Coronation Street star William Roache tipped for new contract as Ken Barlow
Coronation Street star William Roache has been tipped for a new contract, with his role as Ken Barlow set to continue.
Roache has played the character since the show's premiere in 1960, and The Sun is now reporting that the actor will play the character for a 64th year, extending his record as the longest-serving performer in a televised soap.
Digital Spy has reached out to ITV for on-the-record confirmation.
Roache's contract renewal will be music to fans' ears, with the soap undergoing a period of turbulence as Chris Gascoyne recently exited the series as Peter Barlow and his on-screen son Alex Bain also set to depart from his role as Simon Barlow.
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Roache has been a constant as playboy Ken Barlow since the very first episodes of Coronation Street aired back in 1960.
Viewers have watched Ken go from being the resident young heartthrob in Weatherfield to the elder statesman of the cobbles over the following 63 years.
In 2020, Roache officially became the longest-running soap star in British TV history when his tenure was recognised with a Guinness World Record.
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This legendary TV accomplishment came close to not happening because there was a time when Roache wanted to quit as Ken to pursue film roles.
"There was a time in the middle of my career, when I was in my 40s, I thought, 'If ever I'm going to get out and do something else, now is the time'," he recalled. "But I only thought about it. I never actually did it. I realised I'm really proud of Coronation Street, lucky to be in it.
"The work I got, and the big stories two or three times a year, is absolutely brilliant. And the rest of the time it's been enjoyable. Although I did consider other things, I didn't seriously consider them. I didn't do anything about it."
Coronation Street airs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm on ITV1 and streams on ITVX.
Read more Coronation Street spoilers on our dedicated homepage
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