I also like playing a character who has an edge to her and is tough because you get to do things that you won't normally be able to outside the role. I would like to see a softer side of Toyah occasionally, though. I think the writers are gradually progressing towards that and I'm trying to bring that out in the character as well.

Do you argue with your sisters like Leanne and Toyah do?

I haven't got a sister, though I have a younger brother. We do have the occasional row but we get on a lot better than we used to because he's more mature these days. He's 15 and we only ever argue about really trivial stuff.

Which Corrie characters are your favourites?

I like the Malletts because they are loud and brash, and I really used to love Raquel. Alec Gilroy is another favourite - I think his character is hysterical.

What was your favourite subject at school?

Drama! I'm not just saying that, it really was. At first I started off liking English more but when I began going to drama group and appearing in school and college productions, I really got interested in it. I hated school, though. For the first couple of years I was really conscientious and wanted to make a go of everything, but by the time I got to my final years which were the most important, I was thoroughly fed up. I loved drama, art and English lessons but I hated anything scientific or mathematical. Even so, I went to college for nine months before I got this part, and I actually loved that because I was doing theatre studies.

Who is your ideal man?

Johnny Depp, because he's stunning looking and he doesn't seem like the soppy, romantic type which I couldn't stand. He's got a bit of an edge to him, and I think he's a really good actor.

Is this your first television role?

Yes, it is. I'd just done amateur theatre and also Joseph and the Amazing Techicolor Dreamcoat when I was 14 at the Palace Theatre [Manchester]. I started with my theatre group when I was about 14 and the woman who ran it also ran an agency. She sent me a letter to ask me if I wanted to join the agency, then I began to get auditions and this came along.

What is the most exciting thing about being in Coronation Street?

Getting to work with people that I've watched since I was tiny. For the first week, everyday that I walked in I met someone new. I'd just have got used to seeing Audrey Roberts as Sue Nicholls and I'd meet Helen Worth and I couldn't accept that she was Helen and not Gail Platt. It went on for a while and it was exciting to gradually work with these people. It's also exciting when you do a new set and do something different - like when I had my hair done in the Salon.

Which football team do you support?

I'm not really a big fan of football but I'd probably say Everton because my Dad supports Everton. I live in Wigan, and rugby is the big game there but I'm not interested in that at all.

What are your real family like? Are any of them actors?

My family are great. They're really supportive and I get along really well with them. My Mum is a housewife and my Dad is a financial consultant. We do have one actor in the family, though - my Mum's cousin has done EastEnders and Brookside as well as adverts and he's done a lot of professional theatre.

What sort of clothes do you wear in real life? Would you wear any of the clothes that Toyah wears?

I wouldn't wear any of Toyah's clothes apart from one pair of black trousers that she has. I can't stand the rest of her wardrobe. I have different styles really, depending on what I'm doing. I wear jeans a lot but if I'm going out to a party I like to go mad. I back comb my hair into a huge afro and wear a boob tube and big floaty pants or something like that.

Who is your favourite actress, and which film or TV role would you most like to play?

I like Amanda Donohoe - she's probably my favourite actress - and I would like to play someone who was really glamorous and seductive but at the same time quite manipulative. Someone a bit like Toyah, I suppose but much more mature and sophisticated, and hopefully a career woman. I'd quite like to appear in some sort of police series.

Who is your favourite Spice Girl and why?

I haven't got a favourite Spice Girl and I'm not going to commit myself to naming one of them. I'm not really a big fan of the band.

The Coronation Street Magazine No.47 November 1997

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HERE'S baby-faced Toyah Battersby as she's never been seen before - all grown-up and oozing fashion and passion. We gave a sexy makeover to actress Georgia Taylor, who plays the 15-year-old Coronation Street wild child, and she was delighted with the sophisticated image we created for her. 

Now she says she'd love to look older on screen too. In fact she can hardly wait to have her first telly boyfriend and enjoy some sizzling screen kisses - just like her sister Leanne (Jane Danson) who is having a passionate fling with Nicky Platt, played by hunky newcomer Adam Rickitt.

