ITV Coronation Street Toyah star Georgia Taylor's life - real name and famous ex

Coronation Street's Toyah Habeeb, portrayed by Georgia Taylor, has always been at the centre of dramatic storylines. The actress first graced our screens as part of the Battersby family in 1997.

Her character Toyah quickly became embroiled in a series of intense narratives - including a harrowing rape storyline. ITV soap bosses are set to revisit the distressing plot with the alleged discovery of Toyah's stillborn baby at the park years later.

It comes as Toyah panics upon hearing that the land is due for development. Toyah is already facing challenging times as she attempts to shield her sister Leanne Battersby from the influence of 'reality coding' cult leader Rowan in Corrie.

As Toyah continues to navigate these turbulent waters, we delve into the off-screen life of actress Georgia, including her real name and her past relationship with a famous actor.

Coronation Street's Georgia Taylor, 44, was actually born Claire Jackson. In a 2021 interview with the Mirror, she 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!"

Despite taking a 13-year break from the role in 2003, she still goes by Claire on her passport, as well as to her mum, Caroline Jackson. On the Corrie set, half the cast and crew refer to her as Claire, while the rest know her as Georgia.

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The actress opened up about the confusion surrounding her name. She explained that many of her closest friends refer to her as Georgia, a name she adopted after meeting her former partner Mark Letheren.

She amusingly noted the mix-up when introducing herself: "It's pretty funny when I introduce myself to people. Anyone who recognises me from Corrie thinks of me as Toyah, and then I say 'I'm Georgia, but I'm also Claire, so really call me whatever you like."

Love life

Taylor also reminisced about her relationship with ex-partner Mark Letheren, whom she met on the set of BBC's Casualty in 2008. During an appearance on Lorraine, she reflected on their time together, confirming they never officially married but felt as though they were practically wed due to the duration of their partnership.

Sharing details about their meeting, she said: "We met, he was a sort of semi-regular character, he was playing a counsellor ironically, which is then what Toyah ended up doing. We met, gosh 13 years ago. So yeah, got him out of the job and lots of friends and it was a really good time."

Actor Mark, 53, known for his roles in Casualty, The Bill, Silent Witness, and Wire in the Blood, split from Georgia after a 14-year relationship, as reported by The Sun in January 2023. The couple is said to have parted ways in July 2022.

Mark hinted at the emotional turmoil of the break up in a poignant social media post at the end of last year, stating: "It's been the worst year after a number of increasingly s**t years. My life finally fell apart. Thankfully, I'm incredibly lucky and have a family who have picked up the pieces and are trying to help me re-build myself."

"It's thanks to them I'm still here and trying to move forward. For that I am truly grateful. Whatever the new year brings I hope that strength, humility, joy and love are in abundance for you all."

Georgia, meanwhile, has found a new romance with her former on-screen husband Charlie De Melo, who played Imran Habeeb, Toyah's solicitor spouse on Coronation Street. Imran was tragically killed off in the soap in 2022.

At the time, Georgia expressed her sadness, saying: "I absolutely adore him. He's been a dream, an absolute dream. He's so funny so we laugh a lot but he is honestly one of the most supportive people I have ever worked with and even now, we're still in touch obviously, he's texting me, 'How did the day go? Are you okay? '".

"He's just a team player. And I mean look at him, there's no complaints there either. He's beautiful."

Their romance seems to have flourished, with the smitten couple consistently updating their thrilled Instagram fans with their shared experiences. Their adventures so far have seen them journey to Sorrento and Belfast, as well as attend a Blur concert.

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