-Credit:ITV
Coronation Street legend Georgia Taylor has left fans shocked after discovering her real name.
The actress shot to fame playing Toyah Battersby on the ITV soap. Toyah rocked up to the cobbles back in 1997, along with the rest of the Battersby clan, including sister Leanne (Jane Danson).
And over the years, Toyah has played a part in several big storylines; from her shock rape on the street to the tragic death of husband Imran Habeeb (Charlie De Melo), her time in Weatherfield has not been short of drama.
However, Toyah’s had a seriously tough time in the past twelve months. Last year, she was left devastated when she found out she had ovarian cancer.
Toyah made her debut back in the 90s -Credit:Granada Television
At the same time, and amid sister Leanne getting involved in a cult, Toyah ended up striking up a romance with Leanne’s beau Nick Tilsey (Ben Price). The truth eventually came out – and Leanne was out for revenge.
She ended up framing Toyah and Nick – but the situation was eventually resolved. More recently, Toyah and Nick have continued their romance, while Leanne has been spiralling.
Her real name has shocked fans -Credit:ITV
However, away from the ITV soap, fans have recently discovered that Toyah actress Georgia Taylor has a very different real name. On a Coronation Street Facebook fan page, alongside a photo of Georgia, one person wrote: “Georgia Taylor, born Claire Marie Jackson, best known for playing Toyah.”
Sharing their shock on a Coronation Street Facebook fan page, one person wrote: “Wait Georgia Taylor’s real name is Claire? Mind blown.”
Someone else penned: “I’ve been a fan for years and had no idea her name wasn’t Georgia lol.” A third also wrote: “That’s new information to me as well.”
She previously revealed why she changed her name -Credit:ITV
Speaking with the Mirror in 2021 about her real name, Georgia revealed: “It’s not that I planned this to happen. 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.”
“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!”
