 | This article describes a work or element of fiction in a primarily in-universe style.(October 2009) |
| Len Reynolds | |||||||||||||
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| Emmerdale character | |||||||||||||
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| Portrayed by | Peter Martin | ||||||||||||
| Duration | 2001–2007 | ||||||||||||
| First appearance | 21 February 2001 | ||||||||||||
| Last appearance | 17 May 2007 | ||||||||||||
| Classification | Former; regular | ||||||||||||
| Introduced by | Kieran Roberts | ||||||||||||
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Leonard "Len" Reynolds is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Emmerdale , played by Peter Martin.
In May 2007, Martin's character Len was killed off, because Martin accepted a role in a stage production of Dad's Army . [1] Anna Brecon, Cleveland Campbell, and Anthony Lewis, three of Martin's former co-stars, reprised their roles as Tara Thornfield, Danny Daggert, and Marc Reynolds, respectively, for Len's funeral. [1]
Following the death of his wife, Hattie Len arrives in the village to visit their son, Sean. The family welcomes Len's presence as Sean and his wife, Angie, are having marital difficulties, and Len is a mediator. Sean and Angie separate after Angie has an affair with Cain Dingle and Sean later leaves with his new girlfriend, Tara Thornfield. Len stays to help Angie rebuild her life at the request of his granddaughter Ollie (Vicky Binns), and Len keeps a close watch on his grandchildren. Following Angie's death, Len's grandson Marc goes to live with his father, and Ollie stays behind with her boyfriend Danny Daggert, who moves in with them. Ollie leaves for University, leaving Len and Danny depressed.
Len develops feelings for the local pensioner Edna Birch (Shirley Stelfox), but she does not reciprocate. However, he finds love again with flamboyant newcomer Pearl Ladderbanks (Meg Johnson). Enchanted by Pearl's sunny personality, Len invites her to move in with him and Danny. Pearl, however, is hiding a secret. Her son, Frank Bernard Hartbourne (Rob Parry), who she said was a financial advisor, had been paroled after serving a sentence for rape. When Len discovers the truth, he is horrified but realizes what Pearl has been through and agrees to stand by her. Problems escalate when Frank's arrival is announced in the Hotten Courrier, and the villagers become irate, turning their frustrations on Len and Pearl. Only vicar Ashley Thomas (John Middleton) and Edna stand by them. After Frank is savagely beaten by Scott Windsor (Ben Freeman), he moves into a bail hostel in Leeds. Devastated at being treated so cruelly by their neighbours, the couple decides to leave Emmerdale for a few weeks and contemplate moving to Cheshire nearer to Sean and Tara. Len and Pearl eventually return and rebuild their relationship with their neighbours.
Len and Pearl's relationship is tested when Pearl falls into debt after trying to save money to visit her grandson Owen Hartbourne (Oliver Lee) in Hong Kong after he visits. Eric Pollard (Chris Chittell), Pearl's boss, begins blackmailing her even after she has repaid some of the loans and Len angrily punches him. Eric then charges Pearl the early settlement fee and tells her it must be paid, or he will report Len to the police for assault. When Len finds out, he is annoyed that Pearl kept it from him. Their relationship ends and Pearl leaves the village in disgrace. She returns several months later, intent on winning Len back. He tells Pearl he is in love with Edna, although Pearl is uninterested. However, Len and Pearl reunite and plan their wedding after Len proposes.
During this time, Edna confides in Len that she discovered a forged structural report connected to the Kings' River showroom explosion, incriminating the King family's role in the incident. He persuades her to report the evidence to the HSE, but it is insufficient. Len later learns that Tom is blackmailing Edna over the knowledge that her son Peter Birch (Philip Bird), was really her sister Lily Butterfield's (Anne Charleston) child. Len punches Tom, who retaliates, and a brawl breaks out until Tom's youngest son Carl (Tom Lister) arrives. Len swears revenge on Tom for his treatment of Edna and the cover-up of the explosion. Len is further incensed when Tom invites Edna to his wedding to Rosemary Sinclair (Linda Thorson) at home farm. Len visits Tom but leaves. Tom is later killed after being struck over the head and sent through a window.
On the day of the Village's 500th birthday pageant, Len comforts Edna after Pearl fails to include her while supervising activities. He returns to the church with his friend, Sandy Thomas (Freddie Jones). During the celebrations outside, Len dies in his chair of a heart attack. He is discovered by Sandy, who brings him a drink and thinks he is asleep. He is discovered by Sandy, who brings him a drink and thinks he is asleep. He tries to rouse him until finally checking Len's pulse, realizing he has died. Sandy, knowing it is too late, tells a shocked Pearl, who is devastated. Jo Stiles (Roxanne Pallett), who had become a close friend of Len's through Danny, begs Donna Windsor-Dingle (Verity Rushworth) to continue trying to resuscitate him, but to no avail. An ambulance arrives to take Len's body away while Pearl contemplates her loss in private, while Sandy comforts Betty Eagleton (Paula Tilbrook) and Edna. As news of Len's death spreads around the village, his body is driven away in an ambulance while Katherine Jenkins sings him out, closing the pageant, unaware of the death that has occurred.
