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Former Coronation Street star Georgia Taylor has said she could reinvent her character Toyah Battersby if she returned to the soap.

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Stars Georgia Taylor and Ben Turner reveal all about their explosive departures and Casualty leaving its Bristol home...

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Georgia Taylor reveals secrets about Ruth's final Casualty episode

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As a fire rages through Holby City ED, stars Georgia Taylor and Ben Turner tell Inside Soap that they're happy to be going out with a bang...                             

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Georgia Taylor tells us why she's leaving Casualty

Total TV Guide 26/11/2011

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Casualty's Ruth and Jay face a personal dilemma before they say goodbye

TV Choice Magazine and Website 26/11/2011

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Georgia Taylor explains how her character Ruth reacts when she discovers she’s expecting Jay’s child in Casualty

What's On TV Website Interview 17/11/2011

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3rd Interview with Digital Spy website

Which storyline are you most proud of from the past year of Casualty?

"The highlight for me has been the Ruth story and her descent into serious illness and then her recovery. I liked it because it took a long time to play out. I also think it surprised the audience because it wasn't quite what they were expecting, so when they saw Ruth getting married to Edward, they wouldn't have necessarily known where it was heading. But we knew all along and it was quite satisfying to see the audience going along on the journey. So that was probably my highlight, and I also liked the fact that Charlie was very involved in the story."

Do you have a favourite episode from the last year?

"I think it would be the one where we spent the whole episode in the psychiatric ward with Ruth. Partly because I think it was the best script that had been written in a long time, partly because it was very well directed, and also because Georgia Taylor, Derek Thompson and Matthew Kelly are such fantastic actors so it was lovely to see them have the room to take up a whole episode."

Does Ruth's journey still have some way to go?

"She's definitely on her way to recovery and she will get better. But it'll take a bit of time and it's important to show that people don't get better overnight, otherwise it would just look like we were doing it for cheap value."

It's Casualty's 25th anniversary in September, so can you tell us anything about what's in store for it?

"The 25th anniversary will give us a lovely chance to look at some of the favourite moments and characters in Casualty over the years, but I can't confirm any details at the moment. There's a lot happening at that time as we're also moving production to Cardiff, so our main priority is to achieve that with minimum disruption to everybody - including the viewers. The audience won't necessarily notice the change - the fictional hospital is staying in the same place - but there are some big episodes coming up towards it and just afterwards. And we have several new characters arriving and one or two departing, so there's going to be quite a bit of change heading towards and just after the 25th anniversary."

Are there any plans on the horizon for Casualty to be broadcast in HD?

"Yes! Just before the move to Cardiff, it will start being filmed and broadcast in HD. For the super-vigilant fans, episode 15 and 16 of the new series will see the start of filming in HD."

Some of the fans seem to be slightly concerned about the move to Cardiff and whether it could result in cast departures. Can you give any reassurances over that?

"There will be some changes in the make-up of the cast leading up to and after the move to Cardiff, but the heart of the show will remain exactly the same. The show won't look that different - it's still set in Holby. All the road signs will still be in English and it will still be the same show. It may look slightly different and the set will be slightly bigger, but the vast majority of the cast are staying. Some are not, but most are staying."

On future storylines...

How about Ruth and Jay?

"There's a big storyline planned for Ruth and Jay. I don't want to give away too much about what it is, but fans of Ruth and Jay will not be disappointed."

Finally, which other characters should we be keeping an eye on over the next few months?

"Keep an eye on Adam over the next few months because his descent into darkness becomes very pronounced. Watch Dylan as we'll get to know him a little bit better and find out what makes him tick. And also, look out for Ruth as she comes back to the department. We'll get to know Linda a little bit better and we'll resolve the issue with Tess and her job. And we've got quite a lot of good stunts leading up until the end of the series…"

Extracts from Digital Spy Website Interview 06/07/2011

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Troubled Ruth returns to work

When Ruth Winters began performing a brain operation on an unsuspecting girl, you knew her days on Casualty's ED were numbered. Psychotic Ruth was sectioned and she's struggled through a rollercoaster recovery ever since.

But this week, after months off the ward, Ruth returns and seems her old, confident self, talking the talk in an interview to reinstate her as a doctor.

'But this is something Ruth will have to cope with for the rest of her life,' warns Georgia Taylor who plays the troubled medic. 'The recovery process comes in fits and starts.'

This is certainly the case on Ruth's return. When a young stroke victim needs treatment, she cracks under pressure. 'It's going to take a long time for Ruth to deal with it and there's some interesting stuff coming up,' reveals Georgia.

The 31-year-old actress researched Ruth's breakdown carefully. 'I was in danger of offending people if I got it wrong,' she says. 'So I had a lot of help from a psychiatrist and a mental-health worker. They were both fans of Casualty, too, so they were excited to help.'

After working solidly on those early, distressing scenes, Georgia had a well-earned rest from the series. 'I caught up with family and friends I hadn't seen for ages,' she says.

Now she's back and refreshed, Georgia hopes her storyline is having a lasting impact. 'I just hope people see some sort of truth in it,' she says. 

Your TV Week magazine 25/06/2011

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With Casualty's Dr Ruth suffering a mental breakdown, former Corrie actress Georgia Taylor, who plays the role, fills us in on the traumatic storyline...

Why hasn't Ruth got help before?

She's under the false impression you can't be a doctor and also be on medication.

Will we see her get better?

Yes, she's in the psychiatric unit for about three months, but her recovery comes in fits and starts.

Ruth has been pretty nasty. How do the public react to you?

My mum's the worst. She'll ring up and say, "I wanted to smack you on Saturday night".

How was it working with Matthew Kelly?

He's such a nice man and we managed a giggle even though the stuff we were going was heavy going.

Have you found it difficult filming these scenes?

I had two advisors who talked me through every line in the script, but I've just been working solidly. I said to my family and friends, "I'm sorry. All I can do is work at the moment".

Daily Mirror We Love Telly Magazine 05/02/2011

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Ruth's struggle against her demons is compelling viewing

It will be news to no one that the difficulties faced by soaps in tackling social issues have been highlighted recently be EastEnders' ill-advised but well-meant exploration of cot death. In the aftermath of such a stinging own goal, you wouldn't blame soap producers for retreating from the real world and its ills to some melodramatic wonderland in which problems are caused by evil twins with amnesia or passing aliens.

But this would be an easy abdication of responsibility and if there was ever a continuing drama that relied on the real world's ills for its subject matter, it's Casualty. While long criticised for losing the political edge that characterised its early years, and mocked for presenting the audience with prospective patients at each episode's outset (the man up the shaky ladder, the distracted woman applying lipstick while driving), it still engages audiences while addressing difficult issues in a way that only continuing drama can.

These issues include the mental health problems of Ruth Winters. A troubled soul since she first appeared in 2007, Ruth has now been sectioned. Series producer Oliver Kent says it's a moment towards which the series has been building for 18 months. "Struggle has always been part of Ruth's character," he says, "and while mental health problems can strike out of the blue in reality, drama requires we see the build-up."

Hence, Casualty has liaised with a consultant psychiatrist, a psychiatric nurse and mental health charity Mind in order to make Ruth's situation as authentic as possible. Marjorie Wallace, chief executive of another charity, SANE, is by and large impressed with soap's depictions of mental health issues - singled out EastEnders' treatment of Stacey's bipolar disorder for special praise - and applauds Casualty's commitment to the subject.

"What is remarkable," says Wallace, "is that they have developed the story from Ruth's attempted suicide [two] years earlier and returned to it after Ruth notionally recovered. Soaps can develop a storyline in the same way mental health problems develop - over time. So they can show a person being brilliant, witty and charming - and also sometimes disturbed and struggling to keep there demons at bay. It's important that soaps show mental illness as part of everyday life because that's what it is."

Of course, being sectioned is not the end for Ruth. "The most important part of her story is her recovery, which won't be quick and won't be easy," promises Oliver Kent. But it will, he hopes, continue to be compelling viewing.

At a time when soaps are criticised for sensationally exploiting suffering, it's salutary to remember that sometimes - most of the time, in fact - they err on the side of sensitivity. Even if, inevitably, it means misery for their characters.

Casualty 8.50pm BBC1

At the end of the last episode but one, Ruth had to be dragged from the ED screaming after her mental health problems boiled over in harrowing fashion. We rejoin her in a specialist unit, where her psychiatrist (Matthew Kelly), tries to understand the roots of her problem.

The episode starts with frantic, hand-wringing, mascara-stained scenes of the kind that beg to be replayed at awards shows, but it's worth sticking around: this develops into a sad, powerful story with gripping scenes between Kelly and the always intense, always watchable Georgia Taylor as Ruth, who becomes increasingly haunted by a strange case from her past. 

Radio Times 05/02/2011

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Actress Georgia Taylor talks us through her troubled alter ego's first step towards recovery...

Ruth Winters is admitted to Holby City Hospital's psychiatric ward this week, after being sectioned following her recent breakdown. But as she fights to make the doctors believe there's nothing wrong with her, will the medic eventually relent and accept the help that she so desperately needs?

"Although it was two weeks ago on screen that Ruth was sectioned, we pick up where we last saw her," explains Georgia Taylor, who plays the troubled doctor. "The viewers will watch Ruth over a period of eight days. She talks to her psychiatrist, and through flashbacks we see her dealing with a patient who she found particularly tricky. That becomes important to unlocking Ruth's story."

As well as the time spent with her psychiatrist, Andrew, Ruth is also treated by her former colleague Charlie, who she recently had transferred out of the ED for her own spiteful reasons.

"I thought that was a nice touch, having Charlie helping Ruth," shares Georgia. "I've really enjoyed filming the scenes with Derek Thompson, who plays him. It feels like we've been off doing our own little film, because we've not been in the Casualty studio for three months. We've had a separate location to work in."

After calling colleague Tess and begging to be rescued, Ruth finally starts to cooperate with the psychiatric team. But while she manages to forge a bond with a fellow patient, she ultimately finds her stay on the ward quite distressing.

"Ruth does strike up a friendship with a fellow patient, a tortured musician called Jim," says Georgia. "But for the first part of the episode, she's in complete denial about what's going on - she doesn't understand why she's there. She becomes aggressive and lashes out because she's so frightened about what's happening to her."

It's set to be a slow road to recovery for Ruth, but Georgia reveals that Casualty wants to portray the reality of living with serious mental health problems.

"This is something Ruth will have to cope with for the rest of her life now," the actress tells us. "It's going to take a long time for her to deal with it, and there's certainly some interesting stuff coming up over the next few months..."

Inside Soap 05/02/2011

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Georgia was left black and blue after dramatic scenes

She might play a doctor in Casualty but Georgia Taylor was left looking as if she needed medical attention herself after filming for the BBC series. A punishing shooting schedule for this week's dramatic episode left Georgia, who plays troubled doc Ruth Winters, covered in painful bruises.

The injuries occurred during a long day's filming, as the mental heath issues that have been plaguing Ruth come to a shocking head. 

Viewers have watched her character's increasingly erratic and unpredictable behavior over the past few month. "Last week, she got hammered at a nightclub and tried to get it on with a guy, which is so out of character," explains Georgia. "There are real consequences to that and, without giving anything away, there's a scene where she gets manhandled. It was really distressing. It took about eight hours to film and I was covered in bruises the next day. You have to shoot it from different angles and it was quite harrowing."

"You're so exhausted when all this is going on that you just go home and have a cup of tea. Booze was totally off the menu. Socialising had to be saved for the weekend as you were just getting ready for the next day."

