Natasha Blakeman is a fictional character from the ITVsoap operaCoronation Street, played by Rachel Leskovac. The character first appeared onscreen during the episode airing on 12 May 2008.[1] On 29 April 2010, it was announced that Leskovac had been axed from the show after two years and would depart in "an exciting and dramatic storyline which will be an integral part of the build-up to Coronation Street's 50th anniversary".[2] Natasha departed on 27 September 2010.
On 16 July 2020, it was announced that Leskovac would be reprising her role as Natasha, with her return airing 11 September 2020.[3] Leskovac made an unannounced departure from the soap on 25 October 2021, in which Natasha was killed off after being shot by Harvey Gaskell (Will Mellor).[4]
In December 2008, Natasha informs Audrey Roberts (Sue Nicholls) that her brother and sister-in-law have just had a baby daughter and are naming her Electra.
She spots a good business opportunity in opening the salon for late night trading hours during the week, an idea Audrey agrees to. Natasha is drafted in to style Molly Compton's (Vicky Binns) hair for her wedding day in January 2009.
In February, she flirts with Steve McDonald (Simon Gregson) in the Rovers and they go on a date but Steve is jealous that Jason Grimshaw (Ryan Thomas) is dating Becky Granger (Katherine Kelly) and behaves quite badly during his and Natasha's date. She is not impressed by Steve as his idea of a date is a takeaway in the Rovers so when Steve asks her out again, she declines but tells him that there are no hard feelings.
On 23 March 2009, Natasha starts a relationship with Tony Gordon (Gray O'Brien) and initially, Natasha does most of the talking, while Tony sits silently. Just as she is about to leave, he asks her to stop and take her coat off and the pair subsequently have sex. Natasha is in good spirits, following her night with Tony, and tells Maria Connor (Samia Smith) about it, making Maria jealous as she is developing romantic feelings for Tony herself. Maria tries to warn Natasha off him, claiming that he will treat her badly and even tries setting her up with Tom Kerrigan (Philip McGinley) but Natasha is happy with Tony. Some months later, Natasha becomes suspicious of the amount of time that Tony and Maria are spending together. A jealous Natasha tells Maria that Tony is only paying her attention because he feels sorry for her. Tony is furious when he discovers what Natasha has said, leading to a showdown between them and they split up. Natasha tries to warn Maria about Tony's 'dark side', but she won't listen.
In April 2010, Natasha finds herself attracting the attention of Graeme Proctor (Craig Gazey). She is amused at his attempts to woo her until she discovers that he is doing the same with Rosie Webster (Helen Flanagan). They agree to teach him a lesson. Natasha feigns interest in Graeme and meets him for a drink at The Rovers, where she playfully flirts with him. When she asks him about Rosie, he states that she is a bimbo and that he has no interest in her. At that moment, Rosie comes up behind him and pours a pint over his head, much to the amusement of the pub. Later that month, Natasha sets her sights on Audrey's grandson Nick Tilsley (Ben Price) and he agrees to go out with her, after she makes her interest in him clear. However, after he cancels several dates, she angrily confronts him and he is impressed by her feisty personality, making him take their relationship more seriously but Natasha soon feels excluded by Nick and his family, firstly as Nick's mother Gail McIntyre's (Helen Worth) is very cold towards her and Nick constantly puts his business before their relationship. Eager to settle down, Natasha suggests they get a place together but Nick is preoccupied with business woes, due to Underworld recently burning down, and virtually ignores her. Worried about his dealings with ex-wife, Leanne Battersby (Jane Danson), she lends him £3,000 for new business premises to secure the future of the factory in an attempt to please him.
