Coronation Street ‘confirms’ Bill Roache’s future as Ken Barlow in ‘on point’ admission
William ‘Bill’ Roache, 93, has played Ken Brlow for 66 years
Coronation Street legend William Roache(Image: Getty Images)
William ‘Bill’ Roache can stay on Coronation Street “for as long as he wants”, according to show boss Iain Macleod, after he reportedly signed a new contract to stay on the cobbles.
The 93-year-old actor – who has played Ken Barlow on the ITV soap for 66 years – is said to have inked a new six-figure deal to remain on the show for at least another 12 months and now Iain – who is ITV’s Executive Producer for Continuing Drama – has insisted only a “brave producer” would ever consider axing the TV veteran.
When asked if Bill can stay Coronation Street for “as long as he wants”, he told The Sun newspaper: “Absolutely. I mean, it would be a brave producer team that took that decision [to axe him]. 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 know how many more records there are to break in that field, but I hope he breaks them all.”
Bill holds the world record for the longest-serving TV actor in a continuous role and has previously said he wants to remain on the show until he turns 100. Speaking on Love Your Weekend last year, he said: “Still going strong, and hope to make the centenarian. That would be great.”
Bill playing Ken in Corrie(Image: ITV)
When asked: “Everyone wants to know, what’s the secret of lasting?” he replied: “The secret is to enjoy yourself. But, you know, there’s a collective consciousness about ageing, a lot of it is a belief system. When you’re 60, you know, ‘Oh sit down, take it easy, aren’t you retiring yet?’ and all those things.
“No! Keep going! I’m doing a parachute jump in a few weeks’ time. You just do whatever you want to do, as long as you enjoy it, that’s the main thing. People will say, ‘When are you retiring?’ But then what happens? Whilst I can do it, and whilst they will have me, I have no intention of retiring.
“I am so fortunate to work for an organisation that is happy to have me. For me, it’s really just the same as ever. Getting on with it, steady as you go. If you enjoy doing something, keep doing it.”