"The funny thing is that you do so much shouting and crying and screaming that you let out things you didn't even know were there. So, you actually feel quite calm and floaty by the end of the day. You just want to sleep!"

The sad decline of Ruth has gripped viewers and Georgia says she spoke to a lot of real-life mental heath professionals to help get it looking right.

Although it's a serious matter on screen, Georgia admits she has to find light away from the shade when the camera's stop rolling. "Once scenes stop, you can't keep it going," she says. "With this mental health storyline, I've been working with Derek Thompson a lot and we have a giggle.

"I've been the most knackered I've ever been filming this stuff and it's not the kind of material that's a walk in the park. It's very full on and even if you are just having a five-minute break when they're setting up lighting, you need to go and have a laugh."

Georgia has settled in Bristol, base for the BBC drama, during filming and says that she now regards the city as a second home, something she never reckoned she'd feel, as she loves Manchester. She's still known, of course, for her long run filming back home as Toyah Battersby in Coronation Street.

"It's a bit of both now as far as what people recognise me from," she confides. "Along with EastEnders, Corrie's the biggest show in the country, so there's obviously going to be more people who know me from that than from this. But I do get people calling me Toyah and calling me Ruth and I actually get very excited if someone recognises me from a job other than Corrie or Casualty.

"I'm still so glad that I left Corrie, as much as I absolutely loved my time there. I have so much affection for the show, I really do, but I don't think I could imagine myself still being there. "It was definitely the right time to go and I was only 22 when I left so it wasn't like I had any big responsibilities. I could afford to be selfish and say that if I didn't work for a bit, it wouldn't be the end of the world, as I didn't have a family to feed. 

"I went back up for the big 50th anniversary party and it was so overwhelming because there were literally hundreds of people. There were people I hadn't seen for years and they were so welcoming. Liz Dawn and Bill Tarmey were giving me hugs. They've worked with so many people, I'm touched they remembered who I was!"

The Weekly News 22/01/2011

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Georgia Taylor , 30, Casualty Actress

Who eats what? Our food guru is on a mission to find out...

Georgia

"The last few months have been pretty busy at work as my character, Ruth, has had some tough storylines. It's meant some long days, so for breakfast I'll grab a cup of tea and a banana to keep up my energy levels up. Lunch is often a sandwich, but I'll have something bigger like chicken and vegetables for dinner. I try to snack healthily, but I love Thai sweet chilli crisps. I reckon moderation is a good idea, so indulging yourself from time to time doesn't do any harm.

Nutritionist Amanda Ursell's verdict

"When you get busy, it's vital to eat healthily, Georgia's sandwich lunch is fine, though she should opt for wholemeal bread with lots of lean beef, chicken or salmon to keep her energy levels up for the afternoon. Since Georgia loves crisps, she should consider swapping her usual brand for healthier options, such as baked or soya-style crisps. A daily multivitamin and mineral tablet will also help her get through this very busy time."

What Georgia Bought This Week:

Bananas Chicken Red peppers Thai sweet chilli crisps Tea bags Coffee Carrots Brocolli

Sun Buzz Magazine 22/01/2011

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As her character suffers a breakdown, actress Georgia Taylor explains what she's had to do her homework...

It's been obvious for a while that something's not quite right with Dr Ruth Winters, as she's struggled to cope with the collapse of her marriage. But this week it's made clear that the medic is suffering from more than just a broken heart, after she locks a mentally ill patient in the on-call room - and attempts to perform her own brand of brain surgery on the confused girl!

"Ruth's unhinged behavior has been building for month's now," shares Georgia Taylor, who plays her. "But in this episode, the audience sees that she's really broken down and completely lost her grip on reality. She's behaving quite strangely - her responses to situations aren't normal."

Since it became common knowledge that her estranged husband, Edward, is gay, Ruth's thrown herself into work to combat her pain and humiliation. her dictatorial attitude has infuriated her colleagues in the ED, but they finally twig that something is very wrong when she abducts patient Katy.

"By this point, Ruth is having what's called a psychotic episode - she's hearing voices," explains Georgia. "She's clearly unwell, but thinks she knows what's wrong with Katy - and when it seems the other doctors aren't listening to her, she takes it upon herself to treat her.

"Ruth brings the girl to the on-call room and locks them both inside," the actress adds. "She tells Katy that she's going to perform brain surgery to cure her. What she believes is wrong with the girl is actually a real medical condition. In this case, though, it's the wrong diagnosis.

As Ruth's colleagues realise what's going on and track her down, they face a race against time to talk her out of it before she begins to drill into the patient's head. Viewers are promised a dramatic climax to the episode - and Georgia reveals that she was thrilled to be given such a meaty story.

"I was excited about it, but also very nervous," admits the star. "It's a very big responsibility, and I'm in danger of offending an awful lot of people if I get it wrong. I had to do quite a bit of research to make sure I was getting things right."

"I had a lot of help from a husband-and-wife team called Colin and Sue Wilson," adds Georgia. "He's a psychiatrist and she's a mental health worker, and we had several meetings. They're both fans of Casualty, so I think they were excited to be involved."

Not only has this plot offered Georgia the chance to sink her teeth into something dramatic, but she's learnt a lot. "Colin and Sue explained a lot of things that I didn't know", she says. "For example, when people hear voices, they tend to hear them up in the corner of a room. That was really useful when I was playing the scenes."

There are a tough few months ahead for Ruth as she faces the consequences of her disturbing actions. But given that she hasn't made a lot of friends at work, will anyone be there to help her in her hour of need?

"There's some interesting stuff coming up between Ruth and Charlie," Georgia teases. It's a nice twist because she had him sent to work on the psych ward, and now she's going to need his help. He's a professional, so he won't let how she treated him affect his work."

In the three years she's been playing Ruth, Georgia's tackled many controversial storylines, including a suicide attempt. But while she knows her alter ego inside out now, she's not sure she'd want to sit down with her for a gossip and a glass of vino.

"Ruth's not much fun, is she?" she muses. "She certainly wouldn't be my first choice for a night out. I might try to bring her out of her shell, though. Underneath it all, you can see that Ruth is really vulnerable."

Mother Knows Best!

While Georgia enjoys getting feedback from Casualty's loyal viewers, it's her mum's opinion which counts for the most. "It's always interesting to hear what my mum thinks of Ruth," she grins. "Just before Christmas, when Ruth was making everyone's life a misery at work, she called me and said, 'I just want to slap her'!" But once the stuff with Edward took place, she started to feel sorry for her.

"Mum will always tell me when Ruth's being a bitch," adds Georgia. "I think she's quite a good barometer of what the audience might be thinking!".

Inside Soap Magazine 18/01/2011

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With two of Casualty's biggest stories reaching their shocking conclusions, we talk to stars Georgia Taylor and Lucy Gaskell...

Ruth in meltdown

Ruth's storyline takes a shocking turn when she kidnaps a patient and tries to perform unassisted brain surgery on her, having misdiagnosed her condition.

'Ruth suffers from bipolar disorder and has a psychotic episode where she completely loses her grip on reality', explains Georgia. 'She identifies with a young girl suffering with schizophrenia who comes into the hospital. They're kindred spirits in that they're both suffering but neither can understand why.'

Georgia admits she felt a huge responsibility having such a sensitive storyline. 'I did hours and hours of research with husband-and-wife team Sue, a mental heath worker, and Colin, a psychiatrist,' she says. 'Ruth has a severe form of mental illness, given the circumstances of her childhood and how much she's gone through in recent years. her breakdown is disturbing to watch.'

Despite the pressure, Georgia reveals that tackling such a difficult storyline is an actor's dream. 'It's absolutely knackering and there are times when all I wanted to do was sleep for a week,  but that's why you do the job - you want to be challenged. I love playing Ruth. She's so different to me and to any other character I've ever taken on'

Extracts from Lucy Gaskell's part of the article.

Lucy admits the scenes [Kirsty's domestic violence] were draining to film but tells us she was lucky to have her old school friend and cast-mate Georgia to compare notes with. 'We'd be passing the baton to each other, going into work crying every day, saying: "Your turn tomorrow, love", she laughs. 'It's really nice that as pals we were going through the same things.'

Georgia agrees: 'I was so excited when Lucy joined the show but then we found that we were the two busiest people in the cast working on completely different storylines. "There was a mutual understanding, though. We were in exactly the same predicament, just on opposite sides of Bristol!'

Extracts from What's next? - an exclusive look ahead to what's coming up...

Charlie Returns 

Charlie Fairhead (Derek Thompson) vanished from the A&E when Ruth got him sent to a different department, but he'll soon be back playing a key part in her recovery. They'll also be the focus of two red button episodes in March.

Will they, won't they?

Will there be a happy ending for Ruth and ex-boyfriend Jay? 'There's always hope for them, although that doesn't necessarily mean to say that they'll be happy... but they might!' teases producer Oliver Kent.

TV Times Magazine 18/01/2011

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Georgia Taylor tells us of the difficulties in filming a storyline about her Casualty character Ruth suffering a mental breakdown

This week's episode sees Ruth becoming manic and starting to hear imaginary voices. Was it hard to relax after those scenes?

I never felt depressed going home after those days, but I was exhausted. You have to get yourself so emotional and angry and aggressive, it's almost like some weird form of therapy. By the end of the day, you're sort of trance-like, and a bit floaty. I actually just wanted a cup of tea, and to sleep for a week.

Did it require a very different type of acting?

In two weeks, we've got a big mental-health special, which is set in a psychiatric unit. That was very physical, because Ruth is being restrained, and I was covered in bruises for ages afterwards.

How did you research the story?

We had two advisors called Colin and Sue Wilson, who are a husband and wife team. They're quite eccentric, but absolutely brilliant. He's a psychiatrist and she's a mental-health worker, and they were really excited and passionate about the story. They'd been on board for months, and had already been working with the writers. I sat with them for hours, and we went through the scripts, literally line by line.

Considering she's a doctor, is Ruth prone to diagnosing herself?

Yes, but I think she's in denial. If she were treating someone who is bipolar, she would absolutely encourage them to get help and medication. But when it comes to herself, she has a skewed view of things. She thinks it's impossible to be a doctor and also be on medication.

Do you know anyone who's suffered from mental-health problems?

Certainly, I think we've all come across someone who is bipolar. They may not have had manic episodes, but they've lived with depression. What was really interesting was the amount of people who came up to me at work and said something like, 'My sister was sectioned'. I found it extraordinary how many have been affected.

Total TV Guide Magazine 18/01/2011

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Georgia Taylor, Casualty

When Ruth starts hearing imaginary voices saying, 'Help me!' in Casualty it's clear she's unwell. And her colleagues realise she’s mentally unstable when she locks herself in a room with a patient, and begins an unauthorised cranial operation. Georgia Taylor, who plays Ruth, carried out in-depth research into bipolar disorder, and here she tells TV Choice what’s in store for her character…

Do you hope this story will educate viewers about the difficulties of dealing with mental health problems?

I don’t want to get on my soapbox and say, ‘I hope we’re teaching people things,’ because I don’t know if we are, frankly. I hope people see some sort of truth in it, believe it, and don’t think I’m dreadful.

I think the recovery part of the story is interesting, and that maybe will help people. More so than the early stuff, which is where Ruth is psychotic — that’s not so common. Not everyone who’s bipolar has a psychotic episode. It’s really important that we stress that. Her situation is unique. We’re not saying that everybody goes out and gets a knife and wants to operate on people.

Are we going to see Ruth get better?

