Les Battersby’s impending death has sparked an unexpectedly strong reaction from fans, raising questions about how

Coronation Street will move forward without him. Many viewers may have forgotten about the outspoken cab driver until

actor Bruce Jones began wrestling professionally at 71, making this announcement all the more shocking. Although his

character hasn’t been prominent since 2007, the decision to kill him off seems unwarranted, leaving fans puzzled.

Is Les’s demise simply a means to create more emotional turmoil for Leanne and Toyah, who have faced their own heartbreaks this year—one dealing with the burial of her stillborn baby and the other getting entangled in a sinister cult? Killing off characters off-screen should serve a genuine narrative purpose, yet it has become a common soap trope. While Les was never my favorite, I do believe that eliminating him seems pointless, especially for what appears to be a fleeting storyline aimed at bringing the feuding sisters together.

Am I outraged by this decision? Am I demanding accountability from the show’s executives? Is Coronation Street struggling without Les? Not really. After nearly three decades, Les felt more like an outdated stereotype than a relevant character.

When he was introduced in 1997, he received significant backlash for his portrayal as a violent, abusive figure, throwing punches around carelessly. Although he evolved into more of a comedic character later on, it didn’t quite mask the serious flaws that defined him, particularly his transphobia and homophobia.

Initially, some argued that a character like Les was necessary to highlight the bigotry faced by the LGBTQ+ community, and I agree with that sentiment. However, characters like Les—along with beloved figures like Vera—often got away with delivering some truly horrific comments that would be unthinkable on television today.

As time passed, Les’s character developed further, revealing him as a more caring father to Chesney. What began as a nightmarish neighbor situation eventually transformed into a camp dynamic with the outrageous Cilla.

The latter portrayal may have been less offensive, but it rarely crossed the line into entertaining. No amount of nostalgia can change that reality.

So why the uproar over Les receiving a final send-off? The notion that this is the “last straw for Corrie” feels exaggerated. Losing a character who hasn’t been relevant in 27 years is hardly what will lead to the downfall of this British institution.

Whether you loved, hated, or were indifferent to him, Les is a relic of the past, and his return was never on the cards, especially considering the controversies surrounding actor Bruce Jones. Unless Les underwent a significant character overhaul, there was little room for him in the current narrative landscape of the show, and there hasn’t been any real demand for his comeback until now—when it’s far too late.

Let’s be honest: we weren’t exactly clamoring for the return of Les after nearly 30 years. So the outrage over something we already knew—that he wouldn’t be back—is misplaced.

Amid the cries of “woke” culture (a favorite target), it seems the discontent surrounding this decision is simply for the sake of being discontented. While it’s true that Les was a notable figure in Corrie’s history, that’s precisely where he belongs: in the past. Whether dead or alive, his time on the show has long since passed.