We Were Girls Behaving Badly

As Georgia Taylor and Jane Danson are reunited,will Battersby-style mayhem return to the Corrie cobbles?

Way back in 1997, the Battersby family walked into our lives as the latest addition to Coronation Street – and they certainly shook things up! That was especially true of troublesome sisters Toyah (Georgia Taylor) and Leanne (Jane Danson). But in 2003 Toyah left, leaving a massive hole in Leanne’s life... until now. This Christmas the Battersby sisters will finally be reunited, and we can’t wait! We sat down with Georgia, 36, who lives with her partner Mark Letheren, and Jane, 38, married to actor Robert Beck and mum to Harry, 10, and Sam, seven, to take some trips down memory lane, chat new storylines and why these two will always be the best of friends...

Georgia, you’re back! How has it been so far?

GEORGIA It’s been great. It’s really early days so I’m still getting to grips with it. I still don’t know where everything is because the set’s moved locations since my day. When they call me on to a scene, I don’t know where I’m going. I just follow someone!

JANE We’ve not had a chance to be on our own yet. We tried to have lunch together the other day, but because about 150 people haven’t seen her she didn’t end up sitting down because everybody wanted to say hello!

What are your first memories of arriving on the street back in 1997?

G It was crazy. I clung on to Jane – I was like a rabbit in the headlights. This shows you how long ago it was, they did a poll back then on Ceefax! It was, ‘Should we get rid of the Battersbys?’ and 97% said yes.

J It was awful because you’ve not learned to have a thick skin bythat point – you can’t help but take it personally. We came in and we were girls behaving badly, it was shocking and it had never really been done.