William Roache Marks 65 Years of ‘Corrie’ With Heartfelt Video
On December 9, 1960, Coronation Street debuted on iTV. Sixty-five years later, the show marked the milestone with a celebratory message from star William Roache, who has portrayed Ken Barlow since episode one, shared on the soap’s official Instagram account.
In a video posted to the show’s official Instagram account, Roache thanked longtime viewers for their support. “Hello, Well, first of all I’d like to say that this is a wonderful day for us,” he began.
“It’s our 65th anniversary, and when it first started when Tony Warren created this show, we only thought we were going to run for a few weeks, and here we are after 65 years still going strong with a heart beat like a cannon,” he said.
“So, on behalf of all the cast and crew, past and present I would like to say to you, the viewers, from my heart, a really really big thank you.”
The account also shared an early archival clip feature one of Ken Barlow’s first scenes from the soap’s inaugural episode.
When the show began, Ken was introduced as a Manchester University student who had recently moved back in with his parents, Frank and Ida. The storyline quickly established his desire to rise above the working-class roots, his father worked as a postman and his mother a cleaner, creating early tension within the Barlow family.
Across six decades of storylines, Ken has weather major personal milestones, from his early marriage to Valerie Tatlock, the mother of his twin children, to later partnerships including his marriage to fan-favorite Deidre Langton.
Roache has appeared in nearly 5,000 episodes and is the only actor to have appeared in every year of the series.
Fans took to the comment section to share their support for Roache and the show. One user shared, “Loved every second of it too. Congratulations to you all. Where would we be without you. By the way Mr R …. you are looking amazing 😍,” with a second user adding, “Congratulations to Coronation Street! It has always been part of our life – and we love William and all the cast. 🥰🥰”
Coronation Street streams Monday, Wednesday, and Friday on BritBox as well as the soaps official YouTube channel.