Leanne Anika Battersby (previously Tilsley and Barlow) is the daughter of Les Battersby and Stella Price, though Stella was absent from her life while she was growing up. Les eventually married Janice Lee who had her own daughter Toyah.
Leanne and her family moved into 5 Coronation Street in 1997. Since then she has had two failed marriages to Nick Tilsley and another failed marriage to Peter Barlow. She is currently raising her stepson Simon from her marriage to Peter. After experiencing a miscarriage in 2011, Leanne was thought to be infertile. However, in June 2016, she became pregnant from a one-night stand with Steve McDonald.
Biography
Leanne, her father Les, stepmother Janice and stepsister Toyah moved into 5 Coronation Street in the summer of 1997 when Leanne was 16. The Battersbys were considered "the family from hell" and Leanne was a mischievous troublemaker who would shoplift and play loud music with Toyah. As Leanne was not in education, Janice insisted on her getting a job. She got Leanne a job as a cleaner at Underworld where she herself worked, but this did not last long as Leanne was lazy and rude to those around her.
Marriage to Nick Tilsley
Leanne began dating Nick Tilsley in late 1997. 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 Nick met Darren Whateley, the man who had killed his father, Brian. When Nick modelled for Miranda Peters, the relationship was put on further strain. Leanne refused to speak to him, or attend his 18th birthday party on 31st December 1998. However, when Leanne's half-brother Greg Kelly attacked Nick, she came back to him and told him that she was pregnant. Nick was horrified at the thought of becoming a dad. Furious, he 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.
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.
Becoming a 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 became desperate. She was going to allow him to rob the Rovers on New Year's Day 2000, 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 later in the year to escape the gangster's clutches.
Dressing as a belly dancer
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 Arnley, 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 left Weatherfield without Maria.
Relationship with 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 Mike's second will to Adam, even after Danny gave her the cash which she demanded. Having totally wrecked Danny's life, Leanne then made her exit to Spain.
Prostitution and Paul Connor's death
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. They decided to buy and run Italian restaurant Valandro's 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.
Valandro's
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 Valandro's 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 Leanne 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. 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 which he needed to buy the bookies. However, she clashed with Janice over this as in the meantime, Rosie had vanished and the police could see that money was being withdrawn from the account. Unfortunately for Leanne, Dan found out about the scam after Janice was arrested following her admission of guilt and their relationship subsequently ended.
Return of Peter Barlow
In October 2008, Peter Barlow returned to the Street with his son Simon and Leanne took a shine to both. On 17th December 2008, however, a drunken Peter went to kiss Leanne, and though she rejected him, he grabbed her. In self-defence, Leanne pushed him and he fell into the decorated Christmas tree resulting in Simon waking up and Leanne walking out. However, she later forgave him when he promised to give up the booze and the pair began a relationship. Early in 2009, Peter was struggling to stay off alcohol and entered a rehabilitation programme with Leanne's support. In his absence she took over running the bookies. Upon his return in March, Leanne discovered he had cheated on her while he was away. Brokenhearted, she subsequently moved to Leeds to take up a job offer managing a restaurant for a friend. Several months later, Peter headed out to Leeds and asked Leanne to give him another chance; she returned to Coronation Street the day after, whereupon they resumed their relationship. Later Leanne and Peter decide to open a bar together in the joinery premises under the viaduct at the end of Coronation Street. Ken was dead set against the plan, but Peter found investment in Lucy's father George Wilson, who was attempting to build a relationship with Simon. As work began on the bar, Peter's drink problem returned. George tried to use the alcoholism against Peter to get custody of Simon for himself.
Despite his personal problems, Peter's relationship with Leanne survived and they became engaged. When Leanne's ex-husband Nick Tilsley moved back to the Street, he decided to use the empty premises in Viaduct Street to open his own bar, The Joinery. Peter encouraged Leanne to take up his offer of a Manager role.
While Leanne and Nick were working hard to get the bar open, Peter grew close to Leanne's friend Carla when he realised that she had a drink problem. When Leanne asked where he kept going off to, Peter told her that he was supporting a man from AA named Carl. In November 2010, The Joinery opened and Carla became drunk before driving her car home. She was pulled over by police and Peter took her home from the station after she'd been charged with drink driving. Carla made a pass at Peter that night but he told her, while he was tempted, he only wanted to be with Leanne. However, across town after hours at The Joinery, Leanne began an affair with Nick.
