Real life of Coronation Street's Ken Barlow actor Bill Roache - bankruptcy woes, actress ex, famous sons and tragic losses

William Roache was one of Coronation Street's first actors, having made his debut in the soap's very first episode in 1960 as Ken Barlow. Fast forward six decades and the acting legend is still appearing in the ITV favourite as the Barlow patriarch - with seemingly no plans to stop.

With news he's signed another year-long contract to stay on the cobbles, it got us thinking, what do we know already about the life and times of Bill Roache? The 92-year-old actor has been hitting the headlines of late after it was revealed he was facing bankruptcy after HMRC filed a petition against him.

HMRC said it does not comment on individual cases, but the Mirror reported at the end of last month that despite being thought to be one of the highest-paid members of the cast, earning around £250,000 a year, Bill was facing bankruptcy for a second time.

READ MORE: Coronation Street's Will Mellor says he was 'down' before life-changing surgery and why he nearly quit acting

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A spokesperson said at the time: "We take a supportive approach to dealing with customers who have tax debts, and do everything we can to help those who engage with us to get out of debt, such as offering instalment plans. We only petition for bankruptcy as a last resort."

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Coronation Street also said: "We're really sorry to hear of Bill's financial situation. Bill has an ongoing contract with Coronation Street and remains a much-loved member of the cast."

In 2018 the Mirror told how the actor faced a huge bill after investing in a £500million Cayman Islands tax avoidance scheme. It was not known how much he had invested in Twofold First Services LLP, owned by a company in