Coronation Street producer admits Toyah Battersby has been underused - but promises more screen time

She was landlady of the Rovers Return with heart-throb fella Peter Barlow at her side, and her desperation to become a mum sparked a bonkers surrogacy plot with Eva Price that changed life on the cobbles forever.

However, in 2020 it's a different story as the popular character hasn't exactly been at the forefront of storylines since Eva left with the baby that should've been hers in 2018. She's happily settled with hunky lawyer Imran Habeeb, but is hardly fulfilling her A-lister potential and heritage as a part of one of the soap's most infamous families.

When quizzed about the recent lack of Toyah action, Corrie producer Iain MacLeod not only agreed but promised to rectify the situation, starting with an emotional new storyline for the Battersby sisters.

"I would agree that Toyah has been a little bit underused," admitted the soap boss, speaking to RadioTimes.com about upcoming storylines. "She is a fabulous character and Georgia is a fabulous actor so we are looking to fix that.

"She will be a huge part of Leanne's story with her son Oliver's health crisis. And in a parallel thread her and Imran will be making some very big life decisions that are thrown into disarray by what is happening with her sister."

Fears for Leanne and Steve McDonald's son Oliver grow next week, when the little lad is put into intensive care after suffering a series of mysterious seizures.

"While Leanne makes others feel shut out from her private emotional turmoil, Toyah is very much her rock and her staunchest supporter.

"There will be a lot more screen time for Georgia, and Toyah, in the coming months."

Ms Battersby was a gobby teenager when she arrived on the street in 1997 as the youngest member of the chaotic clan, dubbed 'the neighbours from hell'. In her early years she was an eco-warrior, animal right activist and was at the centre of the soap's first ever rape storyline. Taylor left in 2003 and enjoyed a successful stint on BBC One medical drama Casualty, before being tempted back to Weatherfield in 2016.

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