CORONATION Street legend Bill Roache has revealed his secret feud with a co-star which saw them not speak for TWO years.
The soap icon, 93, has played Ken Barlow since the ITV soap’s debut episode in 1960.
After working on the soap for 65 years, Bill certainly has some tea to spill which might come as a surprise to Coronation Street fans.
This includes an on-set incident in the 1970s which led to him not speaking to a co-star for two years.
Bill spilled the beans when he recently took part in An Audience With Coronation Street in Salford.
The actor’s secret feud was with the late Pat Phoenix, who played Elsie Tanner.
Bill revealed the pair fell out during a scene in 1971 involving the death of his then on-screen wife, Valerie Tatlock played by Anne Reid.
Addressing fans, he said: “I had a scene where she’d said something unkind to my wife, and I told her off.
“Pat said to the director, ‘I don’t think she’d take this from this young man…’
“She said she wanted to do something in the end, and the director said, ‘Yes, Pat, anything you want.’
“So Pat asked me to pause and she’d throw an ashtray at me. I said, ‘No, Pat, you know what you’ve done here, and as far as I’m concerned, it’s unprofessional.’
“We didn’t talk for two years.”
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Bill then revealed how their feud made things very awkward on the Corrie set but one day they were suddenly friends again.
“Two years later, we’re standing together waiting to film a scene, still not talking and it was her birthday coming up,” the actor continued.
“She said, ‘Oh I suppose you’d better come to my party then.’ And we became good friends after that!”
Die-hard Corrie fans will remember that Pat played Elsie between 1960 and 1973.
She returned to the show in 1976 but left again in 1982.
Sadly she passed away just two years later at the age of 62 from lung cancer.
TOP AWARD
Back in March, Bill received a Lifetime Achievement Award at The Entertainment Agents’ Awards (TEAA), which honoured his incredible Corrie career.
He collected the gong from co-star Claire Sweeney, who has played Cassie Plummer since 2023.
Discussing the achievement, Bill told the Champions Speakers Agency: “It’s a huge honour to receive this award, and I am very grateful for it.
“I’ve enjoyed a wonderful career and to have spent so many years working on such a special programme like Coronation Street has been magical.
“I’ve been fortunate to work with some absolutely incredible actors over that period and made a lifetime of memories.
“I’m looking forward to being in the programme for many more years to come.
CORRIE KING
Bill appeared in the very first episode of Corrie in 1960.
As Ken, he is known for being part of the Barlow family which originally featured his parents Frank and Ida, as well as brother David.
But by 1968, Ken was the only one still appearing on a regular basis.
The character has been married to three women – while he tied the knot with Deirdre (Anne Kirkbride) twice.
