Jacqueline Leonard On Her Return To The Cobbles
Jacqueline Leonard talks about her return to the Street, what this means for Chesney and potential future romances!
How does it feel to be back on the cobbles?
Absolutely brilliant. Really, really good. Slightly different from last time, obviously, with COVID and all the restrictions. But everybody's trying to be careful and stay safe.
Had your return been discussed before? Or did this come out of the blue for you?
It kind of came out of the blue a little bit. I mean, it had always been left open. But I think obviously, they got in touch with my agent and said, ‘does Jacqueline, want a flying visit?’ And, of course, I jumped at the chance. I'm sort of linked to the family, so I can come and go, which is great.
What brings Linda back to Weatherfield? Does she know about Joseph’s recent disappearance?
She’s been travelling. She's been to Belize for six weeks. And she's literally just stopped off on the way home to see the family. So it's pure coincidence, and she wouldn't have known about Joseph running away if Dev hadn't opened his mouth. I think that's what's upset her that she didn't know anything about it – they've kind of kept her in the dark about it all.
Talk us through how Linda finds out…
Dev is chatting her up in the pub. And she's enjoying a little flirt. Bernie comes in and sort of makes an awful comment to him and he gets annoyed. And it's at that point that things start to turn really, because he reveals that Bernie has taken the reward money and that Joseph went missing. She's stolen that money. So Linda can't believe this. She can’t believe that Chesney hasn’t told her that Joseph went missing, and that he's been through this awful ordeal.
What happens when she confronts Chesney about it?
Chesney admits that life's been a bit tough for them, with five small kids. And she says to him, ‘you just need to tell me the truth and I'm here to help. I can support you. But you know, you need to ask for help’. So she decides to stay a bit longer. And I don't think they're all too pleased with that!
What does Linda think of Chesney as a dad, and how he's been looking after Joseph?
I think she thinks Chesney is an amazing dad, who loves his son. But she can see that he has difficulty because they're struggling to provide those niceties. Well, not even nice niceties – just the basic things, they’re just struggling from day to day. And with four little babies as well, they just haven't got time. They haven't got time for Joseph. It’s that – she knows he’s a great dad and he loves Joseph, but day to day is a constant struggle.
Would you like to see Linda returned to the cobbles full time and move back?
Absolutely. That would be lovely. I mean, the nice thing about the character she can come in and out anyway. But if it was a permanent thing, that would be great also.
Would Linda be interested in Dev?
I mean, possibly. You can never say never, would you? I think it's very possible – I mean, she doesn’t know his history. When we just found out that he'd had a dalliance with Bernie, that might put her off a little, but you never know. She is a single woman.
Can you hint whether Linda will be sticking around?
Wait and see!
I guess either way – even if Linda leaves, she could still come back
Yeah, absolutely. I think it's nice at the moment, because is it that, will Joseph go, or won’t he? It’s a a lovely storyline. And the fact of the matter is that if Linda’s daughter was still alive, he'd still be in Portugal. He’d still be the same school that he loved.