Bill Roache still feels Anne Kirkbride's presence on the 'Coronation Street' set.
Bill Roache
The soap legend - who has played Ken Barlow on the show since its first episode in 1960 - has a "powerful" connection to his late co-star and on-screen wife, who died of cancer aged 60 in January 2015, and she's always in his thoughts.
He said: "Even now, I can feel her around. It's very powerful, particularly at the Barlows' where Ken and Deirdre were called upon to do a lot of crying and shouting.
"But I know all is well for her. And you get to the point where you can think about the happy times and enjoy them.
"She's only ever a thought away - love is a great connector. I can say to Annie, 'Didn't we have a great time?' They love it if you become happy again and think about them in a loving way."
The 86-year-old actor believes bodies are designed to "go on forever" and our soul chooses when we die, and though his daughter Vanya passed away aged 50 from liver failure as a result of a blood disorder in March, he wasn't "shocked" by her death because she was "ready" to go.
He said: "Vanya's death totally affirmed what I know.
"Yes she was very young. Too young. But she'd not been well for a while so it wasn't a shock.
"She was ready to go and I knew that she'd gone to a very happy place."
And Bill didn't grieve for too long because he feels his daughter has "gone home".
He added to the Radio Times magazine: "We are immortal beings and we just change environments. You only grieve for so long because her battle is done and she's gone home."
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