 Colin Brake has said that "it also gave Gillian Taylforth a terrific acting challenge".In the on-screen events, Kathy was shown to leave the serial for five months to stay with her brother and recover from the trauma of seeing James again; however, in reality, actress Gillian Taylforth had to be written out of the serial to go on maternity leave.In 1993, Kathy was romantically paired with the character Phil Mitchell, played by Steve McFadden.