Yes, she’s in the psychiatric unit for about three months, which is good, they haven’t rushed her back to work and said everything’s fine. What is also interesting is the recovery process, which comes in fits and starts. There are episodes where it seems like she’s having a breakthrough, and then she’ll have a relapse, which I think is the way it is. It’s very difficult to treat mental illness and to pinpoint exactly what the problem is and what the treatment is for that person.

It’s very individual — it’s about having perseverance and trust in the professionals taking care of you, and she’s never been gracious about receiving help. So you know that you’ve got a battle on your hands, and at times, she’s deceitful about whether she’s taking her pills or not.

It must have been difficult to film scenes of Ruth breaking down. So have you had much rest recently?

Honestly, I’ve just been working solidly. I did have a few months when I said to my family and friends, ‘I’m really sorry, all I can do is work at the moment.’ But my mum and dad are really sweet. They always say, ‘Just look after yourself — eat properly and get enough sleep.’

So my priority was going to bed early, but also doing nice things at the weekend with friends or with my boyfriend. Of course, it’s important that you don’t become a complete hermit and lose a grip on reality. But also, I knew from talking to the series producer Oliver Kent that it would be a very intense period for about three months, and then it would lighten.

Do your parents live up north?

Yeah, they’re in Wigan.

And you’re based in Bristol?

Yeah, it’s a bit of a trek — I spend a lot of time on the M6. I have had some holiday, though. I just spent time in Bristol, London and Wigan. I caught up with cousins and aunties, and people I hadn’t seen for ages — obviously, my mum and dad, my brother and his girlfriend. But there’s still a massive list of people I want to see.

This will create sympathy for Ruth, but in the past she’s been pretty nasty to people. So do you ever get any stick from the public?

Only people being playful. My mum’s the worst one — she’ll ring up and say, ‘I wanted to smack you on Saturday night.’ She’s terrible. But people love to hate a character. It would be a bit boring if everyone was just nice. I’ve never had anybody taking it too far or being threatening. People just say, ‘Oh God, she’s awful, isn’t she?’

But they’re still surprisingly sympathetic. People can flip from one to week to the next, and my mum is the same. One week she’ll say, ‘Oh, you were vile to Charlie’ and then the next she’ll say, ‘I was sobbing.’ Ruth is so unpredictable and people respond to that.

In future episodes, Matthew Kelly plays Ruth’s psychiatrist. Were you ever on his old show, Stars In Their Eyes?

No, I was one of the few [from Corrie] who never did it. I loved to watch it, but I’m not really a singer, and even if I was a singer I don’t know if I’d do it.

But I’ve met Matthew Kelly quite a few times. The last time was about two years ago on The Paul O’Grady Show. He was on with his son, who’s also an actor. Paul had us do some daft thing, like putting some foam on a balloon and shaving them until they popped.

So we had to go from that to saying, ‘Hi, you’re playing my psychiatrist today.’ But he’s a joy, he’s such a nice man, and we did manage to have a giggle — even though the stuff we were doing was heavy going.

TV Choice Magazine Online 18/01/2011

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Another Lonely Christmas In Casualty

Lincolnshire Echo 04/12/2010

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The Casualty doctor is mad about Claudia and smitten by Corrie

Which TV series would you take to a desert island?

The whole Coronation Street back catalogue, all 50 years of it. I spend some formative years on the Street playing Toyah Battersby and have a great affection for it. Plus, I'd get to see two of my best friends - Jane Danson [who plays Leanne] and Jennie McAlpine [who plays Fiz] - so I wouldn't feel quite so lonely.

What's your guilty TV pleasure?

If I've got the afternoon off, I watch Coach Trip while on the cross-trainer at the gym. Tour guide Brendan was born for TV. I also love America's Next Top Model for Tyra Banks, who doesn't seem to be a real person. In a fabulous way, of course.

Who was your first TV crush?

When I was ten, I went through a phase of fancying Jeff Goldblum, which, now I think about it, was kind of sleazy. Hw was tall and with that deep voice...

What's your fondest childhood memory of TV?

Despite the fact most of the innuendo went over my head, it would have to be the likes of 'Allo 'Allo! and the Carry On films. We sat down as a family to watch them, and anything that made my parents laugh made me laugh. We had a Saturday night ritual of getting fish and chips and sitting down to watch 'Allo 'Allo!

Who from TV would you invite to a dinner party?

I have a bit of a girl-crush on Claudia Winkleman. She's as mad as a box of frogs, but naturally very sexy. And Julie Walters and Jim Broadbent, because I just think they're amazing. And Gok Wan.

What's your favourite film?

I'm a big Johnny Depp fan so it would have to be What's Eating Gilbert Grape? It's an honest, lovely story about a small community and relationships. It makes me cry and giggle every time I see it.

When was the last time you shouted at the TV or radio?

It was the Britain's Got Talent final in 2009. I really wanted Diversity to win, because they were really inspirational and I knew Subo would be OK anyway. So I whooped with delight when they won.

Would you go on a celebrity reality show?

Over the years, I've been asked to participate in a lot, but it's not something I'm interested in. The only one I'd consider is Strictly, as you learn a skill and I'd love to be able to dance. But it would freak me out being filmed all the time and being voted for - or not.

What do you listen to on the radio?

I have a £5.99 clock radio in my kitchen and I flit between Chris Evans and Chris Moyles, and I like Sara Cox. On my iPod, I've got Kings of Leon and a lot of female angst - Tori Amos, Fiona Apple that sort of thing.

You starred in musical drama Blackpool with Davids Tennant and Morrissey. Do you have a karaoke song?

I don't do karaoke and I can't bear when people with a good voice show off with a ballad. I don't want to sit there nursing a drink while someone warbles through Mariah Carey's Hero. I much prefer dancing.

You've been in Casualty since 2007, but do you ever still get called Toyah?

I left Coronation Street seven-and-a-half years ago, but I still get recognised more for it than for Casualty - even in Bristol where everyone watches Casualty [and where the drama is filmed]. It's flattering but mind-boggling because physically I'm really different now. In Corrie I was 17 playing a 14-year-old and 22 when I left. Whatever job you're in at that age, you look back fondly, but it really does make me smile thinking about it still. It does seem like another life entirely.

Radio Times Magazine 04/12/2010

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Ruth's horrified to discover that her husband is gay!

Ruth Winters gets the shock of her life this week, when she realises that husband Edward Thurlow has been cheating on her - with a man! But as Georgia Taylor, who plays the medic, reveals, the discovery is only the beginning of her alter ego's problems...

"I've just shot some scenes which were the hardest I've ever had to do in my life," says the actress. "Ruth is mentally unwell, and the stuff I've just done is very dramatic - it's due to air early next year. There's no joy in sight for Ruth anytime soon."

Ruth discovers her husband's betrayal just as she's hoping to inject some much-needed life into their relationship. After preparing a romantic meal for her and Edward, she's horrified when her spouse sneaks in with his male lover...

"Deep down, Ruth knows the marriage is falling apart," sighs Georgia. "Edward arrives home with his boyfriend, James, unaware that Ruth's sat in the dark waiting for him - they don't realise that she's seen them. Ruth is in complete and utter shock.

As the secret lovers head upstairs, the devastated doctor takes to the streets of Holby for a run to clear her head. "I had to do a night shoot around Bristol on a Friday," Georgia recalls. "It must have been a strange sight for anyone who was out drinking, seeing this film crew with a rain machine. And while Ruth's out she stumbles upon an injured woman - as is often the case in Casualty!"

Ruth accompanies her patient to the ED, but when Edward arrives with James - who's his surgical trainee - by his side, the weight of the betrayal becomes too much. "Ruth's horrified to see them," shares Georgia, "But she can't bring herself to confront them."

And the medic's not the only one who's clocked that something is going on, with Charlie having caught the pair enjoying a clinch in the cupboard. However, his offer of sympathy doesn't go down too well...

"When it transpires that Charlie knows Edward's a cheat, Ruth's even more upset," Georgia tells us. "She worries that he might have told other people in the department, and she directs all her anger and frustration at him. She feels betrayed by everyone."

Shotgun Wedding!

Viewers were stunned when Ruth tied the knot with Edward, given that she'd only known him for a matter of weeks and still had feelings for her former flame, Jay. And they weren't the only ones...

"I found it hard to believe that Ruth would marry a man so quickly," confesses Georgia. "I've always been open with the producers about that - I thought it was a bit bonkers. But sometimes you just have to trust that the writers know where they're going, and hope that it all makes sense eventually."

Inside Soap Magazine 09/11/2010

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Will Jay and Ruth ever get back together?

"Well… Who knows? The story's not over yet. There's a lot further to go. There is some good and some very bad news coming to both of them. In a few weeks' time, those who love Ruth are in for a bit of a treat. There's a big surprise for Jay, too."


What have you planned for Ruth? Don't you think she should get a love interest?

"Ruth's desperate to prove that her life's moved on from Jay. Her story takes a surprising turn when she meets a handsome surgeon called [Edward Thurlow] - played by Stephen Billington. Sadly, though, I don't think she's over Jay. The consequences of her upcoming decisions will live with her through the end of this series and into the next."

And for Series 25…

There's the aftermath of a fairly awful series of events in our feature-length opening episode in which we also introduce a new character - junior nurse Madiha Durrani (played by Hasina Haque) finding her way into British life.

Jordan wants to be more hands-on with surgery again.

There's a surprisingly traumatic series of events for Jeff the paramedic, which puts his marriage with Dixie under strain.

The aftereffects of Ruth's sudden romance come home to roost - it'll be a very big series for her.

We learn more about Kirsty's home life.

And Noel gets a crush on Madiha.

Extracts from full interview on Digital Spy Website June 15th 2010

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Georgia is best known as Dr Ruth Winters in Casualty and Toyah Battersby in Coronation Street.

If I could change anything about myself I’d...

worry less about what other people think of me.

You may not know it but I’m no good at...

gardening. I literally look at a plant and it dies.

Last thing at night I always...

remove every single scrap of make-up and whack a ton of moisturiser on. I know it sounds really Goody Two-Shoes but I can't bear waking up in the morning with my eyes stuck to the pillow.

When I'm feeling down...

if I'm listening to the good angel on my shoulder, I'll exercise. Failing that I just eats lots of nice food.

My “happy place” is...

in my big wooden sleigh bed with its really thick memory-foam mattress, which I call "the cloud", in my new house in Bristol. It's so hard to get out of in the morning but I love it.

My best friend is...

I have a small group of really wonderful best girlfriends in Bristol and Manchester, so I can't pick out one person.

The best thing my parents taught me is...

good manners. I was as good as gold as a kid, before I started developing opinions.

If I can, I always try to avoid...

ABBA. I can't bear them. If I'm out in a club and hear Dancing Queen, I'd rather stuff my head down the toilet.

It’s not good for my image but I like...

Simon Cowell. I would love to go out for dinner with him. I don't fancy him at all but his confidence and charisma is attractive.

If I could pass any law it would be...

to make better provision for the elderly. There are people who have worked hard for this country and paid taxes their whole lives but they end up sadly neglected. We should do better than that.

I drive...

a six-year-old black Peugeot 206. I have fluffy dice and nodding pigs in the back and all kinds of random stuff, but I love it.

The song I can never get out of my head is...

Use Somebody by Kings Of Leon. I think their songs are just beautiful.

My biggest regret is...

dropping things too easily as a child. I had ballet lessons when I was very little, then piano lessons when I was 11, and played the cello for a bit as well as learning languages at school, but I always got bored too quickly.

My proudest moment was...

was my first night at the Royal Court. It was my first professional job in a well-respected theatre and I was working with fantastic people.

