What happened to Les Battersby in Coronation Street?
VOLATILE and obnoxiously loud, Les Battersby was one of Weatherfield’s most notorious troublemakers.
But what was his life in Coronation Street like and what happened to him? Get the lowdown.
Who is Les Battersby in Coronation Street?
Portrayed by actor Bruce Jones, Les Battersby was a resident of No.5 Coronation Street for a decade, from 1997 to 2007.
The character was initially introduced to ITV viewers as the father of Leanne Battersby (Jane Danson) and stepfather to her half-sister Toyah (Georgia Taylor) and Chesney Brown (Sam Aston).
Leanne’s mother Stella Price had a brief relationship with Les before he lived with his long-term partner, Janice Lee.
The pair raised Leanne and Toyah as sisters, tying the knot in 1994 and moving in the Street as council tenants in 1997.
Les spent his early years in the cobbles unemployed, wreaking havoc wherever he went and, in 1999, he was convicted for claiming benefits while working on the canal.
He eventually got a job as a taxi driver at Street cars but his personal life quickly spiralled out of control.
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What happened to Les Battersby in Coronation Street?
Tired of Les, Janice left him for his biker friend Dennis Stringer in 2001 and he was devastated.
As a result, Les attempted suicide by poisoning himself with carbon monoxide but was saved by Dennis himself.
Sadly, Dennis was killed in a car crash as he was driving Les to the hospital.
Following his split from Janice, Les remained at No.5 and took in Kirk Sutherland as a lodger.
Eventually, his future wife Cilla Brown and her own son Chesney moved in.
Brash and devilish, Les and Cilla got on well quickly and walked down the aisle together in 2005.
However, in 2007, Les walked out on his new family to become a roadie for tribute band ZZ Top O’ the Morning.
Upon his departure, he promised Chesney he was due to return to the cobbles and by-late 2007, Cilla had also left the Street for her son to be raised by his older sister Fiz and Kirk.
In March, 2008, Les called Chesney to tell him he wasn’t returning to Weatherfield any time soon and the lad came to terms with the fact they’d never see each other again.
Several months later, Cilla sent Chesney and Kirk (Andy Whyment) plane tickets to South Africa, revealing she was with Les.
But when they showed up, they learned Cilla was actually with a South African man named “Lesedi.”
By 2014, Cilla was no longer in touch with Les but it is unclear whether he had always meant to leave Weatherfield behind for good during his exit.
His current location is unknown but the two daughters he helped raise, Leanne and Toyah, have since become Weatherfield icons, growing more and more involved in all the drama unfolding in the cobbles.
Coronation Street airs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8pm on ITV.