Nick begged Leanne not to go through with the wedding as he still loved her. When Leanne told Carla what had happened she told her to choose Nick too, although this was largely down to her plan to snare Peter. Leanne chose to go ahead with the wedding and call off her affair with Nick. At Peter's stag party in The Joinery on 6th December 2010, Nick took Peter into the office to tell him the truth but they were interrupted by Ashley Peacock who had come to say his farewells. Ken went to warn Leanne about Nick's confession as she was celebrating her hen night in the Rovers. They both made their way towards The Joinery when massive gas explosion ripped through the premises, damaging the viaduct and causing a tram to derail and crash into Coronation Street. Peter was gravely injured and trapped with Nick and Ashley. As the anxious residents waited for help, more panic arose when a fire at No.13 was made more aware. Claire Peacock had been looking after a group of children including Simon. As Claire and the rest of the children escaped, Simon was trapped upstairs, much to Leanne's distress. Leanne was held back from going into the burning building to rescue him and he was later rescued by Jason Grimshaw. Peter was eventually rescued from the wreckage, but Ashley died as the viaduct collapsed afterwards. Peter was taken immediately to hospital with Leanne by his side. Believing he was close to death, Peter married Leanne that night from his hospital bed.
Peter and Leanne marry
Peter survived, but his injuries meant that he would have to learn to walk again. He and Leanne moved into No.1 with Ken and Deirdre while he convalesced. Leanne told Peter that she now knew that 'Carl' was Carla. On Christmas Day, Peter announced in the Rovers that he intended to be walking by 14th February when he planned to give Leanne the wedding that she deserved. After a week away over New Year, the pressure of his injuries was already beginning to show. He rejected Ken's help and insisted on moving back to the flat, taking a lot of his frustration out on Leanne. Encouraged by a manipulative Nick, Peter began secretly drinking again. Leanne found out about the drinking and blamed Nick, who Peter defended. A week before Leanne and Peter renewed their vows, her and Nick's affair came to the knowledge of Tracy Barlow. Tracy threatened to tell Peter, but Ken and Deirdre convinced her not to. Nick decided to leave for Italy and wanted Leanne to come with him, but she put the ticket in the bin. Later Peter found the ticket and became suspicious. His suspicions were confirmed by Tracy who told Peter of Leanne and Nick's affair. At the blessing, Peter exposed the affair in front of the whole congregation, and said he wanted a divorce. Thinking she'd lost Peter forever, Leanne decided to leave Weatherfield for London, but after Ken convinced Peter that Leanne was the best thing that had happened to him and Simon, he went to try and stop Leanne from leaving.
Fighting For Simon
During Frank Foster's rape trial, Peter admitted his affair with Carla. Leanne then ran off to the flat to pack her bags. She and Peter had a massive row causing her to leave Weatherfield. She then returned in February 2012 to get some more of her things and then left. The next day she went back to the flat and saw a picture of Simon and was reminded how much she loved him. She then began a battle with Peter to get Simon.
Back to Nick
In June 2012, Leanne got back together with Nick. After Peter's departure from Weatherfield, Leanne received her divorce papers. On 16th November she revealed this to Nick who was thrilled, however she was tearful. Within a few days, Leanne's half-sister Eva and Nick's sister-in-law Kylie plotted against Leanne and told Nick to propose as Leanne would love it, however that was far from the truth and she reacted badly and they split up. Leanne realised that she loved Nick and proposed to him in the Rovers. They became engaged. Nick suggested a Las Vegas wedding when Leanne got a letter from Peter that hinted he may not return for Christmas. Leanne agreed and they planned to leave to marry. However, just as they were departing Peter and Carla returned. Simon refused to leave and Nick cancelled the trip to Vegas. Nick revealed to Leanne that he had booked the wedding for Christmas Day. Leanne visited ex-husband Peter on the morning of her wedding and said that she would give their relationship another go, however Peter's girlfriend Carla reappeared unannounced and Leanne decided to marry Nick after all. At the ceremony Eva revealed the truth about why Leanne was late, Nick cancelled the wedding and they split up.
Over the New Year Leanne attempted to win back Nick but he pushed her away. When they finally talked to each other he revealed that he still loved her and she told him that she'd rebooked their wedding. Nick and Peter came to blows over Leanne and Nick smashed the Bistro up. When Leanne eventually found a distressed Nick she begged him for another chance however, she was devastated when he told her that she had hurt him too deeply. Following a confrontation with Stella, Leanne decided to leave Weatherfield for good. The next day she told Nick that she was leaving and clear that he still had feelings for her, he went to the Rovers to talk to Leanne and begged her not to go, they argued but the pair later announced the wedding was back on. Stella was thrilled however, the news upset Gail. Leanne and Nick re-married on 11th January 2013.
Unbeknown to Leanne, Nick had slept with Kylie on Christmas day after their cancelled wedding. Around the same time, Kylie became pregnant and was unsure if the father was Nick or her husband David Platt. David found out about the one night stand and sent Leanne an anonymous letter hinting about the event. David launched a hate campaign against Nick which also impacted Leanne because it resulted in her and Nick's flat being trashed and an investigation into watered-down spirits at the Bistro.
