'Coronation Street's Bill Roache isn't leaving the soap.
Bill Roache
Although Bill's alter-ego Ken Barlow - who he has played on the ITV soap since 1960 - is moving away from the cobbles to a nearby retirement complex with his girlfriend Claudia Colby, Roache revealed that he has no plans to quit the show.
The 87-year-old actor has already begun filming scenes about Ken's new life at Still Waters Luxury retirement complex.
He explained: "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.
"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 [Ken's children] Peter and Tracy start squabbling over who will be given first refusal on the house.
"We have already started filming at the retirement complex and I am really enjoying it, it always feels different when we film away from the street.
"It seems fitting that Ken makes this decision in the 10,000th episode but it will be strange not filming in number 1 after all this time."
William has played Ken since the show's first episode on December 9, 1960 and the Guinness World Records named him the longest-serving male television star in a continuous role.
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