Janice and Les Battersby

Les and Janice Battersby on Coronation Street: Why did they leave? Are they coming back?

We miss these two!

Les and Janice Battersby were hugely popular and recognisable characters on Coronation Street.

But both stars have been absent from the soap from some time now.

However, Les’ daughter Leanne Battersby mentions them from time to time, including this Wednesday night.

Read more: Is Peter Barlow set to die on his wedding night?

So why did they leave in the first place? And are they ever coming back?

We take a deep dive and reveal all we know about these former Corrie stars…

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Les and Janice Battersby with Toyah and Leanne (Credit: ITV)

Is Janice Battersby Leanne Battersby’s mum?

No, Janice Battersby is Leanne Battersby’s stepmum.

However, Les Battersby is Leanne’s biological father.

Read more: Corrie fans say Tyrone Dobbs was right to leave Fiz

Leanne was raised by both Les and Janice and also grew up with her stepsister Toyah.

She only met her biological mother, Stella Price, in 2011.

Leanne also gained a half-sister, Eva, at this time.

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Janice left the soap in 2011 (Credit: ITV)

Why did Les Battersby leave Corrie?

Les, played by actor Bruce Jones, left Corrie in 2007.

He’d been on the soap for a decade when he was suspended from the soap.

Bruce was accused of drunkenly revealing storylines to an undercover reporter.

Les didn’t get an official exit storyline, but Chesney and Leanne mention him from time to time.

Since he’s left the soap, Bruce has returned to his roots of stand-up comedy.

And he even competed in Celebrity Big Brother in 2013 – and was the fourth celeb evicted.

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Les and Janice were known for being trouble makers (Credit: ITV)

Why did Janice Battersby leave Coronation Street?

Janice Battersby, played by actress Vicky Entwistle, left the soap in 2011.

Vicky says she left the soap due to exhaustion and finding her newfound fame a major challenge.

Speaking to The Mirror this year she explained: “I wasn’t prepared for the attention. It was like being dropped in the sea when you can’t really swim.

“By the time I left, I was desperate to find some peace.”

Joining in 1997, she was a main character on the cobbles for 14 years.

Her exit storyline involved her leaving Weatherfield for London with her new boyfriend Trevor Dean.

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Bruce Jones on Celebrity Big Brother (Credit: ITV)

In her final scene, Janice shouted out ‘Losers’ to the residents of Coronation Street as she rode off with Trevor.

Since leaving the soap, Vicky competed on Celebrity Big Brother along with Bruce in 2013.

She exited the show during the semi-final in sixth place.

Acting wise, she now predominantly works in theatre, and has appeared in Les Misérables as well as several pantomime productions since quitting Corrie.

Are Vicky and Bruce coming back?

There are no current confirmed plans to bring Les and Janice back on Coronation Street.

However, Bruce has said he’d like to return one day.

In 2015, Bruce appeared in Celebs on Benefits: Fame to Claim on Channel 5

Here he detailed how he’d experienced financial ruin since being sacked from the soap.

But he remained hopeful that he’d be eventually asked to return.

He said: “I know there is still room for Les on the show somewhere. It would be nice to go back and relive those days. I’d like to be part of the team again. I miss them – I worked there for a long time.

“I still watch Coronation Street whenever it’s on. I’ve always watched it. It’s a huge part of my life. My heart will always be with Coronation Street.”

Meanwhile, it seems unlikely that Janice will ever come back on Corrie, as Vicky seems quite content since leaving the show.

In fact, she told The Mirror that she couldn’t “see” a Corrie comeback in her future.

Whereas last year the pair reunited on Loose Women to discuss their time on the soap.

They both said they’d only ever return if they could come back on the soap together.

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