The shop I can't walk past without buying something is...

Space NK; it's the home of the devil!

The most expensive thing I’ve ever frittered money on is...

a Vivienne Westwood dress for an awards ceremony when I was 18. My friend talked me into it even though it didn't fit properly. Then I felt so self-conscious and rubbish in it that I've never worn it since.

My perfect Sunday is...

getting together with my boyfriend and some close friends and driving out to the country; then going for a walk and a big roast dinner in a country pub with pudding and coffee, the works.

Sunday Express 'S' Magazine April 4th 2010

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A Local TV star appeals to ladies to sign up for St Peter's Hospice Midnight Walk

Popular, local TV actress, Georgia Taylor is appealing to the women of Bristol to sign up and step out for St Peter’s Hospice brand new event The Midnight Walk.

The event which takes place on Saturday 17th July is aimed at women (over the age of 16) and aims to gather hundreds of walkers at Ashton Gate Stadium for a mass warm up before setting off on a 10m route at midnight through the city. 

Georgia said “This event is all about having a fun night out with your friends/family or work colleagues but also raising money for a very important local charity. Nobody really knows what a hospice does until they experience their specialised care and support first hand and you never know when you may need them. Everyone in the city will know someone who has been affected by cancer and many of those will have been cared for by St Peter’s Hospice so I am delighted to be able to support the Midnight Walk and hope everyone will sign up.” 

Maria Moon Park, Community Fundraiser organising the event said: “We are so grateful to Georgia for taking the time to visit the hospice to find out more about the work we do and why the Midnight Walk is such an important event to help us raise vital funds. The Midnight Walk is the chance to be a star for St. Peter’s Hospice and shine brightly: the brighter the better!  Everyone stepping out at midnight for St. Peter’s Hospice on July 17th will help us raise vital funds to enable us to continue our work in the community and at Brentry. Men can also play their part by helping out as volunteer marshals on the evening”

bristolmidnightwalk.co.uk 17/02/2010

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Actress Georgia Taylor says Ruth's heading for a miserable Xmas, but can Jay make her happy?

It's an emotional roller-coaster ride for Ruth during this year's festive season. It begins well enough, with the usually spiky junior doctor looking forward to the festivities with her brother Jonathon, who has moved into her flat. The two of them are working at repairing their relationship and she truly believes that she can get him off heroin.

'She actually thinks she might have some semblance of a family Christmas for the first time in a long time', explains Georgia Taylor, 29, who plays the complicated young woman. But the lure of drugs proves more powerful than a sister's love, and when Ruth leaves for work Jonathon searches her flat for valuables, pocketing their mother's engagement ring. He then goes to work as a male prostitute, but is robbed by his client who sustains an injury while trying to run away.

When the client turns up at the emergency department, seemingly the victim of a mugging himself, Ruth is shocked to discover he not only has Jonathon's phone, he also has their mother's ring. An angry confrontation with her brother follows, but Jonathon protests that he was trying to earn money to buy her a Christmas present. Shocked and confused, Ruth can't help but soften towards him.

'At this point she still won't believe Jonathon's done anything wrong, she doesn't want to, she's kidding herself', says Georgia of her character, who has a terrible track record with the men in her life. 'It's jay who is really pushing her to accept what's happening.'

Reality finally hits home when Ruth discovers Jonathon collapsed in the toilet, having injected himself in his feet to hide the track marks from her. Ever the professional, Ruth treats her brother but when he comes around she asks for her keys back, disowns him and spends Christmas alone.

When Boxing Day arrives Jay realises how lonely his former girlfriend truly feels. 'Jay is the one person who cares for her despite her flaws, of which there are many', she explains. 'Ruth is not the easiest person to have a relationship with, or even work with, but he understands and sees how vulnerable she is beneath her icy veneer.' Will Ruth allow herself to be comforted by the only man who has never let her down?

For Georgia, Christmas this year is all a bit like déjà vu as the actual Casualty episodes were filmed unseasonably earlier in the year. 'We had Christmas trees up in the studio in August! It was absolutely grim, I hated it', she groans. 'And it felt like they were up ages because they put them up before the Christmas episode and they were still there for the New Year episode. It felt like it was Christmas for three months. Now, obviously, it's nearly Christmas for real and I'm feeling like I've sort of had it!'

Quite where she'll be spending it has yet to be decided, says Georgia. 'I might be having Christmas at my house, probably just me and my boyfriend. But I haven't confirmed anything with my family - I've put my head in the sand and thought I've got ages yet', she laughs. 'I do like Christmas, I love all the food. It's an excuse to binge isn't it? It's got to be done!'

TV Quick Xmas Issue 2009

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The real-life storylines of Casualty's Ruth Winters

Penny-Pincher

"When I was three, I stole a penny sweet from a shop, but burst into tears outside. Mum took me back inside and paid the penny."

Rebel, Rebel

"I came home once with my nose pierced, even though my mum and dad said I couldn't have it done. But I've always had a good relationship with my parents." 

The Break-up

"We met in a nightclub - it was instant lust for both of us. [Georgia dated musician Mark Eyden for seven years.] He was shy, so it was me who did most of the running. But we were just too young when we met."

Goodbye Kitty 

"I love cats. I had two called Harry and Bo for six years, but when I moved to Bristol, I had to rehome them both. It was absolutely heartbreaking."

Street Shocker 

"My best and worst moment on Corrie was my first press call as Toyah Battersby. I was wearing a tiny pair of hot pants, and suddenly a load of photographers appeared. I was terrified!"

Comeback Kid? 

"I have no plans to return to the Street. I have nothing but affection for the show and cast, but I'm happy doing other things."

Gore Blimey 

"When I'm filming Casualty, I'm so calm when they bring in a fake chest that's cut open. But if it was a real person, I'd freak out!"

Naked Ambition? 

"I've never been a sex symbol or a lad-mag girl, nor would I want to be. My roles have always been about character, so I don't have to worry about pretty young thing snapping at my heels."

Inside Soap Magazine 18-24 July 2009

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Actress Georgia Taylor

"Coronation Street was my first professional job and whilst I had a fantastic time there and learnt a lot, I felt it was important for me to branch out. My first professional theatre job was at the highly respected Royal Court theatre in London. I spent a lot of rehearsal time, quite frankly, feeling terrified and out of my depth. However when the show got underway I had the most amazing time and even got myself a part in a film as a result of being seen on stage. I guess it brought home the fact that sometimes it is important to push yourself out of your comfort zone in order to get the most out of life."

Action For Children website June 2009

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With the new series on the horizon, are you planning to introduce some new faces to the team?

"We are, yes. There'll be some new faces on screen in our opening two-parter over the weekend of September 12 and 13. There'll be some junior doctors to pick up from where Toby and Ruth left off when they were babies, but they'll be very different from them... and there are going to be more of them..." There's also a family that Ruth will get to know quite well and we'll meet them over several weeks, too."

Ruth

"Ruth's never allowed romance into her life, but when she starts to get close to Jay, the possibility of happiness with another person suddenly presents itself to her. But the question is, will she allow herself? Or will his laddish ways get in the way? We leave them in a nice place at the end of the series, but it may not last too long... She's so obsessed with her career that she's always tempted to put that first."

Do you have anyone in the pipeline that you're thinking of approaching to bring back?

"Not immediately, no. There have been occasions where we've talked fairly non-committally with people who may perhaps make an appearance at a later date, though. We brought back Susan Cookson for an episode and there are surprise guest appearances in the third episode of our new series - one recently departed regular and a semi-regular…"

Also on the cards... 

We'll be going to some quite dark places with Ruth.

A particularly cold fish character gets a surprise on discovering that they have feelings for someone else…

Extracts from full interview on Digital Spy Website June 5th 2009

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Casualty's Ruth Winters 

Have you ever been star-struck by any of the actors you've worked with over the years?
...asks Nathan from Kilmarnock 

Not any that I've starred with, but I did meet Pete Postlethwaite in a pub once. He's fantastic, and In The Name Of The Father is one of my favourite films, so I told him I think he's great! I'd never normally have the courage to go up to somebody like that, but he seemed to know who I was, which was quite amazing.

How did you get into acting?
...asks Sammie, via Facebook 

Just through doing plays at school - before that, I'd always wanted to be a dancer on Top Of The Pops! I'd never done any acting, but once I started taking drama lessons at school, I realised how much fun it was. It's hard to put into words - I just knew I loved it. I also went to a youth theatre group on weekends, and after that I decided acting was what I wanted to do for a career.

Do you still see Matthew Needham, who played Toby de Silva in Casualty?
...asks Sophie from Brentwood 

Yes, I do. I haven't caught up with him since before Christmas, but we keep in touch on the phone and online. He's back living in London now, though we're still very close - we loved acting together. It was nice that we joined at the same time, and I think the relationship between Ruth and Toby was almost like that of a brother and sister. I miss working with Matthew.

I loved you as Toyah Battersby in Corrie. Are you still in touch with members of your on-screen family?
...asks Sam, via Facebook

I sometimes see Jane Danson [Leanne]. I took the weekend off to go to Manchester for her 30th birthday party last year, which was lovely, as we don't often get the chance to hang out with each other. There were loads of other people there from the Street, including Vicky Entwistle [Janice], so we had a little catch-up, too.

If you could play any other character in Casualty, who would you choose and why?
...asks Rebecca, via email

I'd love to try Zoe. She's so carefree - good at her job, but very reckless - and I imagine it must be a fun role. I think the characters that are very different from yourself are the most interesting ones to play. Sunetra Sarker's a fantastic actress, and makes Zoe very appealing.

What's the funniest thing that's happened to you on set recently?
...asks Jenny, via Facebook

This morning, I was filming a scene where we'd lost a patient and were trying to shock her back to life, and my stethoscope got tangled up in the wires! So we had to try the shot again, but we couldn't get the paddles out of the machine. In those situations, you can't help but get the giggles.

What advice would you give to anyone who wants to act?
...asks Andrew, via email

That's a difficult one, as I took a different path to most people. I got an agent through the youth theatre group I went to, and that's how I got my audition for Toyah in Coronation Street. The route most people take is going to a proper drama school to train. The advice I'd give though, is that they have to absolutely love the work, because there are a lot of talented actors out there who are unemployed.

Would you ever return to Corrie?
...asks Rachael from Notts

Never say never, but I really can't imagine it right now. It's been six years since I left, and when I talk about being in the show, it feels like I'm talking about someone else. So much has happened to me in those six years, both work-wise and personally. I'm not sure I'd know how to play Toyah anymore!

I read in Inside Soap that Ruth's suicide attempt was originally meant to succeed. Did you know that when you accepted the role?
...asks Trinny from Wolverhampton

Yes, and ironically that was part of the reason I took the job - I thought it'd be a nice six-month stint with a dramatic exit at the end. I didn't think I was ready to be in another long-running TV show. But as soon as I started working here, I loved it, and felt sad that it'd be over so quickly. So when the series producer, Oliver Kent, called and asked if I'd consider staying on, I was really relieved! I got to have my big dramatic storyline and stick around afterwards.

Inside Soap Magazine March 28th 2009

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Which plot have you been most proud of this year? 

I loved Ruth’s big storyline, watching her cope with the pressures of being a junior doctor and the recovering from her suicide attempt. Although it was a really sad plot, ultimately it ended up being full of hope. Ruth will never be everyone’s best mate, but there’s a real sense that she loves the team.

Were you nervous about tackling a controversial subject like attempted suicide? 

