Leanne Battersby

Infobox soap character
color=#F0E68C
name = Leanne Battersby
portrayer = Jane Danson


caption = Leanne Battersby in 2007
series = Coronation Street
first = 4 July 1997
years = 1997-2000, 2004-2006, 2007—
residence = 14a Victoria Street
born = July 2, 1981
parents = Les Battersby-Brown
siblings = Greg Kelly (halfbrother)
Chesney Battersby-Brown (adoptive)
spouse= Nick Tilsley (1998-1999)
romances = Vikram Desai
Jamie Baldwin
Danny Baldwin
Liam Connor
Dan Mason
occupation= Owner of "Vallandro's" Restaurant
Works at Bookies
books = Coronation Street: The Complete Saga

Leanne Anika Battersby (previously Tilsley) is a fictional character on the soap opera "Coronation Street". She is played by Jane Danson.

Leanne and her family were introduced in the summer of 1997 as the new "common" family. Leanne was, at that time, a mischievous troublemaker. She was 16 and fresh out of school with no A-levels. Les's biological daughter was Leanne and Toyah was Janice's but the two girls had grown up together and were friends as well as sisters. Les and Janice had lived together for a few years before they got married, which was shortly before they moved into Number 5. As Leanne was not in education Janice insisted on her getting a job. She got Leanne a job as a cleaner at the factory where she herslf worked but this did not last long as Leanne was lazy and rude to those around her.

Creation

The mid 1990s were a time of big change behind-the-scenes at "Coronation Street". The long-running serial was being regularly beaten in the ratings by rival soap "EastEnders". [cite news|url=http://www.corrie.net/kabin/archive/1997/1997_1.html|title=Street Life's Too Tough, Blasts Rita|publisher="The Mirror"|date=9 February 1997|accessdate=2008-08-27] A new producer, Brian Park, was brought in to revitalise the soap in 1997. Dubbed "the axeman", [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/174529.stm|title=The axeman cometh for C5 family |publisher="BBC News"|date=18 September 1998|accessdate=2008-08-27] Park was responsible for culling 8 long-running and established characters, as well as giving the go-ahead for more controversial and sensationalist storylines, aimed at attracting a younger audience. [cite news|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4161/is_19980118/ai_n9702535|title=Deirdre in the dock|publisher="Sunday Mirror"|date=18 January 1998|accessdate=2008-08-27] He also introduced various new characters, among them were the Battersby family. Dubbed the "family from hell", the Battersbys were comprised of father Les, his wife Janice, Les's daughter Leanne, and Janice's daughter Toyah. [cite news|url=http://www.pfc.org.uk/node/23|title=Coronation Street: The Advisor's Tale|publisher="PFC"|accessdate=2008-08-27] [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6705789.stm|title=Street's Les Battersby to leave |publisher="BBC News"|date=30 May 2007|accessdate=2008-08-27] [cite news|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/serial-killers-651081.html|title=Serial killers|publisher="The Independent"|date=13 May 2002|accessdate=2008-08-27]

Marriage to Nick Tilsley

One of Leanne’s early storylines saw her begin dating and later marry Nick Tilsley. Nick's mother Gail Platt instantly disapproved of the union as she did not like the Battersbys. Leanne and Gail frequently clashed but this did not stop the teenagers from running away to Scotland to get married in January 1998. In an effort to become a more responsible adult Leanne quit her hairdressing course and started working with Rita Sullivan in the Kabin. Nick and Leanne's relationship was strained, however, when Leanne became pregnant, and Nick demanded that she abort the unborn child and pretend to everyone else that she had miscarried the baby. Leanne reluctantly agreed, but their relationship couldn't survive such trauma and they consequently divorced.Nick went back to Canada and Leanne took what financial offer she could get from Gail as a divorce settlement.

Other Relationships

Newly single, Leanne began dating new resident Vikram Desai who was working at the corner shop at the time. Excessive partying and late nights took its toll on Leanne. She subsequently resigned from the Kabin following a misunderstanding over missing money. She then started working behind the bar at the Rovers for Natalie Horrocks.

Drug addict

Leanne went on to become addicted to cocaine. She ended up deeply in debt to drug dealer Jez Quigley, and upon occasion was forced to sleep with him.She owed him money and got desparate. She was going to allow him to rob the Rovers but at the last minute backed out and landed herself in hospital after a fight with one of Jez's thugs. Leanne was scared, and decided to leave Weatherfield. Knowing Jez to be capable of extreme violence, she left Weatherfield for Amsterdam with her friend Mark Redman in 2000 to escape the gangster's clutches.

2004 Storyline

In June 2004, Les discovered Leanne dressed as a belly dancer in a back street local bar, serving beer. She returned to the street and moved back in with Janice. She quickly caused trouble for ex-husband Nick and his latest girlfriend Maria Sutherland. She had heard about how Maria had betrayed Toyah by having a fling with John Lynley and decided to take revenge on both Maria and her former husband. Leanne and Maria’s sparring culminated in a brawl in the Rovers Return. Eventually, Leanne's scheming paid off as Nick departed Weatherfield without Maria.