Georgia complains: "Because I play a schoolgirl, people tend to think I'm younger than I really am. "What they don't realise is that I'm actually 17 going on 18 and not the little kid I play on TV. "I'd love to have an affair and play love scenes, which I've never done before. I'd probably be a bit nervous at first but I'm sure I'd soon be fine and I'd really enjoy it."

Georgia has found her life has changed dramatically since she and the rest of her screen family-from-hell stormed on to the Coronation Street cobbles four months ago. She can no longer go out with her pals without being recognised and admits she sometimes has a hard time with over-keen fans.

Luckily, she has a supportive family she can rely on to help her cope when things become stressful. After a hard day's filming, she loves to go back to their semi in Wigan where she can relax with parents Caroline and Geoff and her 15-year-old brother David.

Georgia also has a group of loyal friends she can turn to who understand what it's like to be on the receiving end of unwelcome attention. Her best pals are Darren and Alex, two guys who go everywhere with her and keep a protective eye open for trouble. Georgia says: "They're really great and I see them all the time. I've got girlfriends as well but sometimes it all gets a bit much and it's better to go around with blokes.

"They are very protective of me and make sure I'm all right. I haven't got a boyfriend at the moment but if I did get one, Darren and Alex would give him the once-over to make sure he was OK."

She adds: "Getting a boyfriend who wants me for myself is something that does concern me. "I hope I'll know when someone is being genuine or not. Maybe I'll have to go out with someone in the business. But then again, that wouldn't be ideal either. I'll just have to wait and see."

Despite the pressures of soaperstardom, Georgia says she wouldn't change her career for anything in the world. For being in the Street has given her the chance to bring a little happiness into the lives of others. She recalls: "I got a terribly sad letter from one girl who loves all the soaps and gets really involved with the characters. "She wanted a picture of me and she said at the end how her mum had died of cancer just two weeks earlier.  

"I was so touched because I've lost three of my family to cancer and I wrote back and told her to keep in contact. "It's nice being able to do something small for others and to give them something to smile about, which I wouldn't be able to do if I wasn't known.

"Most of the time people are brilliant and come up to me and say lovely things, like how much they like the show and the Battersbys. "There has been a small downside to all this because I came straight into the show from school and wasn't used to it. "But I'm not complaining - Toyah is a great character to play because she's so different from me. I'm loving every minute of it."

The Sun 27/10/1997

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Real girls-next-door aren't Portishead-listening "This Lifers" or scrubbed-up Friends-a-likes. They're pissed-up, flirty, gobby birds who wear skirts up their arses and blow your eardrums out with pumping handbags at 3am.

Enter the Battersby sisters, Leanne and Toyah, hyper-Spice Girls who are going off like a rocket up the back alley of Coronation Street. They've made such an impact that the tabloids recently dubbed a gang of juvenile female muggers: "The Battersbys."

But the gals are nowt like that off screen. Blonde Georgia Taylor, 17, who plays Toyah - Baby Spice from hell - is her first real acting job, having failed an audition for a Woolies training video. In her "spur-time" she tinkles the piano and "creates" trippy abstract art. And 18-year-old Jane Danson, a former GBH actress, admits to fancying Marti Pellow and doing slushy slowies on the karaoke machine.

So how so these nice girls research their roles? By walking around Salford. "The other day I had this girl of about 15 say, "What's it like to play a trollop?," says Georgia. "Yeah," adds Jane, "You never know whether they're going to shake your hand or slap you in the face."

Sky Magazine October 1997 (Click picture to enlarge)

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Shout has a girlie chat with Georgia Taylor, one of Corrie's cheeky Battersby Sisters!

What's the worst thing about being on Corrie?

"Getting up at five o'clock in the morning, feeling really rough and having to go into work with no make-up on!"

How did you get the part?

"I joined an acting agency associated with the youth theatre I was involved with and my agent sent me to an audition for the part of Zoe, the pregnant teenage runaway. I didn't get that part but the casting director said she'd keep me in mind, so I went to the auditions for Toyah and got the part!"

What do you think of Toyah?