Yes and no. You have to be very careful when covering such a story, and there are strict BBC guidelines about it, which we found very useful. The last thing we wanted to do was glamorise or sensationalise suicide, so we took a long time building up to it, and then winding down afterwards. The episode was planned for about a year before we shot it - and actually, Ruth was originally supposed to die at the end. But then we were lucky enough to cast Georgia Taylor in the role, and the audience fell in love with her. So we asked her to stay on for longer, and I think it’s one of the best things we’ve done.

How did star Michael French’s (Jordan) return come about? 

It was during one of our storyline conferences about eighteen months ago that I suggested bringing him back, and luckily Michael agreed to it. The fact that Jordan was already known in a different capacity brings up all kinds of mysteries about where he’s been, and why he’s decided to return. The feedback we’ve had has been really positive, and I’m delighted with how it’s worked out.

Following her humiliation at the hands of Jordan, Ruth decides it’s time she had a man in her life. But who does the doctor set her sights on?

Inside Soap Magazine January 13th 2009

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Toby, surprisingly, has managed to restrain himself from taking a swing at Ruth Winters, played by Georgia Taylor. According to Matthew, their on-screen characters are like "brother and sister - two six year olds. They niggle at each other constantly and, although Ruth would never admit it, there's a real affection there. They are raw with each other because they know each other so well. It's an interesting relationship." 

Fortunately, Georgia and Matthew are great friends and spend most of their time laughing between takes. Matthew says, "I've learnt so much from Georgia . . . she's so unpretentious and so un-self important . . . she's actually one of my best friends off-set. Me, her and Janine Mellor [who plays Kelsey ] all went on holiday." 

So, have there been any particularly memorable moments or scenes from his time on Casualty? "Probably my first episode. I don't drive but Toby does. I had to sit in this car and was towed by a truck around the back streets of Bristol, pretending to drive and be an action hero . . . It's also been great fun working with Derek Thompson [who plays Charlie ] as he's such a pro, and with Tristan Gemmill [who plays Adam ] and Georgia in resus. They make it so much fun that the time just flies."

For an actor who graduated from drama school in 2007, Matthew has been incredibly successful. What's next on his agenda? "I've just had a few weeks off, but I'm due to start rehearsals on 5 January for a play called Shades at the Royal Court Theatre in London. It's part of their young writers' season. It's really nice to get back to the theatre for a little while." 

And is there anyone in particular that he'll miss from his last 18 months on Casualty? "Georgia and Janine in particular, but really absolutely everybody," Matthew says. "Me, Georgia and Janine all go round each other's houses plus all of the cast go out for curries together, or to a bar or a party and everyone's included. It's such a friendly set!"

BBC Casualty Website December 2008

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Georgia Taylor, 28, made her name as teenage tearaway Toyah Battersby in Coronation Street 11 years ago. But since swapping the cobbles of Corrie for the consulting rooms of Casualty, she's had her fair share of tears, turmoil and trouble in her role as the cold hearted doctor Ruth Winters.

Georgia describes her character as, "very responsible and articulate, and seems pretty confident. But underneath it all, she's something of a troubled soul. She's very self critical and won't allow herself to make any mistakes."

But it looks like the ice queen might be thawing, after she falls head over heels sharing a steamy kiss with her boss - sexy surgeon - Nick Jordan. Georgia says: "Ruth's been making puppy dog eyes at Jordan since he walked through the door. It's hero worship - he's this powerful, sexy charismatic man who also happens to be a surgeon."

Georgia says it's easy filming romantic scenes with her hunky co star Michael French, who plays Jordan: "Michael is gorgeous! And it's good fun trying to show Ruth's sexy side."

ITV's This Morning Website 20 November 2008

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Casualty's Georgia Taylor 

I've just bought a house in Bristol so I'm spending a lot of evenings in, relaxing with friends at the moment. 

Janine Mellor who plays Kelsey in Casualty lives up the road from me, as does my best mate Karen, so they often come round on a Friday night for a gossip over a glass of wine and takeaway. It's always Chinese food because I've only found one place so far.

I've spent the last five years as a jobbing actress so it was a big decision to put down roots. The majority of the Casualty cast aren't from Bristol so when I started they were so supportive. You have to do it in stages until you know your contract is going to be more permanent. After two weeks in a hotel I rented a room from our assistant director for just over a year.

We usually film big accident scenes on Saturdays, so I'm up at six in the morning and on set by eight for a 10-hour day.

We tend to socialise after work more on weeknights. There's always a birthday or leaving do and we take over a little place called the Curry Cafe. The rest of the time I'm living on M&S ready meals because I haven't got a cooker yet.

I absolutely love watching The X Factor followed by a trip to my fabulous local called The Star and Dove. It has a lovely homely atmosphere with gorgeous food.

I tend to start Sunday off with a big session in the local David Lloyd gym and stay for lunch. Unless I'm decorating, that is. Painting my high Victorian ceilings works a lot of muscles!

After the gym I go for a walk in Victoria Park. It has a lovely feel with people playing football and walking dogs. There's a real community spirit in my area with lots of artists. They even have art trails where amateur artists open their homes for the weekend and you can wander in and out looking at their work.

I'm still looking for interesting pieces for my house so I like browsing in antique shops and meeting up with a friend in town for coffee by the waterside.

I'm also spending a lot of time in Ikea at the moment, but I'm not pressurising myself to rush the renovations. It's a comfortable home and so nice having a spare room for my brother to visit. I'm really enjoying having my own sanctuary.

Daily Express Saturday Magazine 15 November 2008

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Ruth's delighted when Jordan shows her his bedside manner... 

Trainee doctor Ruth Winters finally has something to smile about this week, when she ends up in bed with dashing surgeon Nick Jordan! The junior medic has had her eye on her superior ever since he arrived at Holby City General's emergency department, and is delighted when he invites her back to his flat...

"As far as Ruth is concerned, Jordan's the whole package," grins Georgia Taylor, who plays the smitten young doctor. "He's very confident, attractive and flirty. Plus he's a surgeon - a role she aspires to."

Until now, Jordan hasn't shown any romantic interest in Ruth, but her work has displayed a lot of promise and he's encouraged her to progress within the department. So when a tricky situation arises and the doctor needs someone to assist him with a life-saving procedure, Ruth's only too happy to oblige.

"A patient named Malachy is brought in with a serious heart condition and needs urgent surgery," says Georgia. "But a power cut means he can't be transferred to theatre immediately. The surgeons must either wait for the power to come back on - during which time Malachy could die - or perform an operation in the ED, which is very unorthodox and risky.

"Being a maverick, Jordan opts to do the procedure himself," continues the actress. "There's uproar in the department, and everyone's against him - apart from Ruth, of course, and a new nurse Jay."

With his two young charges by his side, Jordan sets about saving the man's life, and successfully operate. However, while her colleagues later meet up at the pub, Ruth instead chooses a more intimate way to celebrate their achievement...

"Right at the end of the episode, we see Ruth and Jordan share a kiss in a taxi," smiles Georgia. "It's pretty obvious what's going to happen next!"

But Georgia insists that the pair's night of passion isn't something her character enters into lightly. "Ruth hasn't had a boyfriend since she was 16, so to sleep with Jordan is definitely a big deal," she explains. "For her, it's serious, so if he turns around and decides that it was a mistake, I don't think she'll deal with it very well at all..."

Hair Today...

Viewers will see Ruth arrive at work this week with a swanky new hairdo. And Georgia reveals that it's not just her character's desire to impress Jordan that's behind the change of image. "I'd been begging the producers to let me get my hair cut, as I was so bored with it," she laughs. "But they had to find an appropriate place in the storylines. Luckily, Ruth's crush on Jordan means she's been thinking about her appearance a bit more!"

Inside Soap 15-21 November 2008

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Last series saw a lot of focus on the new character of Ruth Winters with one of the most talked about storylines of the year showing Ruth's suicide attempt.

Asked how viewers reacted to the storyline, Georgia said, 'People coming up to me out and about have been very kind but I have to give a lot of credit to the writer Mark Catley and Ian Barnes who directed. They had to be very brave with it.'

As for this series, Ruth has to build her confidence up in both her professional and personal life to avoid going back to her old haunts. Of the debut double episode she says, 'Its kind of quiet for me in terms of story but Ruth is very much being a doctor in the ED and is one of the people at hand when Tess is brought in'.

But viewers can see a few funny moments between Ruth and Toby whilst the drama is going on. 'There's bits with her and Toby that are quite light humour,' Georgia reveals. 'They are living together in Maggie's house, now that she's gone, and they have this kind of brother/ sister relationship where they love each other but they can't stand each other. But at the moment they get on, so it's quite sweet.

holby.tv September 2008

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Georgia Taylor reveals why she's so different from her alter ego, the troubled Dr Ruth Winters 

Ruth Winters, Casualty's newest junior doctor, isn't exactly a bundle of laughs. Obsessed with her career and lacking in social niceties, she has made it difficult for her colleagues to warm to her.

It was only when Ruth spiralled into depression and attempted suicide that she gained the compassion of the rest of the A&E - although they're still along way from bosom buddies.

Actress Georgia Taylor, who plays the troubled medic, admits she couldn't be more different from her alter ego, although she's loving every moment of playing such a complex and interesting character.

"She's nothing like me, thank God," she laughs. "I'd hate to be like her because my relationships with my family and friends are so important to me and she's someone who has consciously isolated herself.

"I can't imagine - though I have to because it's my job - feeling the way she does. Ruth seeks out loneliness. To a degree I'm like her in that I'm passionate about my work; but it's not my life. And that's one reason she's so challenging to play."

For Georgia, work may not be the everything, but she certainly made a success of her career since her early days on Coronation Street as tearaway teen Toyah Battersby.

She was 17 and still at college studying theatre arts when she landed the role and she hasn't looked back.

"I never imagined I'd make a career out of acting," she smiles. "When I started on Corrie, I went to see the college principal and said, 'I've got this job for five months. Can I do it and come back when I finish?'

"You just don't foresee that 11 years on you'll have gone on and forged some kind of career."

Fitting in with the Battersbys

Does she regret not finishing her studies and going on to drama school as she'd originally planned? "Oh no, I was just lucky I missed a couple of steps. It was extraordinary circumstances; it wasn't that I was a brilliant actress - because at 17 I certainly was not! I was just very lucky and my face fitted. I kind of fitted in with the Battersby family and got on with the other actors very quickly in the audition process."

Six years later, Georgia felt confident enough to leave the comfort zone of Weatherfield and landed parts in a string of dramas including Life on Mars, Lilies, Where The Heart Is and Blackpool, in which she landed a leading role.

She has also had small appearances in two movies - The History Boys and, more recently, The Bank Job. Now the 28-year-old has just extended her contract on Casualty so she'll be a fixture on Saturday nights at least until the end of the year.

"I was really ready for doing a series because I'd not done one since Blackpool which was a few years ago now," she explains. "You miss being able to formulate relationships with people. When you're doing short jobs such as a couple of weeks on a film, it's not the same; you're in and out and you don't get to feel part of the team as much and to really invest in a character. I was definitely looking for something that was slightly long term - but I certainly didn't expect to be still in Casualty nearly a year on!"

This week, it's Ruth's first day back on clinical duties but she's clearly still not ready. Having been out of action for a few months, she has lost her nerve yet still feels unable to ask for help when she needs it.

"She has issues she hasn't dealt with and freaks out in recuss and runs out, humiliated in front of her colleagues," Georgia says. "Things are very black and white for Ruth; you're a success or a failure. And being unable to perform this procedure, she sees herself as an out-and-out failure.

