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Coronation Street's Nick Tilsley faces emotional turmoil next week when his girlfriend Natasha Blakeman makes a suicide attempt. The tragic moment takes place after Gail makes the shocking discovery that Natasha is no longer pregnant and has been lying to everyone for weeks. When Gail reveals all to Nick, Natasha's whole world falls apart and, fearing she has nothing to live for, the hairdresser takes an overdose of pills. Nick later finds Natasha unconscious at the flat, and he calls an ambulance before facing a tense and heartbreaking wait to see whether she'll pull through. DS recently chatted to Nick's portrayer Ben Price to find out more.

The week starts off on a happy note for Nick when he decides to propose to Natasha - why has he come to that decision?
"It comes from a sense of responsibility and a sense of doing the right thing for his baby. He's thinking about everything that happened with Leanne and the abortion ten years ago, and he's trying to atone for that. It may not be perfect, but it's the right thing to do - he's certain that he's doing the right thing, and Nick doesn't always do that!"

Natasha has been behaving quite strangely due to her pregnancy lie - doesn't Nick suspect that something is amiss?
"No, he doesn't have any suspicions! I think it's important that the audience are let in on the secret, but Nick would never know what was going on, as you just wouldn't jump to that conclusion. If someone's pregnant, you never know what they're thinking, and their hormones will be all over the place, so he doesn't suspect at all."

Nick proposes to Natasha
Nick's proposal takes place in front of the entire factory workforce - why does he make it so public?
"It's a mistake! Sean and Julie are talking to Nick about the engagement ring, and then Natasha comes in about something else, so they tell Nick, 'Oh go on, you might as well propose to her while you're both here'! I don't think that Nick would ever normally choose a public proposal - and certainly not in Underworld!"

How does Natasha react to the proposal?
"She's quite shocked and you can definitely see that in her face. Nick notices that, but I think he believes it's just because she's unsure, rather than because she's keeping a secret. Nick tries to reassure her, saying that even though it's a shock, and they're in the middle of Underworld, it's the right thing to do. But there's obviously a lot more going on with Natasha and her emotions than Nick realises."

Natasha is stunned when Gail says she knows the truth
Things go wrong for them both when Gail tells Nick that Natasha has been lying to him. How does Nick react?
"At first, he doesn't believe Gail and he gets angry at her when she starts saying these things about Natasha. Nick knows that Gail never liked Natasha, and I think that's quite a normal reaction from Nick - it's just the way you are with your mum. Gail has never really liked anyone that Nick has been with, and doesn't really have a good word to say about anyone! So at first, Nick puts it down to that."

What's his reaction when he discovers that Gail is telling the truth?
"It hits him really hard, and he starts crying. Nick's whole world has collapsed, and he's not used to that. Also, I think that losing another child is very difficult for him. He gets terribly upset about it."

Does his attitude towards Natasha change straight away?
"I think he realises that Natasha is quite damaged. I think that the audience will expect one kind of reaction from Nick, but actually not get it. I also think that Nick realises he's got to change his ways. It becomes clear that Natasha is very mixed up, and I think it's going to take a long time for him to work out what's going on and what's happening."

Nick and Leanne accompany Natasha in the ambulance
Nick later finds Natasha unconscious at the flat. Was that quite a dark scene to film?
"Yeah, it was. It's the last thing that Nick wants - he doesn't want her to be hurt, and I think he's very conscious of that all the way through. He doesn't want to hurt Natasha and just wants to make sure that she's alright. It's obvious that their relationship doesn't have a future, but he wants to be there for her. So when Nick finds Natasha at the flat, he's devastated. It's such a bad place for Natasha to be in - she's got herself into some bad places in her head, and it's caused by things that may not be as bad as they seem."

We see Leanne accompany Nick to the hospital with Natasha - is she there purely as a friend?
"I think so - Nick is definitely treating it as just a friendship thing. But he and Leanne were young lovers, and he knows her really well. She's a friend for him at a time when he's incredibly lost. He doesn't know what to do, as he isn't used to those kind of situations. This has big repercussions for Nick, and it even has big repercussions for Leanne. It's a big moment for both of them."

Nick refuses to talk to Gail as the paramedics load Natasha into an ambulance
Does Nick immediately feel guilty about everything that's happened with Natasha?
"Yeah, he feels terribly guilty. It hits him very hard, and I actually think that it hits him very hard for a long time. In the scenes that I'm filming now, I'm still playing that. Nick's slight cockiness leaves him for a bit, and he's a bit more chaste about things. It's a big story for him, especially as he's spent years making sure that people don't get inside his head or get too close to him."

We can't reveal the outcome of Natasha's suicide attempt, but have you enjoyed showing the emotional side of Nick during filming for this storyline?
"Yeah, I've really enjoyed it. It's nice to play a character one way, and then have the audience suddenly realise that maybe they've been seeing a bit of a front. He'll go back and put his armour back on, but it's nice to show all facets of a character. Nick isn't just one way - he's got a lot of things that trouble him, and the stuff with both Leanne and Natasha is unresolved for him. The audience will realise that Nick perhaps isn't the man they thought he was…"

I recently had a chat with Coronation Street actor Ben Price to hear about the devastating times ahead for Nick Tilsley after his girlfriend Natasha Blakeman takes an overdose of pills.

Click here to read the main part of the chat, which sees Ben offer his take on the dramatic new storyline.

Read on, however, for bonus bits from the interview - including Ben's thoughts on the future of Nick's love life and Corrie's 50th anniversary!

What are your thoughts on Rachel Leskovac's departure from the show?
"I loved working with her, but I think she went out on a brilliant story. I think that she's a brilliant actress and she's still going to get work afterwards. I was really pleased for her, because she got such a fantastic storyline and she did it brilliantly. That's the way you want to leave a show - you don't want to turn left out of Dev's shop and never come back, you want a series of stories that really make people remember you. Rachel is very, very good - and she'll have no trouble working after Corrie."

You mentioned earlier that we see a real change in Nick after this storyline - will that mean a change in the way he treats people?
"A bit! He'll still be a bit unpleasant with the factory workers - people like Sean and Janice! But I think we'll see a change in his relationship with his mum - that's a big change, as his mum was right. We'll also maybe see a bit of a change with his brother, but there'll always be some tension there. And maybe a bit of a change with Leanne, as he realises what he did have and what he left. I think that's the big change - realising what he could have had."

Would you like to see Nick get back with Leanne?
"There'd have to be a big journey to get to that point, but yeah, I would. But who knows? I don't know how it's going to go! But I think that would be great. But I think it could also be great if there's someone else on the Street who could come into his life. It's nice to keep spicing things up, really."

Coronation Street 50th Anniversary logo
Do you know whether Nick will play much of a part in the 50th anniversary episodes?
"I haven't got a clue, genuinely! I haven't had one script showing what happens, and I don't know what happens in the live episode either. I'll only know before the anniversary episodes, so I don't know at all what's going to happen."

Are you hoping to be involved in the live episode?
"I'm quite happy to be, but I'm also quite happy not to be! It's their choice. I'm just happy to get the stories I'm getting, as they've been great, but if the stories stop and someone else comes to the forefront, then that's how the show works. There's some characters that have been here longer than I have, so that could be a big episode for them."

Are the cast nervous about the live ep?
"Well, it's a bit far away, but yeah - it's not going to be a breeze and it's going to be very big, and very ambitious! But we've still got a lot of stuff to film. It's only September, and there's a lot of stuff to come before that…"