Scott Windsor is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Emmerdale. From 1993 to 1996, Scott was played by Toby Cockerell. In 1996, Scott left the village to join the army and when he returned in 1998, Ben Freeman took over the role and played Scott until early 2007.
Del Dingle is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Emmerdale, played by Hayley Tamaddon. She made her first on-screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 15 July 2005.
Cain Dingle is a fictional character from the British soap opera Emmerdale, played by Jeff Hordley. Cain made his first appearance on 30 March 2000, and in 2006, he was written out of the series when Hordley left the soap; however, the option for a return was confirmed, which occurred when Hordley returned to the cast in February 2009. Cain's main storylines have focused on discovering his "uncle" Zak Dingle is his father; his relationship with his cousin Charity Dingle ; discovering he is Debbie Dingle's father; his affair and subsequent relationship with Moira Barton ; being attacked in a whodunit storyline where his assailant was eventually revealed to be his father; being diagnosed with a brain aneurysm; supporting his nephew Aaron Livesy after discovering Aaron was sexually abused by his father Gordon Livesy as a child; reuniting with his and Chas' mother Faith Dingle ; his relationship with local vicar Harriet Finch ; building up a relationship with his children; being blackmailed by DI Malone to do drug runs for him; his feud with Al Chapman and taking blame for Al's murder to protect his younger son Kyle who was responsible for killing Al.
Edna Birch is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Emmerdale, played by Shirley Stelfox. She made her first appearance during the episode first broadcast on 25 May 2000. Edna is characterised as a proud and independent Christian woman who often judges her neighbours' lifestyles. She is recognisable amongst the public for her pudding-basin hat and dog – firstly, Batley the Yorkshire Terrier, followed by Papillon Tootsie. Many of her stories have involved her dogs, including being run over saving Tootsie and the death of Batley, which won an award. The programme established friendships for Edna with many characters of a similar age, and in later years, she was paired with Sandy Thomas, which generated many comedic scenes.
Danny Daggert is a fictional character from the British television soap opera Emmerdale, played by Cleveland Campbell. He made his first appearance during the episode broadcast on 25 June 2001.
Pearl Ladderbanks is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Emmerdale, played by Meg Johnson. She first appeared on the show in episode 3500 on 30 July 2003. Pearl's storylines included defending her rapist son Frank Bernard Hartbourne, being trapped in a fire during the Sugden house explosion, developing a gambling addiction, committing embezzlement in order to feed her gambling and faking Alzheimer's disease to prevent her addiction from being revealed.
Jo Stiles is a fictional character from the British soap opera Emmerdale, played by Roxanne Pallett. She made her first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 26 August 2005 and her last on 22 December 2008.
Sandy Thomas is a fictional character from the British soap opera Emmerdale, played by Freddie Jones. Sandy was introduced as the father of Ashley Thomas. He made his first appearance during the episode broadcast on 6 November 2005. The character originally departed in March 2008, but returned to the show in February 2009. On 6 February 2018, it was confirmed that Jones had filmed his final episode and he made his final appearance as Sandy on 19 February 2018.
Belle King is a fictional character from the British soap opera Emmerdale, played by Eden Taylor-Draper. Belle made her first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 25 December 1998, originally played by twins Emily and James Mather. James stopped appearing in the role in 2000 and Emily in 2005, at which point Taylor-Draper took over, remaining ever since. Belle has featured in various storylines throughout her time on the soap, such as falling down a mineshaft, killing her best friend Gemma Andrews, having an affair with doctor Jermaine Bailey, faking a pregnancy to prevent Jermaine from leaving after their affair is revealed, being diagnosed with schizophrenia, a relationship with Lachlan White, which ends after discovering he is a serial killer, and her mental health relapses. Belle married Thomas King in 2024, and it was announced that Belle would become part of a coercive control storyline.
Sean Reynolds is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Emmerdale, played by Stephen McGann. He made his first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 10 March 1999.
Lady Tara Thornfield is a fictional character from the British soap opera Emmerdale, played by Anna Brecon. She made her first on screen appearance on 31 July 1997. She remained on and off in the show until departing on 4 January 2002 for a new life with Sean Reynolds, whom she later married, but made a brief return with step-son, Marc, in 2007 for her father-in-law Len's funeral.
Eve Jenson is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Emmerdale, played by Suzanne Shaw. She made her first on-screen appearance on 31 August 2001. The character was originally played by Raine Davison from 2001 to 2002, reappearing briefly in 2006. In early 2010, series producer Gavin Blyth recast the role and Shaw took over. Eve was introduced as the granddaughter of Edna Birch. In April 2011, it was announced that Shaw had quit her role of Eve and she departed on 2 August 2011.
Tom King is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Emmerdale, who appeared on the show from 29 February 2004 before being killed off on 25 December 2006 in a long-running "whodunit" storyline dubbed, "Who Killed Tom King?". He was last seen on 27 December 2006 as a dead body in a morgue. Throughout his time on the show he was portrayed by Kenneth Farrington. Farrington decided to leave the show in 2006 but reprised the role briefly as a ghost in a "Text Santa" special on 20 December 2013.