"She's just very cheeky and mouthy. She gets into trouble all the time and couldn't care less - under-age smoking, playing wild music all night and winding the neighbours up. She just does what she wants."

So, you're nothing like her?

"No way! I don't think I'd be Toyah's friend in real life. Hopefully, most people will have the sense to realise I'm not like her but there'll always be people who take it too seriously and because she's a character people love to hate, I have to be careful where I go."

What do you think of her clothes?

"Disgusting! Leanne, Toyah's sister goes for a sort of cheaper Spice Girl image and Toyah tries to copy her, but sometimes it goes a bit wrong! A lot of the time her outfits don't go together that well."

What kind of clothes do you go for in real life?

"I like casual stuff, like jeans, trousers and tops."

What was your first day on set like?

"It was pretty nerve-racking, walking in and seeing all those people I'd watched for so many years. It was difficult to see past the character - you think 'There's Vera', not 'There's Liz Dawn'!"

What's been the biggest surprise about the job?

"How normal everyone is! They're just like people living in your own street."

Who would you like to play in another soap?

"I'd probably go for the same sort of character, like Bianca or Tiffany in Eastenders - that sort of cheeky image!"

Have you had any other jobs apart from acting?

"Basically just baby-sitting for my mum's friends and family. Last summer I did a few weeks in a local make-up factory too."

What would you like to happen to Toyah in the future?

"I just hope I'm going to get some good storylines and be able to show another side to Toyah. I'm sure deep-down she does care about her parents - hopefully I'll be able to show that!"

QUICK BITS!

Name - Georgia Taylor.

Date of Birth - 26th February, 1980. "I'm seventeen but my character, Toyah, is only fifteen."

Character Played - Toyah Battersby in Coronation Street.

Family - "Mum, Dad and my brother David, who's fourteen."

Fave School Subject - "I loved drama, art and English."

Worst School Subject - "Science and Technology - all that woodwork! I was hopeless - they'd say 'Right, everyone make a table' and I'd nearly have a heart attack!"

Hobbies - "I like playing the piano, dancing, singing or just having a laugh with friends over a cup of coffee."

Pets - "I had a rabbit for seven years - it just died recently. My mum was the most upset out of all of us but we thought it would live forever."

Most Precious Possession - "The locket my grandma gave me. My granddad gave it to her and he died not that long ago."

Happiest Moment - "Getting the part of Toyah. It's what I've always wanted."

Top Boy Babes - Leonardo Di Caprio and Paul Nicholls."

Shout Magazine Sept 26th - Oct 9th 1997

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THE honour of playing Leanne's step-sister Toyah goes to Wigan-born Georgia Taylor, a newcomer to the world of television. Georgia's only previous acting experience was treading the boards in amateur stage productions. She was studying for her A-levels when she was offered the role of the tempestuous Toyah. 

Georgia, 17, reveals: "I was still at college when I initially auditioned for the role of Zoe, the youngster who had a run-in with the Mallets. "I didn't get that but when I auditioned for Toyah I was more successful. When I got the call to say that I'd got the part I just sat there open- mouthed, hugging my best friend. I could barely believe it.
"It is all very different than being on stage - it's not quite so intense because your audience isn't right there in front of you. But it's a very different type of satisfaction, working much faster with storylines and characters developing all the time."

Such a high-profile television role is sure to make Georgia a household name. But did she set out to be famous? "Yes, I suppose I knew that would come with the job but I'd rather be respected as an actor and have recognition for my work. That would be more than rewarding enough for me."

Only time will tell whether or not that recognition will arrive for Georgia. But one thing is for sure - all four of the Battersbys have become among the most recognisable faces on our screens. And, in the soap ratings war, that's a triumph for them all.

Extract From The Sunday People 7/09/1997

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Corrie's Battersby girls, Jane Danson (Leanne) and Georgia Taylor (Toyah)

Ready, Steady... go!

All right, where are you at the moment?

Both: We're at work, in the press office.

What are you wearing?

Jane: I'm wearing shorts and a T-shirt - it's boiling in here at the moment.

Georgia: A halter-neck top and jeans.

