Coronation Street spoilers: Trauma for Nick Tilsley as Leanne Battersby disappears after being trapped by cult
Leanne Battersby (Jane Danson) has been well and truly drawn in by The Institute in Coronation Street, thanks to charming cult leader Rowan Cunliffe (Emrhys Cooper).
In upcoming scenes, she is set to drop everything and head out on a retreat, much to the disappointment of fiancé Nick Tilsley (Ben Price).
‘He’s gutted,’ actor Ben Price revealed. ‘I think that’s the moment where he twigs that this is the way it could end up being. She’ll withdraw more and more and then she’ll end up saying she’s found another life.
‘So, I think there is maybe a bit of him thinking that this is going to lead to somewhere not great. I think he’s a bit jealous as well that she doesn’t want to spend time with him.’
Though Leanne is totally taken in by Rowan and The Institute, the same can’t be said for Nick and Toyah Battersby (Georgia Taylor), who decides to do some research of her own in upcoming scenes.
‘[Nick] definitely doesn’t mind Toyah looking into it without a doubt because he does think there is something more to it,’ Ben explained.
‘Toyah’s much more invested in it and more convinced that Leanne is being dragged into something bad whereas I think Nick is more stuck between a rock and a hard place.
‘He’s stuck in between what’s effectively his wife and his sister in law and he’s trying to hedge his bets both ways. He understands that Leanne needs a bit of freedom, but he’s also worried about her and worried about what Toyah is saying.’
Despite Toyah begging her not to, Leanne leaves for the retreat, and son Simon Barlow (Alex Bain) ends up going off the rails when she fails to say goodbye to him.
This leaves Nick furious, as Leanne isn’t around to pick up the pieces.
‘I think Nick has had enough, he’s annoyed. He’s always been annoyed with Peter about his behaviour.
‘Simon put his son at risk, he’s displaying a lot of the character traits that his dad did and he thinks he’s going to end up like his dad and why should he have to pick up the pieces of that?
‘Nick has his own son Sam now and he has to consider his well being in all this too.’