Coronation Street boss Iain MacLeod has said that William Roache will ‘never be axed’.
The actor famous for playing Ken Barlow in the long-running ITV soap opera has been on the show since it began in 1960. He’s even recognized by the Guinness World Records as the longest-serving actor in soap operas.
I heard from the producer, MacLeod, that William Roache, who’s 93 now, can stay on the show for as long as he likes. Apparently, no one would dare make the decision to change that – it would take a really courageous production team to even consider it!
He continued, saying that the actor is consistently excellent, always delivering his lines perfectly and maintaining a remarkably professional attitude – he’s the most polished performer on set.
He added, “I’m not sure how many records are left to break in this area, but I’m rooting for him to break them all.”
The Sun newspaper reported in December that Alan Halsall, who plays Tyrone Dobbs, had his contract renewed for another year on the show.
The announcement that Roache will continue on the show follows several departures of established characters in recent months.
Daniel Brocklebank’s character, Billy Mayhew, was written out of the show after eleven years, and Channique Sterling-Brown, who played Dee-Dee Bailey, left towards the end of last year.
Last year also saw the departures of Eileen Grimshaw (Sue Cleaver), Daisy Midgeley (Charlotte Jordan), and Craig Tinker (Colson Smith) from the show.
Coronation Street airs weeknights at 8.30pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
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Authors
Molly Moss writes about the newest trends in television, movies, and other entertainment for TopMob. She has a master’s degree in journalism and has contributed to major publications like The Guardian, The Times, and The Sun Online.
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2026-01-19 16:07