What can you see around you?

Jane: Just a table and chairs - nothing else really.

Georgia: Orange walls and an ashtray!

What was the last thing you read?

Both: We've just read our contracts for an appearance on the Disney Club.

Is it a good or bad hair day for you?

Jane: It's a very good hair day today as they've taken the steaks out of my hair - at last... I'm so happy!

Georgia: It's a bad one as, for some reason, I've let mine dry naturally and it's gone all flat and horrible.

One minute left...

Who do you reckon is the most gorgeous man alive?

Jane: Marti Pellow - he's got an absolutely fantastic smile!

Georgia: Johnny Depp - I like moody looking men.

Oh no, we've only got 30 seconds to go!

What are you going to do after you put the phone down?

Jane: I'm going home - it's late and I've been at work all day.

Georgia: I'm off to the station to meet up with some friends.

Finally - and be quick about it - describe today in five words.

Jane: It has been very hot!

Georgia: Sunny, lazy, musical and long!

Brinnnnnnnnnnng!!! Time up! Thanks girls.

Also from same issue, Georgia on working with Darren Day: "I was in the chorus of Joseph. We all used to sit on stage giggling and going, 'Wow! Look at Darren Day'!"

Soap Stars Magazine Issue 1 - Sept/Oct 1997

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By day, Jane Danson and Georgia Tayor are two ordinary teenage girls, but come 7.30 they turn into the nightmare neighbours from hell! Meet Corrie's Battersby girls...

How did you get the parts of Toyah and Leanne on Coronation Street?

Jane: I was asked to audition for the part of the pregnant girl, Zoe. I didn't get it, but they told me I'd be good for another part. I had no idea what I was going for because the new family was really hush hush. 

Georgia: I was studying for three A levels when I read the script for Toyah - it said, 'A grubby looking 16 year old is sitting picking her nose.' I was thinking, 'Great the first time I'm on telly I'll be picking my nose!' They didn't make me do it in the end!

What's been your favourite scene so far?

J: The one in the factory where I'm just walking around singing into a brush - Leanne thinks she's a bit of Spice Girl! I liked that because people might get sick of Leanne being gobby, and it was a nice break for me to do something fun instead of shouting all the time.

G: I did a great scene with David who plays Roy - he's hysterical! Also, when I was working in the café and I was shouting (puts on her best Toyah voice), 'Who's is this butty?' That was dead funny to do.

Would you like to play a classy laydee?

G: When I see Tina (Samantha) and Tracy Shaw all dolled up and looking gorgeous, I do feel ugly, but I've got to remember I'm so fortunate to have this job at all.

Do the terrible twosome ever calm down?

J: I hope we see a softer side to Leanne 'cause I don't want everyone to hate her. I've had a lot of lovely letters saying she's great fun. I haven't had any hate mail yet - touch wood!

G: I'd like to show a softer side to Toyah because there's no way someone can keep up that level of aggression. It'd be nice if she had a love story.

If you had your choice of the Corrie cast for a snog partner, who'd you choose?

G: It's gotta be Percy, hasn't it! No, I reckon Ashley would bring out Toyah's good side - it'd be weird because Toyah's gob almighty and he's so sweet.

J: Leanne fancies anybody, doesn't she?! I think she's got her eye on Steve, but he's a bit out of her league.

How does it feel to be famous?

J: Weird - that's the only way I can describe it! It's really strange. I've worked a lot before, but I've never had any major exposure - now I'm in people's living rooms four times a week. I can't explain how weird it is that people think I'm really like that!

Do you get comments from strangers in the street?

J: Last week I was out shopping and this guy walked up to me, hit my arm and said, 'Turn that bloody music down!' I was with Vicky, who plays my mum, and we were both stunned because he wasn't joking - I was too shocked to think of anything to say.

G: A girl came up to me and said, 'What's it like to play a trollop?' I just laughed it off. There was also this lad at my friend's house and when he found out I was in Coronation Street he started really taking the mickey out of it. Later he asked if we wanted to see a magic trick and I snapped, 'Is that the one where you disappear out of the room and don't come back?' Then he started going on that I was full of myself - I'm not, I was trying to be polite at first, but I just don't see why I should take that from him.