When Nick discovered David was responsible, he took David for a drive in his van and confessed to sleeping with Kylie. After an argument between the two brothers which led to David unfastening Nick's seatbelt and grabbing the steering wheel, the van was hit by a lorry.
Nick ended up in a coma following the accident. David refused to say what caused the accident, causing Leanne to blame herself because she had tried to ring Nick. Leanne helped deliver Kylie's baby Lily while Nick was still in a coma. When Nick awoke nearly two months after the accident, he tried to tell Leanne that Lily was his but she mistakenly thought he was calling her his niece. Nick eventually recovered and went back home with Leanne, by which point a DNA test had confirmed that David was Lily's father. During Lily's christening in October 2013, the truth about David's hate campaign and Nick and Kylie's one-night stand emerged. Leanne broke up with Nick after hearing the news but they reconciled after a few weeks.
Nick's brain injury caused him to experience mood swings, leading him to shout at Simon and hit Leanne. Nick ended the relationship with Leanne in January 2014 due to guilt. Shortly afterwards, Leanne started an affair with Kal Nazir. When Nick found out he became enraged and revealed Leanne's history as a prostitute to Kal's family. Nick and Leanne eventually divorced and Leanne continued her relationship with Kal.
In October 2014, Leanne testified when Peter went on trial for the murder of Tina McIntyre. Peter was convicted partly due to Leanne's testimony but was later released when it was revealed that Rob Donovan was the real killer.
Abuse from Simon
Leanne is abused by Simon.
In June 2015, Kal died after he and Leanne rescued Amy Barlow from a fire which broke out inside 12 Victoria Court on the same day Kal proposed to her. She became distressed and blamed Carla Connor for allegedly leaving a candlestick lit (when in reality it was Tracy). Simon got angry and threw a remote control at Leanne's face, injuring and stunning her.
Leanne was held hostage by Dan Jones with Liz McDonald and Simon, where Dan revealed Leanne's history as a prostitute to Simon. Although they escaped from Dan, Simon was disgusted at Leanne. She continued to receive physical and verbal abuse from Simon over the months and after an incident where she was knocked out when Simon threw her at a table, she admitted what was happening to Kal's son Zeedan.
Unable to cope with her stepson's behaviour, Leanne sent him to live with Ken in November 2015. During this time, Simon hit his cousin Amy and Leanne was forced to open up about the problems she was having to Ken and Tracy. In February 2016, Leanne reported Simon's abuse to the police when he broke another boy's leg during a football match. Simon fell out with her because he had actually broken the leg by accident. Eventually though, they made up.
Pregnancy
In June 2016 Leanne slept with Steve McDonald who called round to her flat upset over his recent split from his wife Michelle Connor. A couple of weeks later she began to feel sick and eventually found out she was pregnant but decided to keep the news a secret. She did eventually tell her friend Steph Britton, but made her promise not to tell anyone. Simon began to suspect Leanne was seriously ill and going to die like his real mum. He followed her to a doctor's appointment and demanded to know what was wrong. Leanne was forced to admit that she was pregnant.
Leanne then told Steve about the pregnancy, by which point he was back with Michelle. He offered to help pay for an abortion but Leanne was adamant that she was keeping the baby due to her past fertility problems. Steve did not approve of this but Leanne told him that nobody had to know he was the father. Afterwards, Leanne found out that Steve had told his mother about the situation, much to her frustration. She also found out that Michelle was pregnant as well.
Leanne was rekindling her relationship with Nick but decided to move to Liverpool with Simon to escape the drama, though Simon was far from pleased about the idea. After bidding Ken and Eva an emotional farewell, they boarded the coach to Liverpool at Weatherfield Bus Station. In a last ditch attempt to get Leanne and Simon to stay, Eva told Nick of Leanne's plans and also informed him that she was pregnant. Arriving at the bus station just in time, Nick boarded the coach and convinced Leanne that he loved her and didn't want her to move away. A relieved Leanne tearfully admitted the same.
Leanne decided to remain in Weatherfield and start a relationship with Nick for the third time. Nick suggested she tell everyone he was the father. When Tracy saw Leanne returning from her first scan, she found out about the pregnancy and announced it in the Rovers, forcing Leanne to tell Nick's family on the spot that she was carrying his child.
Quotes
"About time. What took you?" (First line, to Janice Battersby)
Background information
- Leanne was introduced by Brian Park alongside the rest of her family in a shake-up for the show and to bring it up to date. The family were not popular with viewers when they first came into the show.
- Jane Danson quit the role of Leanne in 2000 after playing the character for three years. However four years later, she was reintroduced back into the programme.
- Leanne has left a couple of times since her comeback in 2004. She was absent from July 2006 to March 2007 when Jane Danson went on maternity leave. The character left again and was absent from March to September 2009 when Jane gave birth to her second child.
See also