Is William Roache Leaving Coronation Street? Who is William Roache?
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Updated Jun 11, 2024
Is William Roache Leaving Coronation Street?
Ken Barlow from Coronation Street ends up in the hospital after a scary fall. People are worried this might mean he's leaving the show after being on it for over 60 years. But no official information confirms this fact so he is not leaving. In 2010, he said he didn't plan to leave the show and would stay as long as the producers wanted him to. Then, in November 2020, Bill was given a Guinness World Record for being the actor on a TV soap for the longest time, showing his six decades on Coronation Street.
Who is William Roache?
William Roache is a British actor famous for playing Ken Barlow in the TV show Coronation Street. He's been on the show since it started airing on December 9, 1960, making him the actor who's been there the longest without stopping. He's even in the Guinness World Records for being the longest-serving TV star in a single role.
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Specifications |
Details |
|---|---|
| Name | William Roache |
| Born | 25 April 1932 (age 92) |
| Birthplace | Basford, Nottingham, England |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years Active | 1958–present |
| Known For | Longest serving TV soap opera actor |
| Spouses | Anna Cropper (m. 1961; div. 1974)
Sara McEwan Mottram (m. 1978; died 2009) |
| Children | 5, including Linus and James |
William Roache Career
After leaving the army, Roache started acting. He did stage plays, small film roles, and appeared in TV shows like Knight Errant Limited and Skyport. Before joining Coronation Street in 1960, he starred in a Granada Television play called Marking Time. In 1985, he was featured on the TV show This Is Your Life, and he wrote his first autobiography, Ken and Me, in 1993. Roache received the British Soap Awards Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999 for his role in Coronation Street. He also participated in TV shows like Celebrity Stars in Their Eyes and Ant & Dec's Gameshow Marathon.
Roache wrote a book in 2008 called "Soul on the Street" where he talks about his belief in life after death. He had a disagreement with actress Pat Phoenix but they later made up and became friends. In 2010, he wrote another book called "50 Years on the Street" about his time on Coronation Street. He was interviewed by Piers Morgan in 2012 and featured on the BBC show "Who Do You Think You Are?" to explore his family history. Roache is the longest-serving actor on Coronation Street and the world's longest-serving TV actor in a continuous role since 2010. A biography about him titled "The Times and Life of William 'Bill' Roache: Actor for the Ages" came out on his 90th birthday in 2022.
William Roache Early Life
Roache was born in Nottingham, England, to a doctor father and a mother involved in business. He grew up in Derbyshire, attending a school set up by his grandfather. After schooling, he joined the British Army and became a captain, but left due to injury from a mortar explosion, causing him to have tinnitus.
William Roache Marital Life
Roache lives in Wilmslow, Cheshire, England. His oldest son, from his first marriage to Anna Cropper, is actor Linus Roache. They also had a daughter named Vanya. Roache and Cropper divorced in 1974. He married Sara McEwan Mottram in 1978, who passed away suddenly in 2009. With Sara, he had a daughter named Verity and a son named James. Roache dated weather reporter Emma Jesson from 2010 to 2012.
William Roache Net Worth
William Roache Net Worth is around $5 million. He earns his income primarily through his work as an actor, notably for his long-running role in the TV show Coronation Street.
