Ken Barlow could be killed off in 'Coronation Street'.
Bill Roache as Ken Barlow
Bill Roache - who plays the womanising character - has been on the show since its first episode in 1960 but he could be set for the chop as a new storyline is set to leave Ken's life "hanging by a thread" when he suffers a second stroke.
A source told the Sun on Sunday: "Ken had only just recovered from the terrible stroke he suffered in October, so this latest attack hits him twice as hard.
"He is rushed to hospital and his life is very much hanging in the balance.
"Obviously for someone who was so recently ill, the chances of him coming out of it alive - let alone unscathed - are drastically reduced.
"That isn't lost on any of Weatherfield's residents - who are all in uproar after the news of his sudden predicament becomes known.
"They are all discussing how he could possibly survive a second stroke in six months.
"And as he is a very much loved character, the bosses are expecting viewers to be gripped as well.
"Ken has been through a lot in his time on Corrie, but the big question is whether or not he can survive something as serious as this."
Bill previously admitted that the first stroke storyline left him worried for his job.
He explained: "It made me feel paranoid about my job. The first thing I said (when I was told about the stroke storyline) was: "Do I get better?'"
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