Naila Badal was a journalist employed by the Weatherfield Gazette who covered several stories concerning the residents of Coronation Street.
Her first was about Nick's Bistro in July 2013 when they attempted their first - and only - student night. Naila made it quite clear from the moment that she walked through the door that she wasn’t pleased to be there, telling co-owner and evening organiser Leanne Tilsley that thanks to her “sleeze of a boss” she wasn’t covering the big stories and asked for a “massive” dry white wine. After taking desultory notes, she said her goodbyes, saying that her story would probably appear among the used car ads or next to a picture of a dog that looked like Wayne Rooney. However the night was young…
Nick Tilsley’s half-brother David Platt had discovered that his wife Kylie and Nick had had a Christmas Day fling and was out for his revenge. Finding out that there was a journalist on the premises, David made an anonymous phone call to the police that there was drug dealing taking place in the bistro and they despatched two officers to investigate. Naila’s eyes lit up as a search ensued, telling Mary Taylor that her boss would be fuming as she would be going back with a scoop and she made diligent notes when she heard Kylie’s admission that she used to be a cage dancer. She begged Nick for a soundbite and asked for his age, saying it looked better in a sentence such as “The Accused, 37….”
When the story appeared, it put the bistro in a bad light, leading to booking cancellations and causing a rift between Nick and Leanne, which was just as David had intended.
She next came after a story in April 2015 when the paper was tipped off by Julie Carp that Sean Tully and his boyfriend Billy Mayhew had been turned out of a Peak District pub for being gay. She bumped into Sean in the Corner Shop who was horrified that the press were on to the story as Billy was the local vicar and not all of his parishioners knew of his relationship. He walked out of the shop saying that he didn't want to be part of a newspaper story and Leanne Tilsley backed him up by sending Naila on her way.
Her next exclusive was to cover the launch of Sally Metcalfe's campaign to become Mayor of Weatherfield in September 2017. Sally held the event in the Rovers passing out free drinks along with campaign badges and posters but was soon interrupted by the incongruous sight of the new Weatherfield County FC mascot Buzzer the Bee when walked in and was quickly recognised underneath his costume as being Kirk Sutherland. Sally was most upset to be upstaged and pointed out to Naila just who she was there to interview after she made a “beeline” for Kirk. Things didn’t improve for the candidate when she was interviewed and her mischievous sister Gina Seddon stepped in and asked an unprepared Sally to annunciate her policies, knowing full well she hadn’t given them a second thought. Put on the spot, Sally had to come out with a meaningless soundbite which had no detailed core to her words.
In July 2018, she interviewed Summer Spellman after the teenager founded a Speak & Save helpline for young men struggling with their mental health. This came about due to the suicide two months previously of Aidan Connor who she had developed a crush on after being employed by him on a work experience scheme at Underworld. Withdrawn after his death, her guardian Billy Mayhew made her see that men sometimes had a problem in expressing their feelings, especially when suffering depression. Summer was nominated for a Weatherfield Good Samaritan Award for her efforts which led to the interview by Naila. She found Summer and Billy having a break in Roy's Rolls where Summer was surprised by her arrival, having seen an e-mail by Naila but thought further nothing of the matter. The shy girl insisted that Billy stay and join in the interview.
Her next exclusive scoop was to cover the opening of Nick and David's Trim Up North barbers in March 2019. While she was there customer Blake Deeley claimed that his neck had been badly cut during a wet shave and went over the top with his vocal objections, describing barber David as “Sweeney Todd” but refusing to allow him or doctor Ali Neeson to examine the apparent wound. Naila took photographs of the “victim” and Nick followed Blake outside where he saw him getting into the car of rival Rachel Healy who had determined the sabotage the new venture at birth. Nick told Naila of what he had discovered and showed her a phial of fake blood that Blake had left behind, but she was more put out to find out that Blake had beaten her to her scoop by putting his experience out on social media. The business had attracted too many punters on its first day and David was struggling but they were saved by the arrival of Audrey Roberts and Maria Connor who offered their help. Naila immediately saw a new angle for her story with a heart-warming tale about family of hairdressers and barbers helping each other out even though they were in direct competition, and published a favourable report which Nick and David couldn’t complain about.
- The character was credited as just "Naila" for her first two appearances.
List of appearances[]
2013
2015
2017
2018
2019