Actor Bruce Jones, 62, was famously dropped from the show in May 2007 following allegations of drunkenness and revealing upcoming storylines while in a pub and consequently Corrie bosses gave him the boot later that year.
But now Corrie fan Ian O’Hagan has set up a petition in order to beg bosses to bring back Les. He says: “Bruce Jones has fallen on hard times and could do with a second chance, so we say bring back LES BATTERSBY.”
So far the petition has gained more than 1,400 signatures, with other fans leaving comments like: ‘Everybody deserves a second chance’, ‘Les is a Corrie Legend’ while one fan suggested that scriptwriters should ‘Bring him back as a lottery winner!’
The petition comes just months after it was revealed the former Corrie star is on income support following his appearance on Channel 5’s Celebrities on Benefits last month. Meanwhile, Bruce – who revealed that his exit from the street caused him to spiral into depression – has never ruled out a return to the street, saying: ‘never say never’ when prompted about his character’s comeback.
Les Battersby’s absence from Corrie was covered up with a storyline where Les disappeared on tour as a roadie for tribute band ‘ZZ Top O’ The Morning’. But since Les’ departure, he hasn't appeared on the show since, despite being mentioned on a handful of occasions.
Would you like to see Corrie’s Les return to the cobbles? Let us know in our comments section below.
Words by Eleanor Davies