When Leanne Battersby (Jane Danson) discovered that her partner, Nick Tilsley (Ben Price), had been cheating on her with her sister Toyah (Georgia Taylor) in Coronation Street she was devastated.
Leanne and Nick had become distant with each other after she became involved with the cult-like Altovalent Institute. Personal relationships took a back seat as Leanne focused on her progress with the Institute and her most meaningful relationship started to be with the Institute’s leader, Rowan Cunliffe (Emrhys Cooper).
Sidelined, both Nick and Toyah felt neglected by Leanne and they were gradually drawn towards each other, with Nick supporting Toyah through a cancer scare.
When Leanne found out about the affair she ended things with Nick – and of course there was another person who was massively affected by this.
Sam Blakeman (Jude Riordan), Nick’s son, has already lost his birth mother, Natasha Blakeman (Rachel Leskovac), who was killed by Harvey Gaskell (Will Mellor).
Initially traumatised by this event to the point where he couldn’t communicate, gradually Sam has come out his shell and that’s partly due to the influence of Leanne as a mother figure in his life.
Ben Price told us that, as Nick and Leanne divide up their belongings in a future episode, Nick is acutely aware of the toll it’s taking on Sam.
‘Nick’s own father died, so when Natasha died he was very conscious of providing some kind of safety and security for Sam,’ he reflected. ‘He has grown very attached to Leanne so for Sam it’s almost like losing a mum again and Nick feels very guilty about that.’
At the same time, Nick knows that there’s no future for him and Leanne, not even for Sam’s sake.
‘He’s always going to love her. Part of Nick still loves her, but it’s definitely finished. It’s definitely over, it’s not one of those half breakups. I think something changed for him when she went to the institute, for Nick that was the end,’ Ben told us.
While Nick’s feelings for Leanne have changed, Ben said that Nick still has feelings for Toyah.
‘I genuinely think he’s in love with her,’ he insisted. ‘I know this is a bit weird, she’s Leanne’s sister, but I think he actually really loves her and he thinks this could be something and it was a bit sad how it had to end.
‘Everything was a bit different with Toyah, bit lighter, and I think after the way Leanne suddenly went to the Institute, it really made him think I just don’t know you at all. I think he’s being genuine with Toyah.
‘It’s definitely a deeper connection, I actually don’t think it was based much on the physical initially. Supporting her through her cancer was what drew them together. It wasn’t like he’d been attracted to her for years, it was about being there for her, and then her for him, that’s how the love started. There’s a lot more to it than just the physical.’
But if Nick and Toyah decide to continue their relationship – how will Sam feel about that?
