Natasha Andersen

Characterisation

Natasha is described as "sophisticated, glamorous and feisty". Natasha is described by British newspaper The Independent as being a snooty blonde and "gorgeous". They also go on to state that she is "unattainably posh". The Liverpool Echo described her as "One of the first Hollyoaks babes, she was sophisticated, glamorous and feisty and the love object of Kurt.

Death

Her death was announced in January 1996 and was described as being "sensational scene in an attempt to boost ratings" and added that it would be different than "softer stories about teen romances and spots". In the serial's first year on air it received criticism for not having any issue led storylines and was branded soft. This prompted producers to develop a hard hitting storyline which involved Natasha, which would result in her death from the use of drugs. The storyline made front-page news and marked a change for the serial as they embarked on serious storylines. Of Natasha's exit Redmond stated: "Natasha's death depicts the stark reality of unnecessary death coming very close to one group of friendly and fun-loving people for the first time in their lives and how this is bound to change their outlook in many ways". Liverpool Echo described the storyline as "the drama's earliest controversial storyline featuring the much-publicised story when Natasha died on the dance floor after her drink was spiked."

Storylines

Natasha was stunning, glamorous, sophisticated, pouty, feisty and a total princess as well as being the ultimate object of Kurt Benson’s desires, who had instantly fallen for her. She was best friends with Maddie Parker, Dawn Cunningham and Louise Taylor. Natasha was the daughter of Greg and Jane Anderson and sister of Sarah. Her parents owned the pub. Despite having feelings for Kurt, who pursued her relentlessly, and attracted to his bad boy charm, Natasha refused to give in and decided to always play hard to get. This just made Kurt even more determined to win her heart. Natasha really never got a chance to confess to Kurt how she had really felt about him. Natasha had always given Kurt challenges to win her over, including the time when Natasha asked Kurt to choose between Christmas with her family or his own. Natasha won, but she lost interest when she saw Kurt bonding with her father. Natasha had gone with her dad to Italy for a while at that time Kurt and her cousin Ruth had met and bonded at the New Year's Eve party at the Bensons. When Natasha got back she started a new interest in Dermot, a guy in college with her.

However, at Kurt's sister Lucy's eighteenth birthday party, Natasha made the fatal mistake of agreeing to go to the party with Dermot, who wanted to give her a night she would never forget. Dermot and his friend Rob Hawthorne dropped a tablet into Natasha's drink hoping that she would lose all her inhibitions hoping get lucky with her. She then stormed the dance floor and suddenly collapsed in a heap. Natasha later died in hospital. After Natasha died her father, Greg, sold the pub to her aunt Celia and uncle Jack and moved to the states with Sarah and Jane. In January 2013, Darren mentions to Ruby that his cousin Natasha died from overdose drug, and have a fear of it due to Esther's attempted suicide from drugs since her death, and seven months later in September, it was revealed that Natasha and her sister Jane were not real cousins with Darren.

Reception

Lucy Ellmann of The Independent criticised Natasha because of her facial expressions and demure, stating: "Usually to be found at the bus-stop looking petulant (this is in fact her only look). She's unattainably posh, though she has pointed out to her one remaining parent (Alvin Stardust): "Fatha, Ay'm ova the age of consent." In the second episode she threw a glass of water over Kurt. Water. The age of consent is wasted on these people." Natasha's final episode was watched by 2.1 million viewers; at the time that was Hollyoaks biggest audience share to date.