Jane, we hear you used to work with Paul Nicholls - you jammy dodger!

J: Yeah, I went to the Oldham Theatre workshop and he went there for awhile. I worked with him on a Coca Cola photo shoot and his mum and my mum were friends for a few years. We've kind of lost touch now because he's got so big.

And is it true he's a nice lad?

J: He's lovely, yeah. I mean, I only worked with him for a couple of days and then I used to speak to his mum a lot - he's just a lovely, down to earth, normal guy!

What about you, Georgia, have you had any famous colleagues?

G: I was in the chorus of Joseph when Darren Day was in it. We all used to sit on stage giggling and going, 'Wow! Look at Darren Day!'

TV Hits Magazine September 1997

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Now that the less than law-abiding Battersbys have taken Weatherfield by storm, it's not so much a case of lock up your daughters as lock up the family silver!

TELEVISION debutante Georgia Taylor is the young actress who brings Janice's illegitimate daughter Toyah to life on our screens.

The 17-year-old was studying for her 'A'-Levels when she was offered the role of the tough-nut teenager. "I always wanted to be a professional actress and had done a lot of theatre work, mostly amateur plays," Georgia explains. "Then I auditioned for another role in Coronation Street but didn't get it. Fortunately the casting director kept me in mind when the part of Toyah came up and I was asked back for another audition.

"When I got the call to say that I'd got the part I was completely over-whelmed and thrilled," Georgia says. "I didn't dare dream what sort of work I might get as an actress, so being given a start like this was unbelievable.

"Toyah is an absolute dream to play because she's loud and rude - nothing like me at all!" Georgia assures us. "Playing her gives me the chance to do all the daring and cheeky things I would never do in real life, although I must admit that it was a bit strange at first when I had to act like a rebel.

"I had to film a scene where I was rude to Roy Cropper, who runs the cafe. He's such a feeble person that I felt really sorry for him when I was doing it. I had to remind myself I was just acting!"

My Weekly 30/08/1997

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Georgia Taylor, 17, has been so convincing as mouthy Toyah even her mum, Caroline tells her off.

'When I came home the other night she said that she had wanted to pull me out of that TV screen for talking to Percy Sugden like that,' she laughs... 'If my own mum starts believing it, then maybe it's really working,' says Georgia, who's thoughtful, articulate and much more softly spoken in real life than her TV counterpart.

Georgia studied drama at school in Wigan and joined a youth theatre before landing the part of Toyah, which is her first television role. ..'I was ecstatic when I got the part, still am,' she says... 'To start with, I kept thinking, "Oh my God it's Jack and Vera Duckworth". Then a couple of weeks later the novelty wore off and now it's Billy and Liz, actors that I work with.'

In real life Georgia's home is in Wigan and her parents, Caroline and Geoff, work in finance. ..'We used to always be broke,' Georgia says. ..'Now I really enjoy treating them and buying them presents and we go out for meals a lot.'

Georgia also has a brother, David, 15. ..'He doesn't always watch the Street,' she admits. ..'Although when I'm rollerblading on screen, he says, "you're dead naff on your rollerblades aren't you?"

So is Georgia ever, just a smidgen, like Toyah?.. 'Oh I can be,' she says with a mischievous smile. ..'There's a little bit of Toyah in me that comes out now and again. ..But I wouldn't ever steal,' she adds. ..'I couldn't live with my conscience.'

The TV Times 06/09/1997

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Sun makes Toffs of Corrie Street Slobs

HERE are Coronation Street yobs the Battersbys as you've never seen them before - after we turned telly's family from hell into a family of swells. Fans everywhere have been willing someone to clean up the TV trouble-makers since they swept into the Street last month. 

So The Sun took them by the scruffs of their necks, scrubbed them behind the ears and dolled them up to the nines. Then we whisked them from their Weatherfield terrace to a stately home and gave them a heady glimpse of the high life. And, as our fabulous pictures show, they were soon looking like a million dollars - and acting as if to the manor born.