In July 2010, while organising a surprise 70th birthday party for Audrey, Natasha discovers that her boss is considering retiring and an ambitious Natasha offers to buy the salon and is not happy to learn that Maria also wants to buy the business. Natasha's insecurity is not helped by Nick's devious half-brother, David Platt (Jack P. Shepherd), telling her that Nick and Maria were once engaged and that she is just one of many women that Nick has been involved with. Despairing at Nick's lack of commitment, her problems worsen when she learns that she is pregnant in August. She is about to tell Nick this but he ends their relationship first as he feels she is too needy. Later, Natasha sees Nick and Leanne together at the factory and angrily tells him about the baby but Nick is angry that she didn't tell him sooner and storms off. Fearing she'd be a single parent, Natasha has an abortion but Nick visits Natasha, telling her that he wants them to be a family. Unsure how to tell him about the termination, she lets him believe that she is still expecting and events spiral out of control when Nick announces her pregnancy in the Rovers. After Natasha steals Fiz Stape's (Jennie McAlpine) scan picture and passes it off as her own, she breaks down and admits the truth to Fiz when she realises what has happened. Seeing how these events are affecting her, Fiz urges her to tell Nick the truth but just as she is about to, Nick asks her to marry him and she agrees, much to Fiz's indignation. However, Gail is suspicious as Natasha's behaviour is not what you'd expect from a pregnant woman and checks her medical records. When she sees Natasha's abortion, she demands either Natasha tell him the truth or she will. Gail doesn't give Natasha much chance to tell Nick before she tells him, causing them to argue. Nick then tells Natasha that she will always be second best to Leanne and demands she move out, resulting in her attempting suicide by taking an overdose of prescription drugs. Feeling guilty about his actions, Nick returns to the flat and, finding her unconscious, calls an ambulance and rushes her to the hospital, where she recovers. Nick tells her he is sorry and that they will try again once she is better. Natasha is discharged from hospital the next morning, and stays with Audrey while she recovers. Nick visits and asks if she wants to try for another baby, much to her surprise and delight. After Nick leaves, Audrey and Natasha have a heart-to-heart and Natasha realises that Nick doesn't love her and is simply trying to make amends for his past behaviour. Knowing that a relationship under those circumstances is doomed, she leaves Audrey's and returns to Coronation Street, wanting revenge on all those who misunderstood or were horrible to her.
During her visit, Natasha berates Leanne for being a catalyst in her break-up with Nick and tells David that Tina McIntyre (Michelle Keegan) will never love him as he has no heart or feelings. She also goes to Underworld and causes chaos by telling the workers about Nick's special "nicknames" for them, and saving best for last, she gets Gail sacked from the Medical Centre in front of Betty Williams (Betty Driver) by revealing to Dr. Matt Carter (Oliver Mellor) how Gail broke the rules of patient confidentiality by hacking into private medical records, her last words to Gail are: "Hope you have a nice life Gail, ooh look, I had my fingers crossed", before leaving. An empowered but tearful Natasha then leaves Weatherfield in the back of a taxi as Nick watches on.
2020–2021
In September 2020, Natasha bumps into Nick while they are both visiting the hospital. She tells him that she is “in a much better place now” and apologised for the past. Later in the day, it is revealed that Natasha now has a son and tells the doctor that she has been reminded of his Dad today, meaning that Nick is his father. The next day, she visits Nick at his flat and reveals that they have a son together called Sam, who was conceived after her abortion. She tries to urge him to see Sam, but Nick is going through a tough time as his step-son with Leanne has a life-threatening condition.
In October 2021, following a long-running feud between Leanne and drug dealer Harvey Gaskell (Will Mellor), Natasha was shot in a case of mistaken identity. Rushed to hospital, she later died at the age of 40 after internally bleeding during her surgery on her liver before the news was broken to her son, Sam. Natasha Blakeman was Buried.
Casting
Rachel Leskovac was to take on the role, with a Coronation Street spokesman confirming it: "Rachel's very well known in TV land as she has been in countless series and dramas. To have her new character in the salon is a smashing coup."[5] The actress stated in an interview that she only felt really part of the backstage family when her character became more involved with central storylines saying: "Last year, it was a bit sporadic because I wasn't in for weeks on end, so every time I came back it felt like my first day again. It's only now in the new year that it's started to feel like I'm part of the family!".[6]
Character development
In an interview, Leskovac said: "I'd say Natasha's a romantic. She likes to have fun and isn't malicious in the slightest. She loves her job, too. I think she's looking for love but not necessarily settling down at the minute, though.".[7] Her take on the character she plays after one year in the show. The character tends to talk a lot and generally say anything that comes into her head. ITV publicity describe the characters typical ditzy blonde image, describe her as loving Scottish accents and the sound of her own voice and hating shellfish and dandruff.[1]
Return
In July 2020, it was confirmed that Natasha had been reintroduced by producer Iain McLeod. Natasha returned in September 2020 after being away for over ten years. Speaking about her return, Leskovac said: "I am very excited and proud to be welcomed back to Coronation Street, especially as so many old friends are still there. It's always great to be able to return to a character to explore a whole new path for them.[3]
Reception
Ruth Deller of entertainment website Lowculture, who runs a monthly column on the most popular and unpopular soap opera characters, including Natasha, attributing her rise in popularity, stating: "A fairly new addition to Weatherfield, Natasha is proving so far very likeable. This could all change, but for now, we’re loving her work."[8]Deborah Ross of The Independent described her as having "trapped a man by pretending to be pregnant" before adding that "Obviously, she cannot think nine months ahead".[9] In 2010, Dan Martin from The Guardian speculated that "Natasha the hairdresser" could be one of the characters to be killed-off in the soap's 50th anniversary special, as he believed that the "primary function of a big soap disaster is to sweep out the dead wood", and that Natasha was one of the "characters we don't care about even if we noticed they were there".[10]
Due to her portrayal of Natasha on Coronation Street, fellow soap opera Hollyoaks executive producer Bryan Kirkwood decided to cast Leskovac as Joanne Cardsley in the soap in September 2015, as he had admired her performances as Natasha.[11]
Related Research Articles
Maria Connor is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, portrayed by Samia Longchambon. The character made her first appearance during the episode broadcast on 19 May 2000. During her time on the show, Maria has been the centre of major storylines. In late-2009, Longchambon took maternity leave and Maria was off-screen from November 2009 until June 2010. Longchambon went on maternity leave again in 2015 and Maria was off-screen from October 2015 until April 2016. In June 2019, it was announced that Longchambon had signed a new contract keeping her with the show for at least another 12 months.
