Bill Roache has been left ‘utterly heartbroken’ after the death of his eldest daughter Vanya. Vanya, 50, is thought to have passed away last week and Bill, 85, has been granted compassionate leave by ITV bosses.
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Bill Roache has been left ‘utterly heartbroken’ after the death of his eldest daughter Vanya. Vanya, 50, is thought to have passed away last week and Bill, 85, has been granted compassionate leave by ITV bosses.
He is back filmingQuote:
Originally Posted by tammyy2j
leaving?
Bill has always said he would only be leaving as Ken if he was in a coffin himself ... not sure I have ever seen a soap have a storyline where a retirement village was involved .. nice subject to raise in my opinion with our ever growing older population but a lot of loneliness too. Would be nice if other old characters would slowly start moving there too ..Quote:
Originally Posted by lizann
Ken Barlow leaves Coronation Street after 60 years as beloved soap marks 10,000th episode.
Just before the credits rolled on the historical 10,000th episode of the world’s longest running soap, the character who was in the very first episode in 1960 bid a fond farewell to his ‘old friend’ the cobbles to move away with girlfriend Claudia Colby.
But fans are reassured that this isn't the last they'll see of him, as the Weatherfield patriarch is not leaving the show.
Ken will move out of number one and away from the street, but future episodes will follow Ken and Claudia's new life at Still Waters Luxury retirement complex where they meet Charles Moore.
Back in Weatherfield his son Peter and adopted daughter Tracy will battle over who gets to move into the most famous house on the street.
In Monday night’s episodes Ken and Claudia will break the news to the family about their decision to sell up and live a quieter life at Still Waters.
Both Peter and Tracy want the house at a knockdown price and as Ken despairs over his warring family it confirms he is making the right decision to leave. William Roache said: “This is a big decision for Ken but in some ways he thinks it is now or never.
He has lived on the same street his whole life and in the same house for most of it.
"He feels that he had a chance to move away with Martha on the barge but he let her go. Part of him regretted that.
"He doesn’t want to make the same mistake again and Claudia is very persuasive."
He added: "Filming that final scene of the episode was very poignant, just Ken and Eccles and the cobbles.
“He breaks the news to the family next week and they are surprised but very soon Peter and Tracy start squabbling over who will be given first refusal on the house.
https://scontent-mad1-1.xx.fbcdn.net...ff&oe=5EDBC42C
This was the most pathetic celebration episode ever, what alot of nothing! I found it boring, tedious and glad it was finished.Quote:
Originally Posted by Perdita
Ken exit of the street, was uneventful, so he's leaving his home that was with his "love" Deidre, not many auldies do that, they prefer not to move, wasted of screen time'
Best bit was Rita's memories of the past residents, it reminded us how good it "used" to be.
There's a lot of older characters in the programme now so having a retirement community as a set in its own right sounds like a good idea. I keep imagining a Sunday evening spin off series, with Ken, Claudia, Norris, Freda and a host of original characters, with maybe an occasional visit from Corrie characters...
William Roache, who plays Ken Barlow on Coronation Street, has confirmed his character has been written out of the show due to Covid-19 fears.
Filming for the popular soap is set to resume next month, but older actors will not be able to return along with the rest of the cast due to health risks.
Roache, who is 88 years old and has played Ken since the popular soap began in the 1960s, said he doesn't think he will be back for "some time".
Speaking on BBC Radio Derby, he said: "I think we, the senior members of the cast, won’t be called back for some time. Sadly I’d like to get back, but we’ll just have to see how it goes.
Veteran Corrie star Bill Roache has been forced off screen for months after falling ill. The TV icon, 88, who plays Ken Barlow, asked bosses for time off after becoming unwell ? and has been written out of the ITV soap.
Sources say Bill was reluctant to take a break from the cobbles amid fears he might not return.
An insider said: ?For Bill to take time off is extremely unusual. He loves work and he?s as passionate about being on Coronation Street as ever, but he realised he had to listen to his own body.
?The reason he?s been able to work for so long and so passionately is he?s always looked after himself, and he still does, so he?ll be back as soon as it makes sense. ?Obviously, his time off has coincided with Covid too, where a number of the older stars are being kept away from the set anyway to be on the safe side.
