William Roache
William Patrick Roache OBE (born 25 April 1932) is an English actor. He has played the role of Ken Barlow in the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, since its first episode on 9 December 1960.
William Roache OBE | |
|---|---|
 Roache in December 2012 | |
| Born | William Patrick Roache 25 April 1932 (aged 94) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1958–present |
| Spouse(s) | (divorced) (her death) |
| Partner(s) | Emma Jesson (2010–2012)[1] |
| Children | Linus Roache (born 1964) Vanya Roache (1967–2018) Verity Roache (born 1981) Edwina Roache (deceased) James Roache (born 1985) |
Early life
Roache was born in Basford, Nottinghamshire. He grew up in Ilkeston, Derbyshire.
Career
Roache played the leading role in a Granada Television play called Marking Time. It was shown on ITV in 1961. In a 2007 interview, Roache said, "Tony Warren, who created Coronation Street, saw it and thought I was right for Ken Barlow." In 2008, Roache's autobiography Soul on the Street was published.
Personal life
Roache lives in Wilmslow, Cheshire. He supports the Conservative Party.[2]
Sex crime charges
On 1 May 2013, Roache was arrested at his home on suspicion of raping a 15-year-old girl in the 1960s.[3][4]
References
- ↑ Published Tuesday, Sep 25 2012, 13:58 BST. Corrie's Bill Roache cools romance with weather girl Emma Jesson? (25 September 2012)Digital Spy. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
- ↑ Bill Roache: His strange life and times (15 March 2012).
- ↑ William Roache found not guilty of rape and indecent assault. BBC News. 6 February 2014. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-26068034. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
- ↑ Evans, Martin (6 February 2014). "Bill Roache found not guilty of rape and assault charges". The Daily Telegraph (London). https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/10621400/Bill-Roache-found-not-guilty-of-rape-and-assault-charges.html. Retrieved 6 February 2014.