Steve McDonald is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, played by Simon Gregson. The character first appeared on-screen during the episode airing on 6 December 1989. He arrived as part of the McDonald family introduced by producer Mervyn Watson along with his twin brother Andy and parents Liz and Jim McDonald. For the first year on the Street, the character was credited by the actor's real surname Gregory, before changing to Gregson from early 1991 onwards. Steve is Coronation Street's most married character, having been married seven times to five women Vicky Arden, Karen Phillips (twice), Becky Granger, Michelle Connor, and Tracy Barlow (twice). In September 2015, Gregson announced a break for personal reasons and Steve was off-screen from November 2015 to 22 April 2016.
Gail Rodwell is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, played by Helen Worth. The character first appeared on-screen on 29 July 1974. Gail is the daughter of Audrey Roberts and Ted Page and is the mother of Nick Tilsley, Sarah Platt and David Platt and has featured in some of the most controversial and high-profile storylines in the soap involving her family and her number of relationships — she is the soap's most married female character, having been married six times.
Audrey Roberts is a fictional character from the ITV soap opera Coronation Street, played by actress Sue Nicholls. Audrey made her first appearance on 16 April 1979 and appeared on a recurring basis for three years until April 1982. She returned over two years later in July 1984, before becoming a full-time regular character from 1985.
Leanne Battersby is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, played by Jane Danson. It was announced in February 1997 that a "family from hell" would be introduced to Coronation Street. This included Les and Janice Battersby, Les' daughter Leanne and Janice's daughter Toyah. Leanne made her first appearance on 4 July 1997. Danson left the series on 23 August 2000 and returned on 7 June 2004. Danson later took maternity leave in 2006 and returned in early 2007. Danson took another maternity break in 2009 and returned in the same year. On 27 September 2017, Danson took an extended break from the show and returned three months later on 15 December 2017.
Todd Grimshaw is a fictional character from the British soap opera Coronation Street, formerly played by Bruno Langley from 2001 to 2017, and now played by Gareth Pierce. The character's debut was broadcast on 14 January 2001. He was introduced as part of the Grimshaw family, formed around the established character Eileen Grimshaw.
Nick Tilsley is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street. He was born off screen during an episode broadcast on 31 December 1980, but made his first appearance on 5 January 1981. He was played by Warren Jackson from 1981 until 6 September 1996. Adam Rickitt took over the role on 15 October 1997 until 21 April 1999 but returned for three separate stints between 2002 and 2004 and made his final appearance as Nick on 11 July 2004. Ben Price took over the role on 21 December 2009. Price announced his intentions to leave the serial on 26 January 2017, before making his on-screen departure on 2 June 2017. However, on 23 April 2018, it was announced that Price would reprise his role as Nick, and he returned on 12 October 2018.
Rachel Leskovac is an English actress and singer. She is known for portraying the roles of Kelly Yorke in the BBC One medical drama series Holby City (2003–2004), Natasha Blakeman in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street, and Joanne Cardsley in the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks (2015–2016). In 2022, she joined the revival of the BBC One school-based drama series Waterloo Road as English teacher Coral Walker. She has been nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award.
