While her Weatherfield alter ego sparks drama, Georgia Taylor leads a drama-free life with her former co-star Charlie De Melo.
Coronation Street wouldn't be the same without Toyah Battersby, a character she has portrayed since she was 17 years old, celebrating 27 years in the long-running ITV soap, which airs on Virgin Media in Ireland, on July 4, 2024.
But while her character may be known to viewers for her long list of antics in Corrie, including being accused of murdering her husband Imran Habeeb, the star's off-the-cobbles life is somewhat of a mystery.
Many fans of the Manchester-based programme may not even know that Georgia opted for a pseudonym early on in her career, changing her legal name, Claire Jackson, when she made her soap debut.
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"It's not that I planned this to happen", she told T he Mirror, "but when I started with Coronation Street I had to register with Equity, the actors’ union, and at the time there seemed to be a hell of a lot of Claires so I had to think of something else."
She'd then admitted: "I couldn’t tell you where I got Georgia from, other than I liked it, but my grandad’s surname was Taylor and he passed away not long before I got the part."
"As a teenager I didn’t really think the consequences through of opting for a completely different name, but it’s meant there’s been quite a bit of confusion over the years. At this point I’ll pretty much answer to anything!"
In 2001, Georgia received the Best Dramatic Performance British Soap Award for her portrayal of Toyah, leaving the cobbles a first time in 2003 and appearing in BBC One 's Casualty as series regular Ruth Winters from September, 2007.
After four years, Georgia jumped ship before rekindling with the TV spotlight to star as Junior Crown Prosecutor Kate Barker in two seasons of , from 2013 to 2014. She then reprised her Corrie role on a permanent basis in 2016.
Since returning to the cobbles, Georgia's character embarked on an on-screen romance with solicitor Imran Habeeb, once rivalling for his affection with her sister Leanne Battersby (played by Jane Danson ).
The pair eventually tied the knot but Imran's infidelity with Abi Webster ( Sally Carman ) and the resulting birth of their son Alfie left Toyah heartbroken, particularly due to her own fertility struggles, which once triggered one of her biggest storylines with ex-boyfriend Peter Barlow ( Chris Gascoyne ).
Imran was eventually killed off from the show with Toyah facing trial for murder as she was accused of driving her car into a wall in an attempt to kill him.
The solicitor succumbed to a heart attack in devastating scenes aired in 2022 - a far cry from reality as Imran actor Charlie, 34, and Georgia revealed fiction had caught up with life. The pair, who share a nine-year age gap made it clear they were in a romantic relationship as Georgia had moved on from her former partner and Casualty co-star Mark Letheren.
Charlie confirmed the romance in July, 2023, sharing a series of snaps from a Blur concert he attended at London's Wembley Arena with Georgia. They have since made frequent appearances on the other's Instagram profile with their latest loved-up snap dating back to this Tuesday, July 23.
In this post shared on Charlie's Instagram, the couple left their admirers in stitches as they dressed up as Super Mario characters Luigi and Yoshi for Nintendo UK. Although the loved-up pair mostly keep the lid on their relationship, they have also shared insights into their journeys around the world, from Ireland to Italy.
During a recent press chat, Georgia also made a rare comment about their romance, saying: "When I joined the show I was on a five-month contract and I didn't see anything beyond that."
"So the fact that it's really shaped so much of my life and my personal life is quite extraordinary. It really is a gift and it makes that place even more special to me."
She continued: "Going away and coming back, meeting Charlie, being reunited with Jane at work and now being back up north near my family, I just feel incredibly lucky and thankful for the people that the show has brought into my life."
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