Leanne Holiday is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks and its Internet spin-off , played by Jessica Forrest. Forrest's casting was announced in July 2010 and she began filming her scenes in June. The actress originally commuted from Manchester to Liverpool for filming, before relocating there. Forrest was a drama and film studies student when she gained the role of Leanne. She made her first appearance in Hollyoaks: Freshers on 26 August 2010 before appearing in the main show. Leanne departed the show on 21 October 2013, when the character was killed off in an explosion as part of the show's eighteenth anniversary celebrations.
Leanne was the girlfriend of long-running character, Lee Hunter (Alex Carter), and was introduced when Carter returned to the show after a five-year absence. Leanne is described as a "gorgeous babe" who is bubbly and a "sexy, sassy blonde". She is really sensible but a bit naive and has her heart set on marriage and her education. Forrest said that there is an element of Leanne being a bunny boiler and she also has a loopy side. The actress revealed that Leanne is fun to play and so different from her. Leanne's storylines have mainly focused on her relationship with Lee. Lee ends their relationship, beginning a romance with Amy Barnes (Ashley Slanina-Davies) which causes Leanne to become obsessed with him. Leanne turns into a "real bunny boiler" and develops a rivalry with Amy, doing "terrible things" to her. Leanne becomes involved in a sham wedding to Doug but she goes on to marry Dennis in a non-legal wedding.
Leanne and Lee move to Hollyoaks village to study at Hollyoaks Community College. However, when they move to the village, their relationship starts to go wrong. Leanne kisses Doug Carter after she is called boring for being engaged to Lee. Forrest explained Leanne's storyline is all about being young and said it was "strange" having to kiss Brennan. Lee also strikes up a friendship with Amy Barnes and they kiss. This makes Leanne jealous because "she sees it and she doesn’t like it". Leanne and Lee are both having the same doubts about the seriousness of their relationship. Carter said that it could be the pressure of being in college with so many young, free and single people. In January 2011, Marquess told Digital Spy that Leanne would turn into a "real bunny boiler" and be involved in a serious storyline where she would do "terrible things" to Amy. The storyline developed naturally after the show's team liked Leanne being funny and they started "playing on that". Leanne becomes obsessed with Lee after he ends their relationship. Lee begins a relationship with Amy and Leanne develops a rivalry with her. Forrest said she enjoys Leanne's rivalry with Amy and that she and Slanina-Davies have "such a good laugh". Forrest said "We really go for it when we're doing the rivalry scenes on set. I love working with Ashley - she's ace."
Leanne overhears Jem Costello (Helen Russell-Clark) calling her boring and kisses Doug Carter (PJ Brennan). Leanne kisses Doug again after an argument with Lee. Lee admits that he kissed Amy Barnes (Ashley Slanina-Davies), but Leanne forgives him. Leanne notices Lee is spending time with Amy and she begins to organize their wedding. Lee realises he is in love with Amy and ends his relationship with Leanne. Amy is hospitalised after a fire and Leanne pretends to visit her. She returns and gives Lee a letter from Amy, which says Amy is ending their relationship. It transpires that Leanne wrote the letter. Leanne and Lee reconcile. Leanne admits that she kissed Doug and Lee forgives her. On Leanne and Lee's wedding day, Amy announces that she did not write the letter to Lee and reveals it was Leanne. Lee declares his love for Amy and refuses to marry Leanne, terminating their relationship.
Leanne changes her university course to be closer to Lee, but he avoids her. She sees a billboard of Amy and Lee's advertising campaign, leaving her angry. Leanne feigns an ankle injury and tells Lee that Amy attacked her. Leanne defaces the billboard and reports Amy to the police. Amy denies the attack and her statement is supported by a witness. Leanne goes to the filming of Lee and Amy's television advertisement at an indoor ski slope. Lee tells Leanne that he does not believe she was attacked and she pushes him down the ski slope. Lee and Amy begin a relationship. Leanne dates Jamil Fadel (Sikander Malik) to make Lee jealous. Leanne argues with Amy and throws herself down a set of stairs. She tells Lee and Jamil that Amy pushed her. Leanne reports Amy to the police and Amy is arrested for assault. Leanne presses charges against Amy. Leanne is happy to discover that Amy has ended her relationship with Lee. Leanne withdraws her statement against Amy, hoping to reconcile with Lee. Lee turns against Leanne after he realises that she was lying about the assault. Leanne moves in with Doug and Ethan Scott (Craig Vye) after completing the first year of university. She fails in her attempts to begin a relationship with various men, including Louis Souyaye, Danny Lawrence and Matt Gill. Leanne sleeps with Dennis Savage (Joe Tracini) at the start of 2013 and is shocked to wake up in bed with him. They later embark on a relationship and Dennis later takes a job overseas.
Dennis' cousin, Will Savage (James Atherton) frames Leanne for killing her friend, Texas Longford (Bianca Hendrickse-Spendlove), and she is charged and remanded in custody. When Dennis arrives back he is determined to get Leanne out of prison. Will's mother Anna Blake (Saskia Wickham) later takes the blame for killing Texas and Leanne is released. Dennis proposes to Leanne and she accepts. Leanne looks after Leah Barnes (Ela-May Demircan) and Lucas Hay (William Hall) whilst Lucas' father, Ste Hay (Kieron Richardson), goes to court. Leah overhears Leanne on the phone to Dennis telling him that Ste killed his mother Pauline Hay (Julie Hogarth). Leah runs away but is safely found.
Leanne finds out that Doug and Ste are leaving together so throws them a going away party. In the shop Leanne finds out that Dennis was paid to do a fake robbery for the McQueens and that Dennis gave her the ring of the late Myra McQueen (Nicole Barber-Lane). She later breaks up with Dennis and throws champagne in his face. Leanne decides to leave but then later sees in a book that Dennis had written 10 things he loves about her. Leanne then organizes a leaving party for Doug and Ste, who are planning to move away. A bomb that has accidentally been brought to the party, goes off, destroying the house. Dennis waits anxiously for news on his step-cousin Dodger Savage (Danny Mac) and when a body is brought out, it is actually Leanne. In the ambulance Dennis and Leanne have a heart-to-heart and Leanne tells him that she wants to marry him after all and forgives him for the robbery. Leanne then stops breathing and is rushed quickly to hospital. Due to complications due to a head injury, Dennis tells her that he will marry her in hospital. Dennis and Leanne get married at the hospital. Leanne then passes away, a few hours after marrying Dennis, due to a bleed on the brain she suffered from the bomb blast.
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