Leslie Nelson "Les" Battersby (formerly Battersby-Brown) is a
fictional character of the British ITV soap opera, Coronation Street,
who appeared from 1997â€"2007, played by Bruce Jones. The character is
best known for his outspoken opinions and his following of English
rock band Status Quo.The Battersbys arrived when No. 5 was bought by
Weatherfield Council, and a funny family was given the space. Les had
at some point, spent six months in Strangeways prison for breaking and
entering. He arrived with wife Janice (Vicky Entwistle),
sixteen-year-old daughter Leanne (Jane Danson) (from a previous
relationship with Stella Price) and fifteen-year-old step-daughter
Toyah (Georgia Taylor) (from Janice's previous relationship with
Ronnie Clegg). Les immediately clashed with neighbours such as: Curly
Watts (Kevin Kennedy) and Des Barnes (Philip Middlemiss). He enjoyed
wandering the interconnected loft spaces to look around the homes of
other residents. This scared the elderly Percy Sugden (Bill
Waddington) so much, that he moved away. Les' first big mistake came
at the end of 1997. He bought a turkey for Christmas dinner - a live
one though. After calling it Theresa, Les said he'd slit the turkey's
throat. But Toyah and her vegetarian boyfriend Spider Nugent decided
to liberate the turkey. When Les swore he'd find it, he took
stepdaughter Toyah out for a drive in his car - but he didn't notice
the turkey walk right into the path of the car. After mowing down
Theresa, Les commented later on, "This is champion turkey, this!",
with Leanne saying, "I can't eat this, look, it's even got tyre marks
on it!"In 1998, Les' long-lost son Greg Kelly (Stephen Billington)
turned up on his doorstep. Greg was born as the result of an affair
between Les and wealthy Moira Kelly, and Janice feared Les would want
to hook up again with Moira. She was right, but Moira resisted Les'
brand of charm and asked him to leave her home. He did, but was
arrested for drink driving and banned from driving for eighteen
months. Janice threw him out of the house upon learning he had slept
with other women and lied to her. Les was forced to live in a camper
van until he eventually won Janice round again. Greg, meanwhile, was
run out of town after using Sally Webster (Sally Dynevor) for her
money and then beating her. Les heard that cash was being offered for
cobbles, but when he dug one up, he dropped it on his toe. He made
life difficult for nurse Martin Platt (Sean Wilson) during his
hospital visit, and stole drugs from the unlocked trolley. He
overdosed and had to have his stomach pumped. He insisted Martin was
to blame, and Martin resigned when the hospital believed Les' word
over his. After Janice learned that Les was planning to spend the
compensation money on a holiday with Jackie Dobbs (Margi Clarke), she
told the hospital board Les had taken the medication of his own
accord.
fictional character of the British ITV soap opera, Coronation Street,
who appeared from 1997â€"2007, played by Bruce Jones. The character is
best known for his outspoken opinions and his following of English
rock band Status Quo.The Battersbys arrived when No. 5 was bought by
Weatherfield Council, and a funny family was given the space. Les had
at some point, spent six months in Strangeways prison for breaking and
entering. He arrived with wife Janice (Vicky Entwistle),
sixteen-year-old daughter Leanne (Jane Danson) (from a previous
relationship with Stella Price) and fifteen-year-old step-daughter
Toyah (Georgia Taylor) (from Janice's previous relationship with
Ronnie Clegg). Les immediately clashed with neighbours such as: Curly
Watts (Kevin Kennedy) and Des Barnes (Philip Middlemiss). He enjoyed
wandering the interconnected loft spaces to look around the homes of
other residents. This scared the elderly Percy Sugden (Bill
Waddington) so much, that he moved away. Les' first big mistake came
at the end of 1997. He bought a turkey for Christmas dinner - a live
one though. After calling it Theresa, Les said he'd slit the turkey's
throat. But Toyah and her vegetarian boyfriend Spider Nugent decided
to liberate the turkey. When Les swore he'd find it, he took
stepdaughter Toyah out for a drive in his car - but he didn't notice
the turkey walk right into the path of the car. After mowing down
Theresa, Les commented later on, "This is champion turkey, this!",
with Leanne saying, "I can't eat this, look, it's even got tyre marks
on it!"In 1998, Les' long-lost son Greg Kelly (Stephen Billington)
turned up on his doorstep. Greg was born as the result of an affair
between Les and wealthy Moira Kelly, and Janice feared Les would want
to hook up again with Moira. She was right, but Moira resisted Les'
brand of charm and asked him to leave her home. He did, but was
arrested for drink driving and banned from driving for eighteen
months. Janice threw him out of the house upon learning he had slept
with other women and lied to her. Les was forced to live in a camper
van until he eventually won Janice round again. Greg, meanwhile, was
run out of town after using Sally Webster (Sally Dynevor) for her
money and then beating her. Les heard that cash was being offered for
cobbles, but when he dug one up, he dropped it on his toe. He made
life difficult for nurse Martin Platt (Sean Wilson) during his
hospital visit, and stole drugs from the unlocked trolley. He
overdosed and had to have his stomach pumped. He insisted Martin was
to blame, and Martin resigned when the hospital believed Les' word
over his. After Janice learned that Les was planning to spend the
compensation money on a holiday with Jackie Dobbs (Margi Clarke), she
told the hospital board Les had taken the medication of his own
accord.
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