Coronation Street fans have been left shocked after it emerged that a legendary character who has been on the soap for 27 years is being killed off.
Bruce Jones, who has played Les Battersby for a decade, has been told his character will die - and on-screen daughter Leanne, played by Jane Danson, will receive a call with the sad news. She will then inform her sister Toyah, played by Georgia, Taylor, that their father is dead.
Vicky Entwistle, who played Bruce's former on-screen wife Janice Battersby, confirmed the news as she replied to a tweet a fan posted this morning. The fan shared a gif of a woman looking shocked after watching something on her laptop, with the caption: "#Corrie are killing off Les Battersby…"
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In her response, Vicky wrote: "I know Bruce told me a couple of months ago after receiving an email." Last night, a source described the decision made by Corrie boss as "a huge snub" that will "infuriate long-term fans" who remember Les "with great fondness".
They told The Sun : "It's a huge snub to kill off a popular character like this. Bruce created one of the Street's most iconic characters in Les and always hoped one day he might return. A lot of the cast and crew have said it's a bit mean. It's also bound to infuriate long-term fans who remember Les with great fondness."
The Battersbys arrived on the cobbles in 1997, with Bruce playing Les for 10 years, until 2007. The character was married to wife Janice and they shared daughter Leanne and stepdaughter Toyah. After Janice grew tired of his chaotic ways, she left him for his friend Dennis Stringer and Les moved on with barmaid Cilla Brown, her son Chesney and his huge pet pooch, Schmeichel the Great Dane.
In March 2007, Bruce was suspended from the ITV show after reportedly getting drunk with an undercover journalist - letting slip future storylines on the show and making inappropriate comments. Bruce's exit from Corrie was confirmed in May, when it was revealed he would be suspended from the show until his contract expired in September that year.
Les never received an on-screen exit storyline but his stepson Chesney confirmed his former father figure was alive and well, living in Dublin and working as a roadie with an Irish tribute band. After his dismissal from Corrie, Bruce went on to perform stand up comedy sets in Benidorm, before going on to enjoy stints on reality TV shows like Celebrity Wife Swap, alongside singer Sinitta, in 2008.
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