"She suffers a relapse into a severely depressed state, thinking if she hasn't got a career, she hasn't got anything. The implications are she steals some tablets and it's left to the viewers to decide whether she'll attempt to take her life again..."

Chatting to Georgia, it's clear she's enjoying not only the gritty storylines but life in Bristol, where Casualty is filmed. She admits she misses her family and friends back home in Manchester but has a strategy for dealing with homesickness.

"The people you work with have to become your substitute family because you're 200 miles away from home so I throw myself into socialising when I'm away. I accept all the invitations, go out to dinner and go to all of the parties.

"Certainly this show has one of the most welcoming cast and crew I've ever worked with and I can see why I've ended up staying longer than I thought I would," she continues. "I've made brilliant friends including Janice Mellor who plays Kelsey - everyone calls her my wife because we spend all our time together!

"When I go home, I don't just potter in the house, I make a point of spending time with the people who matter to me. I see my family and go out for dinner with friends and see their babies, so when I get back I'm exhausted. I have real quality time with people."

When it comes to romance, Georgia says she's single and happily so. She can't envisage settling down and having children - at least, not for a long while yet.

"Because I'm single, getting married and having a child seems quite far away. It feels like a million miles away for me!" she says. "It's because I'm really happy with my life as it is. But then you don't know when you're going to meet someone who's going to sweep you off your feet.

"Obviously, if I met someone things might change. I'm very happy for my friends who are having kids, but they're in different situations."

One of her best friends is Jane Danson who plays Leanne Battersby in Coronation Street and off screen is happily married with a young son. Jane returned to the soap after a lengthy absence but for Georgia, that's not a career move that she plans making any time soon, even though her former character is mentioned in Coronation Street from time to time.

"They always say, I've been to stay with our Toyah,' and I think, 'Have ya?'" she laughs. "They phone her, too!

"But I wouldn't want to go back for a fleeting visit. You spend years almost trying to get away from a character; you have to in order to work. So if you go back, you have to make a definite decision you're going to go back for a certain length of time and be associated with that character again.

"So at the moment that's not for me but that's because I'm working and I'm happy. Anyway, obviously, right now I don't want to play Toyah - I want to play Ruth." 

Hello Magazine 29/04/2008

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The A&E ward of Holby General is about to be rocked by a secret affair. Actresses Sunetra Sarker, Georgia Taylor and Gillian Kearney reveal all. 

Sunetra on Working With Georgia

Meeting up with Georgia Taylor has been a joy for Sunetra, too.

"We're in a lot of scenes together and have to stand with our backs to each other sometimes just to stop ourselves getting the giggles," she says. "We'll be checking the monitors or a person's pulse trying to seem like doctors, but of course we don't really know how to do it. Georgia will have a very sincere look on her face and I'll just catch a look at her and crack up!"

Georgia Taylor 

It's only been a tough time for Ruth Winters after taking time off to recover from her suicide attempt. The once-confident junior medic tried to hang herself in February after misdiagnosing a patient and then spent several weeks in a coma before regaining consciousness.

Ruth's unhappiness stems from a tragic family background, which she's still not come to terms with, and now it's beginning to affect her work. She's totally lost her nerve and Georgia thinks it could take her some time to regain it.

"Ruth was really nervous about returning to work, especially because her colleagues have now seen her vulnerability," explains Georgia, 28, who joined the show last September. 

"She hates to show any kind of weakness. Her confidence has been knocked out of her, which is a complete contrast to the arrogant doctor she was a few months ago. She's been put on non-clinical duty so she can't even practice medicine, which is the one thing she loves. And even though everyone on the ward tries to instill confidence in her, she still feels very isolated."

Despite her struggles, Georgia loves exploring the complicated nature of her character and doesn't want her to be brought out of her introverted self too much.

"I hope she doesn't, because at the moment she's quite clinical and cold," she says. "Ruth's not evil but she's not brilliant socially and I really like playing that - it's what makes her interesting."

Whereas Ruth doesn't socialise with anyone on the ward, Georgia counts many of her Casualty castmates as friends and tries to see them outside of work as often as possible.

"Sometimes we can meet up three times a week," grins Georgia, who moved down to Bristol from her Manchester base for the show. "Certainly once a week we'll do something. I live close to Janine Mellor [Kelsey Phillips] so we spend a lot of time together, either getting in a takeaway or going shopping. She's now one of my best friends.

"We're all really good pals, though, Sunetra, Gillian, Janine and Susan Cookson [Maggie Coldwell] and I all went out for dinner the other night and were saying we're like the Northern collective. Not that we exclude people! We were all loud Northern women having dinner and lots of wine! Because we're all away from home, you become each other's family and friends. You're certainly not on your own."

Georgia is currently single, however, and she says she couldn't be in a better place to make the most of her freedom.

"When I go home to Manchester, most of my mates are married or have kids, but in Bristol there's quite a lot of us at Casualty who are single so it's kind of like party time. I've been in a relationship for most of my twenties so it's nice to be on my own and there are plenty of people to go out with."

So what kind of man would lure her away from the single scene? "Someone who's creative and funny and that I fancy. I do like an 'indie' boy, who either has curly hair or a guitar! I have been dating but it's good to have some time with your friends and family. I've obviously started a new job, too, so there's a lot going on."

With her character's storyline set to become more complex, that looks likely to continue. And unlike Zoe and Jessica, an affair isn't on the cards for Ruth. So how would she react if she found out about Zoe and Jessica's antics?

"Although Ruth might disagree with it, there's no way she'd interfere because she has no interest in anybody's personal lives," says Georgia. "There are times Ruth finds Zoe's behaviour inappropriate, but she respects Zoe and aspires to be like her, so lets her get away with it."

Whether she does or not, only time will tell.

Extract from Daily Express Saturday Magazine Article 12/04/2008

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Georgia Taylor (Casualty's Ruth) 

What's the best showbiz party you've been to?

I took my mum to An Audience With Tom Jones about 10 years ago, and that was really good fun because he had some brilliant people on it with him. I'm not really a Tom Jones fan, but it was all very showbiz. My mum was dead excited, and got to meet loads of famous people.

What's the best freebie you've ever blagged?

I went to some kind of beauty show at GMex in Manchester once, and they were really kind. They recognised me off the telly and gave me loads of free fake-tan stuff.

Where's the strangest place you've ever been recognised?

I'll tell you what was weird - I was recognised in a pool once, when I was wearing a swimming hat and goggles! You could barely see my face, so I couldn't believe it.

What's the worst thing about being on telly?

It's very difficult to plan your life. You can't really book time off, so I've missed weddings and birthdays since joining Casualty.

Who's the nicest celebrity you've ever met?

Paul O'Grady is just lovely. He's a big fan of Corrie and loved the Battersbys, so I've been on his show a few times. He's completely genuine, and researches his guests well.

Have you ever been star-struck?

Not star-struck exactly, but I was excited when David Duchovny walked past me in New York. It was just because he's someone you wouldn't normally get to see.

Inside Soap 28/02/2008

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After her Casualty character's shock suicide attempt, Georgia Taylor talks us through this week's revealing follow-up episode...

Last week we saw Casualty's perfectionist young doctor, Ruth Winters, try to hang herself, but what made her take such desperate action? In a special episode this week, while Ruth is in a coma, we see a series of flashbacks which show that, in the run-up to her suicide attempt, the hard-working medic was struggling with a tragic past and a seriously bad day at work. Former Coronation Street star Georgia, 27, reveals why Ruth felt the only way out was to take her own life...

How is Ruth's troubled past revealed?

Harry finds her diary, which she's been keeping since she started at Holby General. As he reads it, viewers witness the events Ruth talked about. It's all new material and things you didn't know about Ruth. It's as though she has had this whole secret life.

So why does she try to kill herself?

It has been brewing for years. We find out that her mum killed herself, her brother's in prison and that she's had a really turbulent relationship with her father. She has felt isolated for quite a number of years and then, on the day it happens, a patient is admitted who she believes is drunk. She misdiagnoses him and he dies as a result of her mistake.

We take it Ruth doesn't handle that very well?

It's the straw that breaks the camel's back. But also the diary reveals there are other events that contributed to her mental state on that day - events that we didn't know about...

Such as?

She befriends a surgeon called Rachel. Ruth has an awful lot of respect for her and really cares for her. But then she discovers that Rachel's got cancer, which Ruth finds devastating. She finally gets close to someone and then they might not be around much longer.

Doesn't she also get a knock-back from a man?

Yes, she misreads the signals from another doctor and is mortified when he doesn't feel the same. For someone like Ruth, to open up at all is a massive thing; getting rebuffed is embarrassing for anyone, but for her it's the ultimate humiliation.

Sounds like the day from hell?

Yes! She actually thinks hanging herself is a very pragmatic and practical solution to her problems. It's not an emotional thing, or a cry for help. She doesn't want to get sacked and has nothing else in her life, so she believes it's the only way out.

Why doesn't she ask for help?

Because she's got into this habit of being on her own and of shutting people out. Then, as things get worse, maybe she does want to ask for help, but she can't break this habit she's in.

Do you understand Ruth's need for perfection; is it something you have ever experienced?

I can't identify with her level of depression, fortunately, but I can identify with the need for perfection. It's quite a common trait in actors because so often you're told you're not right. You go for auditions and don't get the job, which can be incredibly frustrating. For me it does make me constantly want to be better and I'll think, 'Right, they won't turn me down for the next job because I'll be so brilliant they won't be able to.' It's the feeling that you always have something to prove that I can identify with.

How do the rest of the staff react?

Maggie, especially, feels she should have seen it coming, but questions are raised with all the staff about whether they could have done more. People did reach out to Ruth, but maybe they gave up a bit too soon?

How did you cope with such an intense storyline?

It was the most full-on schedule I have ever done - 13-hour days, six days a week. It's a big responsibility as well; they've given me this huge storyline, which is great, but it really rests on my shoulders. If people don't like it, it's probably because they don't like me in it. If it's a success, that's great but if people hate it, I'm sorry, but I did work really hard on it!

Can Ruth come back from this?

She stays in a coma for a few weeks and I don't want to say whether she survives or not. If she does wake up, I don't know if she can resume her career. With someone like Ruth, the chances are she will be so humiliated that everyone has seen her vulnerability that she will put her defences up even more. The other possibility is she addresses her issues and tries to get help, but whether that happens remains to be seen.

And on a happier note, how are you enjoying working on Casualty?

I'm loving it, I really am! My home is Manchester but I've made loads of new friends here in Bristol and feel really settled and happy!

TV Times Magazine 09-15 Feb 2008

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As Casualty's Dr Winters goes over the edge, Georgia Taylor talks about the reasons for the medic's meltdown.

Since joining Holby City General as a junior doctor, Ruth Winters has been dogged by a catalogue of errors and near misses. And her knack of passing the buck when she makes mistakes - plus her frosty, cheerless personality - has made her few friends. No wonder staff members have nicknamed her Chuckles!

'But what happens this week pushes her to absolute breaking point', says Georgia Taylor, who plays Ruth.

Problems start when she misdiagnoses a man reeking of alcohol. Ruth skips over essential tests that would have revealed him to be not only sober but seriously ill. 'Because her father is an alcoholic, Ruth has complete contempt for drunks. But she jumps to the wrong conclusions and, as a result, the man dies...'

This time, instead of shrugging it off and blaming someone else, Ruth is deeply affected by her blunder, and decides to end it all.

'Ruth appears to be arrogantly self-centred and self-assured, but behind closed doors it's a very different story,' reveals Georgia, 27. 'When she's on her own, all she feels is guilty and worthless.' The result is a cliffhanger that will leave viewers gasping. 

