They were the family that had us all in stitches and were notorious for causing chaos on the cobbled streets of Weatherfield. Les Battersby, his onscreen wife Janice, daughter Leanne and stepdaughter Toyah quickly became soap legends when they burst onto our screens back in 1997.
For years, Coronation Street viewers were captivated by Les and Janice's love story. They had their fair share of drama before she left him for his friend Dennis Stringer. But Les didn't stay single for long, forming a new family unit with barmaid Cilla Brown, her son Chesney, and of course, their beloved pet pooch Schmeichel.
And who could forget that fateful night in 2014 when Les and Cilla were trying to enjoy a romantic evening in their hot tub upstairs and Schmeichel decided to join them in the water. The result? The whole bathtub collapsed through to the floor. But despite the chaos, Les remains a beloved Coronation Street icon.
While Les Battersby may have been the talk of Coronation Street, the actor who played him, Bruce Jones, was battling his own demons behind the scenes. In a stunning revelation, Bruce revealed that his troubles began long before he set foot on the soap opera's set. In 1977, Bruce was dragged into the Yorkshire Rippers murders, which led to a police investigation that ultimately ended his marriage.
The soap star was treated as a suspect after he discovered the mutilated body of the Ripper's victim, Jean Jordan, in 1977. It turned out that Peter Sutcliffe was responsible for brutally murdering the 20-year-old and dumping her body on an allotment in Manchester. Despite only coming across her body Bruce was immediately suspected of being the killer - something he said had a lasting impact on his mental health and led to the breakdown of his marriage.
He told the Mirror in 2013: "I lost my first marriage, my children. I lost everything because of that. It actually destroyed me to learn that people can do that to a human being. I had nightmares.” In March 2007, the actor was suspended from the hit soap opera after reportedly getting drunk with an undercover journalist. The incident led to Bruce letting slip future storylines on the show and making inappropriate comments.
His exit from the show was confirmed in May that year, with his contract expiring in September. Fans of the show were left wondering what would become of Les Battersby, Bruce's character, who never received an on-screen exit storyline. According to stepson Chesney, Les is alive and well, living in Dublin and working as a roadie with an Irish tribute band.
Following his dismissal from Corrie, Bruce tried his hand at stand-up comedy in Benidorm before making appearances on reality TV shows like Celebrity Wife Swap with singer Sinitta. However, it was his appearance on the BBC One show Famous, Rich and Homeless in 2009 that proved to be a sad foreshadowing of things to come. The show saw Bruce and three other celebrities swap fame for life on the streets, with Bruce being the most affected by the experience. He considered quitting several times, hinting at the troubles that would continue to plague him off-screen.
In a shocking reveal, it would be discovered that the popular actor had spent his entire £1,000,000 fortune and had not received any work offers since his last appearance on Coronation Street two years prior. News of his dire financial situation continued to surface, as it was reported that he was living alone in a caravan in North Wales in May 2010 and had subsequently been made homeless after failing to keep up with payments on his £500,000 Cheshire house.
However, things started to look up for Bruce in the following years when he appeared on Celebrity Big Brother and earned £15,000. He even discussed his struggles with alcoholism and debt on Channel 5's Celebs on Benefits: Fame to Claim.
In 2013, Bruce discussed his struggles with booze and his poor mental health - revealing his trouble began during his time on the ITV soap. He told the Mirror: "There were times I didn’t want to be in the dressing room, I just wanted to go home. I was suffering depression but didn’t realise I was ill. It’s a terrible disease. You don’t know you’ve got it, but it’s got you. Basically, I was schizophrenic. My only defence was that I was an actor.
Despite the hardships and tumultuous few years since his departure from the show, there was a silver lining to his story - his friendship with co-star Vicky Entwistle, who played his first on-screen wife Janice. Bruce revealed how Vicky helped him through some of his darkest moments. And things are certainly looking up for Bruce. He recently landed a role in the upcoming espionage thriller Cold Sun, playing Colin Rye alongside Hollywood actress Tara Reid.