Coronation Street airs controversial dead baby storyline despite fan backlash
Coronation Street has begun airing scenes that will lead into a tough story for Toyah Battersby (played by Georgia Taylor).
In the episode that aired on Monday 22 April, Toyah was livid when she came across sleuths digging up a rose bed in the park. They were there after seeing Freddie the dog digging in the same place and believe Lauren Bolton’s (Cait Fitton) body might be buried there.
However, the sleuths were horrified when Toyah demanded they stop digging. When they didn’t, Toyah took their shovel and smashed in their car window. Unfortunately for Toyah, the whole moment was caught on video - but there’s a very dark reason why Toyah didn’t want the flower bed dug up.
In a sad turn of events, Toyah will reveal to Nick Tilsley (Ben Price) in the episode airing on Wednesday 24 April, that she gave birth to a stillborn baby girl when she was just 19 years old and buried the baby in the local park.
Even more harrowing, Toyah admits to Nick that the baby’s father was Phil Simmonds, who raped her. The ordeal Toyah experienced was aired in 2001 with Phil being jailed after DNA on Toyah's clothes and Phil's DNA were a perfect match.
The storyline has been met with plenty of backlash since it was announced with some taking to social media to air their frustration. One said: “My mother has only just learned about the Toyah plot line in #Corrie and she’s not only disgusted and infuriated by it, she’s considering stopping watching."
They continued to say: “If there was something decent on the BBC at the time I think I’d defect. She’s watched since the very first episode.”
To which another fan replied: “This whole fiasco has got me thinking about just how weird it is that it's completely standard to know the plot of a soap in advance, in a way that wouldn't happen with any other genre.”
As the week continues, a rift develops between Toyah and her sister Leanne Battersby (Jane Danson) after she realises Toyah confided in Nick first. Later on, Toyah calls in the bistro to find Nick run off his feet as Leanne is with Rowan Cunliffe (Emrhys Cooper) so Toyah offers to help him out.
As Leanne talks Rowan through all the bad things that have happened in her life, he listens intently and assures her that he’s by her side every step of the way.