Tony Gordon is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, portrayed by actor Gray O'Brien. The character first appeared on-screen on 16 September 2007. He appeared as a regular character for two years before departing on 11 December 2009 after being imprisoned for the murder of Liam Connor. He returned on 28 May 2010 after managing to break out of prison with the help of his cellmate Robbie Sloan, whom Tony later betrayed by shooting him dead. The character departed once again on 9 June 2010 after being killed off at the conclusion of his storyline. He was a local businessman, disliked by many of Weatherfield's residents for his ruthlessness. His storylines revolved around his business deals, his relationships with Carla Connor and Maria Connor, and the murder of Liam Connor. Tony was named "Bad Boy" of 2009 at the All About Soap Bubble awards, and "Villain of the Year" at The British Soap Awards 2009.
Graeme Proctor is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street. Portrayed by Craig Gazey, the character first appeared on-screen during the episode airing on 18 April 2008.
Cheryl Gray is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, played by Holly Quin-Ankrah. She debuted on-screen during the episode airing 9 April 2010. Originally introduced as a love interest for an existing character, Cheryl has been involved in storylines involving lapdancing and domestic abuse since her inception. Cheryl's age was tweaked to accommodate the much younger Quin-Ankrah's real age. In May 2011, it was announced the producers had decided not to renew Quin-Ankrah's contract. She departed on-screen on 18 November 2011.
Lewis Archer is a fictional character from the British soap opera Coronation Street, played by Nigel Havers. The character was created and introduced as a love interest for Audrey Roberts. Executive producer Kim Crowther revealed the team wanted an actor who was slightly younger than Audrey and who was very charming. Various actors were considered for the part, but the casting director suggested Havers as she knew he was a big fan of the show. The actor said he could not turn down a chance to appear in Coronation Street as his character had an interesting story arc. Havers was contracted until July 2010 and he made his debut as Lewis in the episode broadcast on 18 December 2009.
Kylie Platt is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, played by Paula Lane. She was introduced as Becky McDonald's half-sister, making her on-screen debut on 26 August 2010. Lane landed the role, with executive producer Phil Collinson describing her as a brilliant casting. He also revealed that Kylie would have "major storylines" during her first six months in the serial. Lane created her approach to her portrayal from her own past experiences whilst growing up. Lane impressed the producers and had her contract extended until July 2012.
Dr Matt Carter is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, played by Oliver Mellor. He made his first on screen appearance on 20 August 2010. On 30 June 2013, Mellor revealed that he had quit the show and Matt would not appear again.
Stella Price is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, played by Michelle Collins. Collins' casting was announced in April 2011 and she began filming her scenes in May. The actress commuted from north London to Manchester for filming. Collins joined the show in order to have the financial security to ensure that her daughter could go to university. Collins, who is from Southern England and was previously well known for her role as Londoner, Cindy Beale on BBC's EastEnders, used a Northern accent for the role of Stella as Coronation Street is set in Manchester. She made her first on-screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 16 June 2011. Stella was introduced along with her boyfriend, Karl Munro, and her daughter, Eva. The following year, Stella’s mother, Gloria was also introduced. In August 2013, it was announced that Collins would be leaving the soap and she filmed her final scenes on 19 February 2014. Stella departed on 2 April 2014.
Ciaran McCarthy is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, portrayed by Keith Duffy. He made his first on-screen appearance on 7 August 2002, before departing in 2005. He returned in 2010 until Duffy temporary departed in January 2011 to go on Boyzone Tour, and returned on 3 November 2011. Duffy departed the role again on 25 November 2011 due to family commitments. In his duration on the show the character has been at the centre of several romances including relationships with Sunita Alahan, Tracy Barlow and Michelle Connor. Ciaran has been characterised as a ladies' man and a charmer. The character is also known for his "sex symbol" status. Duffy has received nominations at various soap award ceremonies for his portrayal of Ciaran.
"Siege Week" is a week-long special of the British soap opera Coronation Street, which was broadcast from 31 May 2010 to 9 June 2010 on ITV. The special edition was the first time in the history of the programme being on air that it was filmed in high definition. The six 30-minute episodes were directed by Ian Bevitt and David Kester, and were the most expensive Coronation Street had ever produced, costing £1 million. The episodes, ranging from the 7352nd to the 7356th in the series, were written by Martin Allen, Mark Wadlow, Stephen Russell, Chris Fewtrell and Joe Turner, and produced by Kim Crowther for ITV Studios. It was filmed at the Granada Studios complex in Manchester.
↑ "We had some really fierce discussions about who the 'Gloved Hand Killer' would be!". Inside Soap (42). Hearst Magazines UK: 42, 45. 24–30 October 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
