Coronation Street legend Bill Roache is getting his own special ITV programme, which will celebrate his record-breaking stint on the soap. Titled Bill Roache: Life on the Street, the special is expected to air either later this year or in early 2027.
Roache, who turned 94 this year, has played Ken Barlow since the ITV soap’s first episode in 1960. As a result of this, he holds the Guinness World Record for the longest-serving television star in a continuous role.
As per The Sun, the special will celebrate the actor’s extraordinary career in Weatherfield, with various moments from his 66-year stint being shown in a programme that will highlight his unique achievement.
Back in January, Corrie boss Iain MacLeod stated that Roache would never be written out of the soap as long as he’s alive and wants to continue working, noting: “William Roache has been in the show since episode one. William has a job for as long as he wants it, absolutely.
“It would be a brave producer [who takes] the decision to axe him. William [is] a miraculous individual. Whatever you give him, even now, he’s on point, he’s on his dialogue… He’s the most professional member of the cast. I don’t think anyone could dispute that.”
Roache previously revealed that he nearly left the soap 20 years into his run as he got “restless” after feeling that the character had become too “nerdy”, though he was thankfully dissuaded from exiting the series.
“I’d been playing Ken for 20 years and it seemed they didn’t know what to do with the character,” he said. “He started to become a bit nerdy and I didn’t like that, but then they brought in the Ken, Deirdre and Mike Baldwin storyline and that revitalised everything.”
While Roache will stay on the soap for as long as he’s willing to, Weatherfield recently saw the departure of Beth Nixon, with the actor’s stint coming to an end after her villainous character, Megan Walsh, was imprisoned.
Nixon didn’t, however, rule out the possibility of reprising her role in the future, noting: “I’d love any opportunity to come back. It’s just such a fab place to work and I felt so blessed to have been given the storyline.”