Our amazing slob-to-toff transformation began with loutish Leanne, played by Jane Danson in the ITV soap. OUT went the youngster's second-hand Spice Girls look. IN came designer ballgowns, long gloves and a tiara.

Then we took on sister Toyah - actress Georgia Taylor - flinging out her scruffy jeans in favour of elegant evening dresses and coiffeured locks.

Mum Janice miraculously took on a royal air in a flowing gown that showed her curves. And, in minutes, dad Les was almost unrecognisable in a dinner suit, top hat and tails - a world away from his usual crumpled jeans.

But Bruce Jones, who plays the workshy shirker on TV, claimed the palatial surroundings at Tatton Park, near Knutsford, Cheshire, would prove too great a temptation for the downmarket Battersbys. 

Bruce, 44, said: "The Battersbys' idea of a day out is a trip to Blackpool - nothing like this. "To them, 'open house' means help yourself - and they'd leave here with plenty more than they arrived with." But he grinned: "Les's suits are fantastic. He's sure lovely neighbour Sam would fall for him looking so posh."

Actresses Jane and Georgia said tearaways Leanne and Toyah would HATE their swanky new image. Georgia, 17, said: "Toyah would be scrawling graffiti on the walls and dropping fag ends on the manicured lawn. "She'd complain like mad about the dresses being too tight and frumpy and she'd be dying to get back into her jeans and tops."

Eighteen-year-old Jane declared: "Leanne would be bored to death in no time and ruin her dresses with a water fight in the fountain. "These outfits aren't nearly tarty and tacky enough for her liking."

The Sun 02/08/1997

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Exclusive: Weatherfield's Wild Rovers Leanne and Toyah Prove They're a Class Act

They're feisty, funky and full of cheek ... and they're bringing Girl Power to Coronation Street. They're Weatherfield's teenage strife girls Leanne and Toyah Battersby - the top soap's secret weapon guaranteed to spice up the ratings. And residents are in for some real shocks after the new kids on the block made their TV debut last week - complete with yob parents Les and Janice.

Sexy Jane Danson, 18, who plays tearaway Leanne, said: "They certainly came in with a bang. It was a case of `oh my god they're here'. "They're very different to anyone else on the show. Leanne's loud, cheeky and in yer face. "She's very cocky, doesn't give a toss and does what she wants. She's just a lout coming in at three o'clock in the morning all the time. "She disrupts the Street with her loud music and she's always smoking and getting on everybody's nerves."

Baby-faced Georgia Taylor, 17, who plays Leanne's younger step-sister Toyah, adds: "Toyah's gobby and cocky and makes her parents' life a misery. "But it's brilliant playing her, it's more fun than playing somebody nice." 

The shocking new family designed to shake-up the Street are the brain- child of Scots producer Brian Park. Wheeler dealer dad Les - actor Bruce Jones - has a criminal record and spent six months in Strangeways for handling stolen goods. Mum Janice, who has also been in prison for fraud, has already appeared as a machinist in Mike Baldwin's factory. She's shrewd and street- wise, but mouthy Janice hasn't learnt any lessons from her time spent inside.

The girls, who are half-sisters, are known to police for their under- age drinking exploits as well as crimes such as theft and burglary. Leanne, Les's daughter from his first marriage, mirrors Spice Girl Geri Halliwell because of her blonde- streaked hair. Meanwhile, Toyah is Janice's daughter from a teenage fling and looks similar to Baby Spice Emma Bunton.

They have all moved into taxi driver Don Brennan's old house after being re- housed by the council. It took wardrobe three hours to dye Jane's hair to deliberately look like an amateur home- job and create Leanne's tarty look by painting her nails with chipped blue nail varnish teamed with skimpy clothes and even a love bite.
Jane - who won the role after being spotted in ITV drama The Grand as the put- upon maid - said: "She's like a second-hand Spice Girl, who can't afford to go the whole way. "But she wouldn't think twice about nicking clothes if she had the chance."

