Rachel Jordache

Actress Tiffany Chapman joined an acting agency in Manchester which submitted their clients for auditions without having to do acting classes. They sent her for an audition to join the cast of Brookside, who were looking for a girl to join a "northern family". Chapman recalled she was "in the right place at the right time" when the audition opportunity occurred. She was initially unaware of what the role would involve and recalled that the process "all happened very quickly". Chapman was originally signed to a recurring cast contract and remained on this basis until she became sixteen years old and producers requested she become a regular cast member. She signed her first one-year regular contract when she was seventeen. Chapman lived in Oldham throughout her entire tenure on Brookside and commuted to Liverpool for the role. ==Development==

Rachel is introduced into the series with her mother, Mandy Jordache (Sandra Maitland) and sister, Beth Jordache (Anna Friel). They arrive on Brookside Close to escape Trevor Jordache (Bryan Murray). One of Rachel's notable storylines was being sexually abused by her own father, Trevor. When he is released from prison, he resumes his violence towards Mandy. She and Beth then devise a plan to murder Trevor. When Trevor discovers they have been drugging him, he attacks Beth and Mandy stabs him to death. They then bury Trevor under the patio in their back garden. Rachel's storylines explored her descent into shoplifting. Her story played into the suspense of the "body under the patio" storyline, as Rachel buries stolen goods under a section of the garden patio, unaware her father is also buried there. Mandy and Beth were later imprisoned for Trevor's murder. The storyline gained notoriety in the British media, the show's viewing ratings grew and campaigns were set up for the characters to be freed, called "Free the Jordache two". Viewers were already aware that Nat was having an incestuous relationship with his sister, Georgia Simpson (Helen Grace). Other characters had begun to gossip about their relationship, but Rachel decides to ignore it. Chapman explained that Rachel believes her own past experiences of abuse leave her "in no position to judge" Nat. Chapman has described their romance as Rachel's "first proper relationship". Rachel and Christian both secure jobs at the newly opened restaurant venue, Bar Brookie. They become attract to each other and begin dating. Chapman told Helen Childs from Inside Soap that has "finally" met a man "she really gets on with." Rachel feels she can be her true self around Christian and he makes her feel heard. Chapman noted that "no one ever seems to listen to her" but Christian understands her. She added "he wants to be with her, he makes her laugh, he listens, and she feels really safe with him." Chapman told ''Inside Soap's'' Peake that at this point in the story, Rachel is "madly in love" with Christian. She added "as far as she's concerned, everything's wonderful. She thinks his nasty comments are because he cares." Chapman believed that Rachel was actually "deluded" and "living in her own little world". She believed Rachel rushed into marriage because she thought it was "dead romantic". In the build up to Rachel's plans, Christian's abuse escalates further and he begins to terrify Rachel. Chapman explained that Rachel is "very scared of him now". She believed the story changed once Christian begins to discuss Trevor and the sexual abuse she endured. She noted that "this upsets her" and he begins to force her to do physical things she does not consent to. Chapman believed Rachel "never thought he was this bad". She begins to realise she is in the same scenario as her mother was and "just wants to get rid of him". They assessed that Rachel is the type of character who "would live in a cardboard box if she had to", to enable her to be with her family. They concluded that via her suffering financial worries and Mike's family arguments, Rachel "has enough to contend with". Writers expanded the Dixon family via Rachel's two pregnancy stories, which produced a daughter Beth, and later a son, Michael. Chapman remained a cast member until the end of the soap in 2003. With a ten year tenure, she was one of the longest-serving cast members in the show's final cast. In 2021, Chapman revealed that she would have remained in the role permanently if the show had of continued. She also expressed interest in reprising the role if the show was ever brought back. ==Reception==

In 1995, a writer from The Gloucestershire Echo branded Rachel a "rebellious" character who "has been known to throw the odd tantrum." In 2002, Merle Brown from Daily Record questioned Rachel and Mike's relationship. She lambasted: "What's she doing hanging about with him anyway and, from his point of view, how could you listen to her whingeing voice day in, day out?" Molyneux and Lorna Hughes also included Rachel and Lee Banks (Matthew Lewney) storyline in which they escape to London to evade shoplifting charges in their list of "29 Brookside storylines you've probably forgotten." Helen Fear from Entertainment Daily included the Jordache family in a list of "the most iconic people to live on Brookside Close." Philip Key writing for Daily Post profiled Rachel's traumatic life and assessed that "it was quite an on-screen life for any character." ''Inside Soap's'' Jon Peake questioned why Rachel was unable to realise Christian was controlling her. He noted that her growing up in an abusive household, Rachel should have been able to identify Christian's behaviour and "learned an important lesson." In another article he assessed that Rachel was deserving of happiness but feared that "one more knock-back" would ruin her life forever because "she's so vulnerable. He concluded that "many would agree that going out with Nat Simpson is the last thing she needs, just as she's got her life back on track." ==References==