The Baldwins

Not long after her return, Leanne started a relationship with Jamie Baldwin. Jamie's stepmother, Frankie Baldwin, hated Leanne and several ferocious slanging matches ensued. Despite her feud with Frankie, Leanne and Jamie became engaged. However, Leanne began an affair with Jamie's dad, Danny Baldwin, which Frankie discovered. When Jamie learned the truth, he proceeded to call off the engagement, and Leanne temporarily departed the street to sort her life out.

Leanne and Danny eventually accepted that their respective relationships were over and consequently decided to reunite. When Danny's father, Mike Baldwin, began to suffer from mental illness, Leanne and Danny were the ones who cared for him. However, their main priority was getting their hands on his estate.

Shortly before Mike's death, Danny had managed to manipulate Mike into making a will giving it all to him, and cutting out his other sons, Mark and Adam Barlow. Yet following Mike's death, Leanne discovered a will that post-dated this one and in it, Mike left Adam his fair share. Despite becoming engaged to Leanne, Danny Baldwin truly loved former wife Frankie and ended his relationship with Leanne in a bid for reconciliation. Leanne was devastated, and took revenge on Danny by blackmailing him with Mike's latest will. Leanne then double-crossed her ex by giving Adam Mike's second will, even after Danny gave her the cash which she demanded. Having totally wrecked Danny's life, Leanne then made her exit to Spain.

Prostitution

Leanne returned in March 2007 harbouring the secret that she was now working as an escort. Leanne's beloved former stepmother, Janice Battersby, was horrified to discover the truth and made her disapproval very clear. When Leanne began dating Liam Connor, Janice made her realise that she had to choose between Liam and prostitution. Initially, Leanne chose escorting, but later decided that she should allow her heart to rule her head and gave it up for him. In the latter days of her career as a prostitute, Leanne found herself a new client - Liam's brother Paul Connor.

Leanne went into business with Paul's wife, Carla Connor. They decided to open a restaurant together. In order to gather up the cash to make the purchase, Leanne made a brief return to her work as a prostitute. This business deal would ultimately lead to Leanne's exposure, as Carla came across one of her clients who told her the truth. Carla was shocked, and decided to abandon their business arrangement.

When Carla ended her marriage to Paul after finding out about his visits to escorts, he blamed Leanne and attempted revenge. He lured her to a car park where he bundled her into the boot of his car to drive to Liam and inform him of the truth. However, a horrific car crash took place during the journey. Leanne was hospitalised, but survived. Paul, on the other hand, did not pull through and died shortly after the accident. Carla revealed Leanne’s profession to Liam, who was stunned and decided that he wanted nothing more to do with Leanne.

Jobs

Leanne decided to go ahead with opening the restaurant herself. She borrowed £10,000 from Janice‘s boyfriend Roger Stiles, but initially struggled with her new business. She took on Paul Clayton as cook at the restaurant, and began to feel hope when business improved. Paul eventually invested money in the restaurant acquiring a share of the business.

She then began dating bookmaker Dan Mason by which time the restaurant was beginning to show signs of failure. It was Dan who suggested torching Valandros for the insurance money. Leanne manipulated Paul into carrying this out for her, offering the promise of a relationship between the two of them. Paul agreed, and carried out the arson attack, but was disappointed to realise Leanne had only been using him. He attempted to take revenge on her by confessing his crime to the police, as well as implicating her. However, Dan and Leanne provided alibis for one another on the night of the fire so they got away with the crime. Realising that he alone was going to be sent down, Paul subsequently fled the country to avoid prosecution.

Leanne subsequently got a job working in the bookies with Dan and his father. She then returned to her old job behind the bar at the Rovers as she was not making enough money at the bookies. She was fired by Michelle Connor after she wrongly accused her of sleeping with her boyfriend Steve McDonald.

Lottery Scam

In September 2008, Leanne and Janice discovered that the syndicate Lottery ticket for the factory girls was a winner- to the tune of nearly 25,000 pounds. Leanne convinced her stepmother that she should not tell the other girls about it and keep the winnings for themselves. To claim the winnings they had to set up a bogus bank account under the name of Rosie Webster. They were both thrilled when the cash was lodged to the account, they made up a cover story that an uncle of Janice's had died and had left them a sum of money in his will. Leanne then offered to give Dan the 10,000 pounds which he needed to buy the bookies, however, she clashed with Janice over this as in the meanwhile Rosie had vanished and police could see that money was being withdrawn from the account.
But unfortunately for Leanne, Dan found out about the scam prior to when Janice turned herself to the police.

References

External links

* [http://www.itv.com/Soaps/coronationstreet/castandcharacters/atoe/LeanneBattersby1.html Profile of Leanne Battersby at ITV soaps]
* [http://www.whatsontv.co.uk/soaps/coronation_street/whos_who/leanne_battersby Profile of Leanne Battersby at What's on TV]