Surely not!
This article includes discussion on baby loss, rape and sexual assault that some readers may find distressing.
It looks like a new affair could be on the cards in Coronation Street, and we certainly didn’t see this one coming, as the hint came amid a tragic confession for Toyah Battersby (Georgia Taylor).
With Toyah’s behaviour causing her sister Leanne’s (Jane Danson) partner Nick Tilsley (Ben Price) to be concerned, he offered to give her the day off from work at the Bistro. But during another row with Leanne at the restaurant, Toyah again defended her actions from the previous day, and left Nick baffled when she described the park as a “special place”.
At the flat, Nick found Toyah crying as she sat on the floor in the dark, and she left him stunned as she blurted out that she had buried her baby in the very same park she had been defending against trolls.
Toyah confided that she had been 19 at the time, and hadn’t even known she was pregnant until she went into labour. Mum Janice (Vicky Entwistle) and stepdad Les (Bruce Jones) were distracted by an argument, meaning no one noticed what she was going through as she gave birth to a stillborn baby girl at 26 weeks.
Toyah tried and failed to save her baby, before laying in her bed with her daughter for one night, burying her without telling anyone, and travelling away from the local area for medical treatment.
When Nick enquired about the baby’s father, Toyah confirmed that it was her rapist, Phil Simmonds (Jack Deam).
Explaining away viewers’ confusion over the show rewriting history, Toyah reminded Nick that Leanne was abroad at the time, otherwise she would have worked out Toyah’s ordeal straight away; while Janice had her own problems and Les was always busy.
In the years since, Toyah struggled to conceive and a doctor claimed that there was no connection between the loss of baby Rose and the fact that she hadn’t been able to have further children.
Later, Simon Barlow (Alex Bain) arrived, announcing that Bobby Crawford (Jack Carroll) told him a body had been found at the park. Toyah told Nick that she was going straight to the police station to confess, as she believed that Rose’s body had been unearthed.
But when Simon called Nick to explain that no body had been found after all, he rushed to stop Toyah from telling police about her baby. While Toyah considered speaking up anyway, rather than keeping Rose as a dark secret, she ultimately stayed quiet.
With Toyah unwilling to let Nick tell Leanne anything, he covered for her when Leanne arrived home. But Toyah had a change of heart, finally opening up as Leanne cried for her.
Leanne agreed to accompany Toyah to visit the spot where Rose was buried, and once there, Leanne presented a teddy bear from her late son Oliver to his cousin Rose. Toyah declared how much she loved her daughter, and lovingly placed the bear on her grave.
At home, Leanne confronted Nick over lying to her, and he branded her a hypocrite for her own fibs. After Leanne walked out to take a call with cult leader Rowan Cunliffe (Emrhys Cooper), Toyah emerged to thank Nick for his support.
But when they shared a warm hug, the energy between the pair was not familial and platonic. For a moment, it looked like they might lean in for a kiss, until they said goodnight and ended the exchange. Are Nick and Toyah about to cross a line?
Anyone affected by Toyah’s story can find support by visiting Rape Crisis, or calling their 24/7 Rape & Sexual Abuse Support Line on 0808 500 2222. For support on stillbirth and baby loss, visit Sands.
Read more:
- What happened to Toyah Battersby in Coronation Street as past story is revisited?
- Coronation Street’s Toyah Battersby self-destructs ahead of dark confession
- Coronation Street villain Nathan Curtis ‘to return this summer’ in new story
- Coronation Street cast: who is leaving, returning to and joining the soap?
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