Next week, we'll find out more about Ruth's story in a series of revealing flashbacks - and whether she survives. 'They'll find out about the double life that she has been leading,' says Georgia. 'I hope it will make people more sympathetic to her. 

'Basically, Ruth is a good person. It's just that she has been battered by life. Her past is dreadful - her mum committed suicide, her brother is in prison and her dad is an alcoholic. She's done unacceptable things, but her flaws are born out of being lonely and vulnerable.'

Georgia says she found the filming draining. 'It meant more or less two months of acting full-on depression. I used to joke that there was absolutely no need for make-up to make me look haggard - by the end I could provide my own dark shadows!'

Georgia tells us she's told her parents not to watch Saturday's episode because they'll find it too shocking. When you watch it you'll see exactly why.

Total TV Guide Magazine 02-08 Feb 2008

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Dr Ruth Winters hits rock bottom in Casualty this week after misdiagnosing a patient - with tragic consequences. 

Since arriving at Holby City hospital last autumn, junior doctor Ruth Winters has been having a tough time both personally and professionally. She hasn't done herself any favours by refusing to accept help and has become isolated from her colleagues.

This week her whole world comes crashing down when a man is admitted to hospital smelling of booze and she assumes he's an alcoholic. It brings back memories of her father and she has no time for him, ordering an inappropriate course of treatment without properly considering the case.

It transpires he has a serious medical condition and had stumbled into a supermarket spirits display, but by the time Ruth realises her mistake it's too late and the patient dies. Devastated by her error, the young doctor is pushed to the brink of despair and takes drastic action...

'Her job is her life so if she loses that then she has nothing,' says Georgia Taylor, who plays the tortured medic. 'She's isolated, has no contact with her family, no friends and is in a high-pressure job with no one to turn to.'

Playing loner Ruth hasn't been a bundle of laughs for the former Coronation Street star, but Georgia wouldn't have it any other way. 'I knew that Ruth's storyline was leading up to this. She's gradually been falling apart for months.'

It's five years since Georgia, 27, quit as Toyah Battersby in Corrie and despite parts in Blackpool, Life On Mars and The History Boys, she admits that it can be tough to shake off a soap role. 'I've done a lot of different things but I still get sent the same kind of parts, so Ruth was too good an opportunity to miss,' she says.

Although she's now living in Bristol where Casualty is filmed, home will always be Manchester and Georgia is still close to Weatherfield. Jane Danson (who plays her former screen stepsister Leanne) and Jennie McAlpine (Fiz) remain two of her closest friends.

'I have a flat in Manchester and what's really lovely is that my local pub is like the Granada TV bar so I always manage to bump into someone I know.'

With Janice Battersby and Leanne still firm fixtures on the Street, the door is always open for Toyah's return but Georgia is in no immediate hurry. 'I don't know if it's been too long, but I'd never say never. It would be a challenge. Five years on, and anything could have happened to her.'

After working on Ruth's meltdown, the actress is looking forward to relaxing and loves nothing more than socialising with her Casualty mates. Georgia is, however, happily single now. 'Going out to dinner with friends is one of my favourite luxuries and I also try and visit the gym so I can then go out and eat a pudding! I am dating and stuff but that's kind of it at the moment,' she reveals.

Casualty has been a learning curve for her in many ways - not least picking up medical jargon and some first-aid techniques. But the actress reckons that she still couldn't be relied on in an emergency. 'Can you imagine if I cocked up?' she laughs. 'The tabloids would have the headline, "Have-a-go TV doc kills someone!"'

TV Quick Magazine 02-08 Feb 2008

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Former Coronation Street star Georgia Taylor may have a sexy new look, but she refuses to be a pin-up 

Georgia Taylor knows that she'll have to do something pretty phenomenal, stupid or bad to shake off her Coronation Street alter ego Toyah Battersby. Despite a remarkable physical transformation in the 10 years since she first appeared on the soap, pretty much everywhere she goes she's asked about the gobby teenager.

It seems swapping the blonde hair for a cool dark cut and slimming down isn't enough to fool the public. Even starting a new role in BBC drama Casualty hasn't helped her get rid of the teenager. But Georgia doesn't seem to mind, and she's comforted by the fact that she's known for her characters rather than her cleavage. 

"I've never been a sex symbol or a lad's mag girl, nor would I want to be," reveals Georgia, 27. If my reputation was as a sexy young girl then I'd have to keep that up. Thankfully, that isn't the case. In a way it's liberating as my roles have always been about character. Because of that, I don't feel I've got to worry about pretty young things snapping at my heels.

"Getting older has given me a chance to play more interesting parts." And that's exactly what Georgia is doing in Casualty as Dr Ruth Winters. 

With a new role also comes a cooler and much slimmer look. But Georgia claims it wasn't a conscious decision to lose weight. "I had some time off and I took up swimming, then I stopped eating rubbish and just felt much better for it," she says.

Lucky old Georgia. But unlike skinny stars who religiously diet, she's quick to admit that her regime is a little hit-and-miss. "I'm an all or nothing girl. These days I'm either not exercising and eating bad food all the time, or I'm at the gym five days a week. A doctor wouldn't recommend it, but it's the way I am," she says.

She may not be a slave to the scales but Georgia clearly cares about her image, and confides that it's hard to escape pictures of herself from her days as Toyah. "I really hate them!" she says of the Corrie publicity photos, taken when she was 17. "I look terrible, especially in those hot pants. People tell me I look so much better now but I still get confronted by those pictures!"

Toyah was Georgia's first major role and it involved dramatic storylines, including a brutal rape. She remembers her time on the Street fondly, but the strong plots came with a downside. "It got to the point where the writers didn't really know where to take Toyah. Because she'd been a victim, the writer's didn't want to give her flaws and that made her less interesting to play," she says. "I knew after that it was time to go."

So after waving goodbye to Weatherfield, she spent two years building her CV with roles in BBC dramas Blackpool and Lilies, as well as making her movie debut in The History Boys. Now she's settled into another big role playing Ruth in Casualty. And there's no let-up in the drama stakes, with the junior doctor currently caught up in a storyline which sees her make mistakes which threaten patients' lives.

"Ruth's a troubled soul, and that's what makes playing her enjoyable," Georgia says.

When the role came up, it was meant to be temporary, but now she's signed up for 18 months. "I didn't think I wanted to do a long-running show again, but once I'd started filming, they offered me more and I jumped at it," she says.

However, Georgia's love life is less well mapped out. She split from her musician boyfriend Mark Eyden in January after seven years. "I think we were just too young when we met," she reveals.

And there's little prospect of Dr Ruth steaming up the screen in the near future either. "Ruth never gets any action," Georgia jokes. "I said to the producers: 'It's not going to happen is it?' And they said: 'Sorry, no'."

Maybe next season then, as Georgia certainly looks ready for romance - even if she does think she's getting old. "I've noticed I've started to get a few lines. Botox is tempting but I'd never consider it. Getting older is frustrating, because when I was 18, I had fantastic skin," she says. "I look back and think: 'Blimey, I didn't know what I had!'"

News Of The World Sunday magazine 11/11/2007

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New recruit Georgia Taylor is about to set pulses racing in BBC1’s hit medical drama

Introverted junior doctor Ruth Winters makes no attempt to bond with her new colleagues when she arrives at Holby General tonight, but actress and new Casualty star Georgia Taylor took no time at all to make friends with her cast mates. In fact, she’s even been on holiday with two of them already.

“I’m the complete antithesis of Ruth, I hope!” laughs the 27-year-old star who found fame as Toyah Battersby in Coronation Street. “Ruth’s a cold fish, whereas I’m more of a sociable person. I love meeting new, interesting people and there’s such a diverse mix at Casualty. The cast is a quarter of the size of Corrie, so you get closer to people a lot quicker. I couldn’t have wished for a warmer welcome.

“I’ve had to move down to Bristol from Manchester for filming, so they’ve kind of replaced my family and friends. I’ve spent so much time with them in the last couple of months. Most of us aren’t from Bristol so it’s like everyone’s on location. “We’ve had lots of meals out and Ian Bleasdale, who plays Josh, organises curry nights once a week. I’ve also been over to his for Sunday lunch because he’s such a great cook!

“I’m really good friends with Janine Mellor, who plays Kelsey, and we’ve been on holiday to Turkey together with Peter England, who’s joining as the new receptionist. It’s amazing.”

Ruth is a long-awaited change for Georgia, who left Coronation Street in 2003 after six years on the soap. Since then she’s appeared on stage and screen and her TV roles have included Blackpool with David Morrissey, Life On Mars with John Simm, as well as episodes of The Royal, Where The Heart Is, New Street Law, Lilies and Red Cap.

Until now, however, her roles were always characters much younger than she is. “I feel for the first time in my career I’m playing an adult, which sounds odd because I’m 27. The opportunity to play a woman and a young professional was something that hadn’t come my way. It’s a new dynamic.”

Despite moving on from Coronation Street, Georgia is still in contact with her old cast mates, especially Jane Danson, who plays Toyah’s sister, Leanne Battersby. Since Jane returned to the Street last year, she’s made no secret of the fact she’d like Georgia to go back, too. So is she tempted?

“Jane would be the biggest pull for me to go back, although I have no plans to,” she replies. “It would just be nice to work with her again because we have such a close bond. She’s like the sister I don’t have.

“It’s strange because I haven’t seen her for two months, being in Bristol. When I’m in Manchester we see each other a couple of times a week because the Corrie set is just around the corner from my flat. Even if it’s just her popping round in her lunch hour for a sandwich and a gossip.”

Georgia, who’s been single for seven months since splitting with her long-term boyfriend, now has dark hair rather than the lighter colour she’s sported for most of her roles. And she doesn’t believe that blondes have more fun.

“I love being dark – it makes me feel much sexier,” she admits. “I thought they might ask me to lighten it when I went for audition at Casualty, but they loved it and it helps get me into character.”

The actress admits that she found it tough getting to grips with the medical terms in the Casualty scripts. “We’ve been shown things like how to take blood and we also have medics on set every day to explain procedures,” she reveals. “We’re told how to pronounce words, but getting my head around medical jargon has been the hardest thing for me. I’ve always been pretty quick at learning lines, but it takes time to get the phrases in your head.”

Georgia’s last stint in hospital was when she was 10 years old, after she was admitted with a life-threatening condition. “It was all a blur for me, but I had mycoplasma pneumonia and on top of that I had encephalitis, which is a swelling of the brain,” she recalls. “It was touch and go. Doctors didn’t know if I’d make it. I was completely oblivious to it all because I was so out of it on drugs. It was much more traumatic for my parents.”

Georgia, who grew up in Wigan, has been acting since she was a child and, after joining Coronation Street at 17, has been in the limelight for some time now. However she’s maintained a low media profile and is still very down to earth, which she puts down to her upbringing.

“I’m lucky that I have a very grounded family and good friends I’ve had all my life,” she says simply. “I was so naïve, and excited joining Corrie and was determined to prove myself because I was 17, straight out of college and hadn’t been to drama school.

“I thought I’d better learn as much as I could and was focused on that. Anything else passed me by a bit, even though me, Jane, Joanne Froggatt [who played Zoe Tattersall in Coronation Street] and Steven Arnold [Ashley Peacock] would go out in Manchester every now and again.

“It was more about the work and trying to be good. I kind of grew up and was with people who nurtured me. And being just half an hour from my parents, I felt settled and secure.”

