Lenny McLean was a bare knuckle boxer, bouncer and bodyguard whose thirst for violence earned him nicknames like ‘Britain’s hardest man’ and ‘The King of the Cobbles’. The legendary tales surrounding Lenny are endless - including a recent revelation that he was . But one woman who worked as a DJ in London clubs in the 80s and 90s offered a completely different perspective of a man she referred to as a “second dad” and a “gentle giant”.
Emma Daniels, 54, from West London, spoke exclusively to the Daily Star about her close bond with Lenny, who died of lung cancer in 1998 aged 49. She told us: “Oh my God, he was the most beautiful man in the world. I knew him from working in nightclubs and he was a gentle giant who always looked out for me.
Working in London as a female DJ was hard but with Lenny I was comfortable. The big man with a big heart.” Emma was just a teenager when she started playing music in clubs in the capital – where burly Lenny was the doorman.
The underground boxer, a 6ft 3in, 20 stone man mountain, had a troubled start to life after his – before shattering his jaw one year later. But according to Emma, Lenny himself never resorted to such brutality when dealing with drunk and disorderly customers. She said: “I was around 18 when I first met him and my first impression was he was very tall and very big but you know what? The nicest guy you could ever meet in the world.
“He was never aggressive and he would go over to the person (ca.