?But because he asked for a break, the writers had to formulate a storyline around him to keep his character out completely for quite some time. ?They already have ideas for how they would like to bring Ken back in later this summer ? and everyone will be pleased to see him, along with the rest of the cast back together in the same place.?
Sources said Bill ? who last appeared in Corrie on March 10 ? was reluctant to take the time off amid fears he might not return. But he has told bosses he is determined to be back on screen later this year.
He holds the world record for the longest continuous stint in any drama ? having been on Coronation Street since its first episode in 1960. His character has become the cobbles? elder statesman ? despite a chaotic personal life.
Ken has married four times to three women, had multiple affairs and was involved in a long-standing feud with nemesis Mike Baldwin, played by the late Johnny Briggs.
Bill has frequently spoken of his desire to never leave the soap. He insisted at its 60th anniversary: ?While I can do it and they want me, I will be there. Retirement is not on the radar at all, I have no plans for that. I don?t even like to think about how they?d write Ken out if I did leave, because hopefully that is never going to happen.?
The last 12 months has seen the soap beset by delays and filming challenges ? including shutting down production entirely at the start of the pandemic. Bosses later introduced filming *bubbles with special regimes including social distancing and no physical contact between stars to avoid infections. Scenes involving kissing or fighting have been rewritten, or body doubles made up of real life couples brought in.
Many of the show?s oldest characters have been largely kept away from set throughout the worst of the pandemic ? although Bill?s time off was arranged separately from that.
Other older stars include Barbara Knox, 86, who plays Rita, Sue Nicholls, 77, who plays Audrey, and David Neilson, 72, who plays Roy. Last year a TV source said: ?It?s a huge risk to remove some of Corrie?s biggest stars, but far riskier to allow them on set.?
Hope he is back soon
has he Covid, hope he recovers
Signed another contract for a year :cheer:
And signed another contract for a year :cheer:
Signed up for another year again 👍
Bill Roache has had a petition by HMRC filed against him, despite him earning a whopping ?250,000 (?293,022) per year on the ITV soap
https://www.irishmirror.ie/showbiz/c...-star-31969919
It is understood Roache, 91, who has played Ken Barlow in the soap since 1960, is the highest-paid member of the cast, earning around ?250,000 (?293,022) a year.
HMRC said it does not comment on individual cases. But a spokesperson said tonight: "We take a supportive approach to dealing with customers who have tax debts, and do everything we can to help those who engage with us to get out of debt, such as offering instalment plans.
?We only petition for bankruptcy as a last resort.? A spokesperson for Coronation Street said: "We're really sorry to hear of Bill's financial situation. Bill has an ongoing contract with Coronation Street and remains a much-loved member of the cast."
Lots of actors on good money seem to have rubbish accountants looking after their finances....I wonder how much he owes...:hmm:
https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/cor...otional-story/
Coronation Street is lining up an emotional new story for Ken Barlow, with the character set to have a health battle.
The character, played by William Roache, has been on screen for the last 64 years, going through several different storylines throughout the soap?s history.
The latest arc, as per The Sun, will see the veteran fall down the stairs and injure himself, leaving him needing the help of a carer.
The story is said to have an effect on the normally effervescent Ken, who is left demoralised after struggling to fully recover from his fall.
The arc is also said to be a ploy to highlight the plight facing elderly people, with the message being to emphasise the care they often need from family members.
Whilst the Barlow family will soon be tending to Ken, they are currently preparing for the exit of his grandson Simon, with Alex Bain set to depart the ITV soap after 16 years in the role of Simon.
Ahead of his impending exit, Bain reflected on his experience whilst detailing how he came into the role, recalling: ?When I was little my mum and dad took me to do some professional photos.
?The photographer asked if it would be OK to give my details to an agent as he thought I would be good as a child model. The agent got in touch and signed me up and I have been with them ever since.
?I did some photographic jobs, a couple of commercials including one for Rice Crispies and then a role in Sunshine alongside Bernard Hill. My agent then called my mum and said there was a role for a child my age in Corrie so I went through the audition process.
?The list kept getting shorter and shorter until my agent called and said I had got the part. That was a huge moment for my mum and dad coming from a Northern working-class background and suddenly you are taking your son to work alongside Ken Barlow!"
ken hires cassie as his carer companion