Which is why it was such a wrench leaving the soap. But Georgia hasn’t looked back and feels she’s grown up more since branching out on her own. “I left because I wanted to be challenged,” she admits. “But also I wanted to live the life of an actress, which I didn’t feel like I’d done.

“It’s been exciting and terrifying at the same time but I’ve loved getting on a train for auditions, working away from home, doing theatre and living out of a suitcase.”

Her down-to-earth attitude has also meant that Georgia hasn’t been fazed by the high-profile actors she’s worked with. However, it might have been a different story if she’d worked closer with David Morrissey in Blackpool.

“What’s not to love about him?” she smiles. “He’s lovely and has great energy. Our characters just never crossed paths, though, so I didn’t get to work with him much. David is a fine specimen of a man, but I didn’t fancy him. He played my dad! He’s quite a presence and was inspiring to work with.”

Georgia could happily stay in Casualty for some time, but she won’t rule out doing some more theatre in the future. And she could also be responsible for inspiring quite a few budding actors herself, as she’s involved with a youth theatre in Manchester.

“I’m patron of a youth theatre my friend set up called JuJu Youth Theatre. I try to help out when I can, which is exciting. If it all goes wrong then I’d be quite happy being a drama teacher – as long as I’m in the acting industry, I don’t care!”

Daily Express Saturday Magazine 8th September 2007

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In her first major television role since Coronation Street, Georgia Taylor takes on the part of one of Casualty's latest student intake.

The 27-year-old actress - who plays the cold-hearted and misunderstood F2 doctor Ruth Winters - has a dark past which viewers will see unfold later in the series.

Digital Spy caught up with Georgia to talk about her character, what it's like filming with the BBC's flagship medical show, the medical jargon and whether she'd ever make a Weatherfield return.

What have you been up to since you left Corrie?

"I've done guest spots on a lot of TV shows; Life on Mars, Lilies, Red Cap, The Royal, Where The Heart Is… I did a series for the BBC called Blackpool with David Morrissey and Sarah Parish… I've done small parts in a couple of films, lots of theatre. I've been really busy but just not doing a lot of high-profile stuff."

The most exciting thing you've done has to be Life on Mars then?

"That was cool to do because I'm a massive fan of the show and I love John Simm – I think he's great. The theatre stuff I've done has just been a real revelation to me. I've absolutely loved it."

What about Ashes To Ashes? Would you want to appear in that?

"I so would. And that's 80s as well. I've done something with a bit of 80s to it recently. I had the biggest hair. I'd love to be in it, yeah. Good cast as well."

What's you Casualty character called?

"Dr Ruth Winters – just a big of a give away that she's a bit cold…"

How does she come to be at the hospital? How does she turn up?

"She's just finished her training. She's what's called an F2 – foundation year two – doctor and she's been assigned to Holby in the Emergency Department - as has Matt Needham's character [Toby de Silva] and they arrive together. They get the tour from Charlie and just start shadowing all the different doctors.

"It's nice because we get to work with a lot of different people because our characters are all over the place."

What's been the best moment for you since if you started filming?

"I'd not watched Casualty for a couple of years [when I landed the role] so there were a lot of people I didn't actually know. And we've got a new set as well, so that's all different."

What does the series hold for your character?

"I don't know how much I can say but she's basically just a cold fish for the first few episodes and people don't know why she's like that. It's safe to say that she doesn't endear herself to the nurses and a lot of other people. And then toward episode seven, a member of her family turns up and you learn a lot more about the way she is and why she's so driven. Hopefully viewers will then understand her more and like her more.

"You can't join Casualty without a dark past! I think most characters have something shady about them."

On your first day filming, was there anyone who showed you the ropes and introduced you to everyone?

"No, not really. They all welcome you. The first scene that I did was with Susan Cookson – who's just fantastic and a good, northern lady – she was funny. They were just all so welcoming. It's really quite a small cast for such a long-running show so you meet everybody really quickly and you get to know them really quickly."

How long are you with the show for?

"I can't say but I'll be here for a while yet…"

Have there been any guest artists filming while you've been there?

"Yeh, there have been quite a few. We had one called Nigel Terry who's a big film star from years ago – he was a fantastic character to have around. Antony Flanagan, Gaynor Faye, Rosemary Leach – there are loads."

What's the turnaround time like on Casualty? How quickly do you turn around episodes from receiving your script?

"It's quite manic actually. There's a lot to do. There'll be two or three crews on at the same time. One lot filming on-location for, say, episode three; one lot in the studio doing episode one; and then you might be doing a bit of episode four somewhere else! It's pretty relentless actually! You need to try and keep your wits about you!"

What about the latin medical terms? How have you fared remembering those?

"The medical gubbins as we call it… The thing is, you have to learn it phonetically. The hilarious thing is when you've spent ages learning it and then when you get in there, you do the run through and whoever the medic is on set says to you 'Oh, no, you don't say it like that' and then you have to retrain yourself! Sometimes you just can't. It's funny and certainly because she feels like she has a lot to prove and is a bit of a show off, she says more than need to be said. She says 100 words when only 10 would do. So I have paragraphs and paragraphs of speech!"

What's been the funniest moment on set since you've been there?

"I laugh every day. I'm hysterical every day. We find humour in the absurdity that we're all dressed up pretending to be doctors with stethoscopes around our necks like some sort of accessory."

Touching back with Coronation Street again - there were reports just before you landed the part in Casualty that Jane Danson wanted you back. What was the situation? Did they ever ask you?

"She's got all the power that girl! No, they haven't ask me back recently. They asked me back years ago for a couple of episodes to be a guest at someone's wedding but I was a filming something else at the time so it wasn't do-able. I haven't heard anything, so no. I think it's whenever there's a story about me doing anything, the newspapers just say 'Oh, she's been asked back by Corrie'. There was certainly no bidding war over me!"

Would you ever rule out a return?

No, I wouldn't rule it out. Not at all. I had a great time there but I'm really not even thinking about that. I'm enjoying it here, enjoying Bristol, having a laugh. They're all great.

Digital Spy Website 07/09/2007

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From the cobbles of Corrie to the cubicles of Casualty, Georgia Taylor takes about fake arms, stitches and whether she'll return to the Street.

After launching her career with an award-winning performance as Toyah Battersby in Coronation Street and staying with the soap for six successful years, Georgia Taylor decided to move on. It was a brave choice - and it has paid off. Georgia's work since has included roles in Blackpool, Life on Mars and New Street Law, plus the 2006 film The History Boys.

Now Georgia, 27, returns to the world of serial drama, playing new doc Ruth in Casualty. The series returns this week with an explosive double bill and this is Casualty as you've never seen it before; more modern but without losing its appeal, promise the producers.

We talk exclusively to Georgia about her new role in the show...

Was it a big decision for you to go back into a continuing drama?

Yes. I've been out of Corrie for over four and a half years and I've done loads of things that I wanted to do, like lots of short jobs in theatre and film, as well as TV. But then I wanted to be somewhere where I could build up relationships and feel like part of a team.

Your character, Ruth Winters, is a new junior doctor. What's her bedside manner like?

It's not great. She's not the kind of doctor who will hold your hand and put you at ease. She's more likely to say, 'This is what's wrong with you, you are going to die so deal with it!' It's not because she's nasty, she just doesn't have very good people skills.

She doesn't sound like much fun!

She's not. She's a perfectionist. She's very self-critical and won't allow herself to make any mistakes. But, for a junior doctor, the whole first year in hospital is about making mistakes and learning from it. Ruth won't accept any help from anyone; she thinks she knows it all.

Have you upped sticks and moved to Bristol, where Casualty is filmed?

Yes, although I still have my base in Manchester. I've not been home for two months, because I've been so busy. But don't feel sorry for me. I've been having a lovely time. 

How do you cope with the gore?

I love it; I'm so macabre. It's great when the directors say, 'Bring in the prosthetics,' and they bring in a chest that is all open and bloody. If there was a real person in front of me that needed heart massage, I would freak out, but as long as it's fake I find it really interesting.

Is Ruth going to soften up at all?

Not much. But around episode seven, you get a glimpse of her past, which explains why she is so driven. She's a troubled soul, but she'll keep that quiet as long as possible.

What about romance?

She doesn't get anything! Well not in the foreseeable future...

Was it daunting to join such an established series?

It was, but it wasn't the same as when I joined Corrie - I was very young then and a lot has happened since. We were really welcomed here with open arms. It was like a big bear hug! On my first day on Casualty, Susan Cookson who plays Maggie, said 'Right, we've got to get you somewhere to live. Everyone here helps each other out.

Did you have any ambitions to be a doctor when you were younger?

No! I couldn't do it. The pressure of having people's lives in your hands is just too much.

Have you ever had any experience of A&E in your own life?

I did go once, but I had amnesia so I can't remember it! When I was about 10 or 11, I had mycoplasma pneumonia [an infection of the lungs] and I also had encephalitis [inflammation of the brain] at the same time. I was a bit off colour for a while, to say the least!

Did you have to research for the role?

We met a lovely doctor (Pete Salt), on whom the character of Charlie [Derek Thompson] is based. He taught me how to take blood and do stitches. I liked that. I could have carried on and knitted a whole arm!

Back to Corrie... Are you still in touch with any of the cast?

Yes, Jane Danson [Leanne Battersby] and Jennie McAlpine [Fiz Brown] are two of my best mates. I'm going home next week, so I'll catch up with them then.

Jane has said she want you back in Corrie. Are you tempted?

She always says that. She thinks if she keeps on saying it, it will happen! I loved my time there and I have nothing but affection for Coronation Street and the people on it, but I am happy doing other things.

TV Times 8-14th September 2007

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FORMER Corrie star Georgia Taylor joins Casualty this week as junior doctor Ruth Winters but fears fans will hate her cold character.

Ambitious new medic Ruth puts a few noses out of joint when she joins the emergency ward. “She’s a junior doctor and she’s incredibly bright but appears quite cold and doesn’t endear herself to anyone when she joins,” Georgia revealed.

However, by the time episode seven comes round viewers will be hooked on Ruth as she reveals the reasons behind her frosty exterior. Georgia hinted: “She’s got a dark secret. Over the coming weeks viewers will find out a lot about her childhood and her relationship with her parents. She comes from a poor and troubled background.”

Her role as Corrie’s Toyah Battersby made Georgia a household name and she’s still best friends with her onscreen sister Jane Danson (Leanne Battersby). “I still meet up with Jane Danson who played Leanne, she’s one of my best mates,” Georgia said.

Despite remaining close to the Corrie family, Georgia has no intentions to return to the cobbles. “I’ve got no plans to go back but I’m still in touch with the cast and I do still have my flat in Manchester,” added the actress.

Tv Biz

FORMER Corrie actress Georgia Taylor has left the cobbles of Weatherfield to join docu-drama Casualty. Georgia will play junior doctor Ruth Winter. And she said she got to grips with her medical skills thanks to PG Tips!

She revealed: "We had to learn to insert a cannula into a prosthetic arm and take blood from a tea bag ? we weren’t allowed to use on real people!"

The Sun Newspaper 07/09/2007

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FORMER Coronation Street star Georgia Taylor who played Toyah Battersby  is joining Casualty. The 27-year-old actress will play a consultant called Ruth and will be on air when the show returns from its two-week break later this year. An insider said: It's a great role for Georgia and she's really looking forward to it. Georgia, who left the Street in 2003 after six years, was last seen on the box in BBC1's hit cop show Life On Mars. She has also been on Soapstar Superstar and Dancing On Ice Defrosted.

The Sun 18/07/2007

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