Rachel Leskovac

Rachel Leskovac (born 5 June 1976) is an English actress and singer.

Early life Leskovac was born in Bradford, England. Leskovac has a younger sister, Sophie, and an older sister, Kate. Leskovac attended St Joseph's Catholic College in Bradford and during her youth was a member of local theatre group Scala Kids. She later trained at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, graduating in 1998.

Acting career Leskovac received critical acclaim for her performance as the young Viv in the musical Spend Spend Spend and was nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical at the 2000 Laurence Olivier Awards. In 2006, she also starred in a TV movie called Losing Gemma for Granada TV. In April 2008, Leskovac was signed up to play Natasha Blakeman, a hairdresser on the ITV soap Coronation Street. She left the soap in 2010. In July 2020, it was announced that Leskovac would be reprising her role as Natasha, In 2021, Leskovac left Coronation Street as Natasha died from accidentally getting shot.

Leskovac played Margaret, sister of Betty in the 1950s drama A Passionate Woman alongside Billie Piper in 2010. In 2011, Leskovac starred in an episode of the Sky 1 sitcom Trollied as Leanne the deputy manager who was on maternity leave. In 2012, Leskovac played teacher Lara Heaton in the Channel 4 TV comedy drama series Shameless, and she played Karen, a beauty therapist, in an episode of the Jimmy McGovern drama series Accused. In 2013, she appeared in Last Tango in Halifax before returning to the role in 2020. In 2014, she played Susie Nightingale in the second series of WPC 56. She also appeared in the 2014 crime drama Happy Valley as Julie, the wife of drug dealer-turned-kidnapper Ashley Cowgill. In 2015, she returned to the role of Susie in the third series of WPC 56. In September 2015, she joined the cast of teenage soap opera Hollyoaks as regular Joanne Cardsley. Leskovac received critical acclaim for her role in Hollyoaks. She left the role in December 2016 concluding a dramatic storyline with her.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 2007 Dead Clever Karen Television film 2013 Bollywood Carmen Kylie Television film 2015 The Mark Jen

Television Year Title Role Notes 1999 Heartbeat Record Shop Assistant Episode: "Puppet on a String" 2000 North Square Celia Winterburn Episode: "The Big Cheese"2001 Peak Practice Dionne Harrison Episode: "Together We Stand" In Deep Elaine Episode: "Blue on Blue"2002 Heartbeat Pinky Parkinson Episode: "The Shoot" Where the Heart Is Bella Scott Recurring role; 6 episode Casualty Molly Blythe Episode: "Innocence"2003 Red Cap Rita Woolf Episode: "Crush" At Home with the Braithwaites Ciara Pickering Recurring role; 5 episodes 2003–2004 Holby City Kelly Yorke Series regular; 26 episodes 2004 Outlaws Sheila Mole Episode: "A Dying Breed"2005 The Last Detective Princess Episode: "Friends Reunited" Doctors Jodie Stevens Episode: "A World of Their Own" 2006 Losing Gemma Gemma Miniseries; 2 episodes 2007 The Royal Marie Beattie Recurring role; 4 episodes 2008–2010, 2020-2021 Coronation Street Natasha Blakeman Series regular; 185 episodes 2010 A Passionate Woman Margaret Miniseries; 1 episodes 2011 Trollied Leanne Episode: "Series 1, Episode 2"2012 Shameless Lara Heaton Recurring role; 2 episodes Secrets and Words Sylvia Episode: "Help Me If You Can" Accused Karen Episode: "Tracie's Story"2013 Moving On Sam Episode: "Friends Like These" Law & Order: UK Amanda Tyler Episode: "Tracks" 2013–2020 Last Tango in Halifax Cheryl Recurring role; 5 episodes 2014 Happy Valley Julie Mulligan Recurring role; 3 episodes 2014–2015 WPC 56 Susie Nightingale Series regular; 10 episodes 2015–2016 Hollyoaks Joanne Cardsley Series regular; 69 episodes 2018 Creeped Out June Episode: "The Traveller" 2020 All Creatures Great and Small Southwick Episode: "All's Fair" 2023–present Waterloo Road Coral Walker Series regular