Georgia, who makes her acting debut on the show, added: "I hate the clothes, they show a bit too much flesh for me, but they're great for Toyah." For our sexy photo-shoot, the Record transformed the girls beyond recognition by dolling them up in our glamorous clothes. But off-screen, Jane and Georgia are a far cry from their bad-girl characters. Jane - who still lives with her parents in Manchester and has an older brother and sister - giggled:"I have always been a good girl. "I was a school prefect and everything. I used to work really hard at school so I could get time off to do acting jobs. I'd never dare shoplift like Leanne. I'm not that sort of person. I'm a real worrier. I would feel guilty even thinking about it."

Newcomer Georgia was equally gob-smacked when she landed the role of Toyah. Georgia, who lives in Wigan with her parents and 14-year-old brother, said: "I was just completely in shock. "My parents have been really supportive and don't mind if I stay overnight in Manchester. My dad worries about the fame aspect and how I will cope with it. But they think I am mature enough to handle it and will make sure I keep my feet on the ground." Georgia added: "My brother is really excited and has told everyone at school. I've told him I'll buy him a really posh cricket bat when I get paid and he keeps asking when he's getting his bat."

Georgia also landed the role after auditioning for the part of Zoe. She first got into acting after taking a GCSE in drama and going on to star in her school productions before signing up with an agency. But unlike her squeaky clean co-star, Georgia admits she did have one memorable run- in with her mum. She recalled: "I got my nose pierced. I asked my mum if I could have it done and she said no - so I did it anyway." When I came home with it, my mum just laughed. I realised I'd gone against her wishes but, once we'd talked it all through, she appreciated where I was coming from."

At school, Georgia was always getting into trouble for yapping. She said: "I wasn't especially naughty at school, but I was always being told to shut up by my teachers because I was too chatty. "I would have liked to have been in the same class as Toyah, because you know she would cause trouble and just have a laugh. "Secretly, I think everyone would like to behave like Toyah does."

Daily Record 18/07/1997

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Corrie's casting director Judi Hayfield tells Jon Peake how she found the family from hell...

"We talked about bringing in a new family a long time ago. We wanted them to be rough, like the Ogdens and the Duckworths were in their early days. The family from hell is probably the best way to describe them!

We'd already introduced Janice Battersby, played by Vicky Entwistle, and she'd made an immediate impact, so we thought it would be good if there was a Mr Battersby too.

I had Bruce Jones in mind for Les, the dad, from the start. Then we started looking for the girls. In this case, it was before we'd even written the scripts. We had no specific look in mind. At the end of the day, we always go for the best actors.

When we were auditioning for the part of Zoe Tattershall, I kept my eyes open for the Battersby girls. We didn't say we were looking to cast a new family - it can be unnerving for youngsters and you probably wouldn't get their best.

I had an idea of what the girls would look like by this time. We found two terrific girls - Jane Danson (Leanne), who was great in The Grand and Children's Ward, and Georgia Taylor (Toyah) who'd done lots of youth theatre.

When we thought we'd found the right girls, I worked hard with them, videoed them, recalled them again, did some huge improvisations, and showed the tapes to producer Brian Park.

We decided on Jane, so we got her, Bruce and Vicky together. Then we called in Georgia again and she was brilliant. We now had our family.

It was exciting bringing a new family into the show - especially as I've not done it since we found the McDonalds in the late 80s.

I've been casting here on and off since 1972, so it's really hard to pick out particular characters that I'm most proud of - Barbara Knox, Fred Feast, Denise Welch, Michael Le Vell, Matthew Marsden, Anne Kirkbride... there are so many.

But I think the Battersbys are terrific, and we're going to have plenty of fun with them!"

Inside Soap Magazine 28th June - 11th July 1997

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Corrie veteran Bill Waddington gives two new stars of the soap some words of advice on the day he announced he is to quit the Street. 

Bill - who plays Percy Sugden - chatted to Jane Danson, left, and Georgia Taylor amid claims he was leaving because he believed there was too much sex on the show. 

Fan Louisa Brettell, 62 - who's seen every episode - has also turned off in disgust at the new sexy stories.

Daily Record 12/06/1997

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