Coronation Street's William Roache reveals two-year feud with legendary co-star

William Roache has revealed that he had a feud with one of his Coronation Street co-stars that went on for two years. The actor, 93, has played Ken Barlow on ITV's flagship soap opera since its very first episode aired on 9 December 1960 and admitted that, at one point, something went awry with one of his castmates.

In a rare public appearance, Bill joined Jane Danson (Leanne Battersby), Jack P. Shepherd (David Platt), Patti Clare (Mary Taylor) and Jimmi Harkinsin (Dev Alahan) for An Audience With Coronation Street on stage at The Lowry in Salford, just across from where the show itself is filmed at MediaCity.

The five sifted through memories of working together on the Street for so long, and then took part in a pub quiz focused on the goings-on in Weatherfield over the last 65 years.

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The evening was hosted by This Morning star Sharon Marshall and members of the audience rose to their feet to welcome Bill to the stage.

During a chat with soaps queen Sharon about his early days on the show, Bill recalled falling out with Pat Phoenix, a fellow original cast member who shot to fame when she took on the part of Street siren Elsie Tanner.

At the time, Ken was married to Valerie Tatlock (Anne Reid), who was killed off in 1971 after being electrocuted by a faulty hairdryer, and an incident occurred when Bill and Pat disagreed over how an intense scene should play out.

He explained: "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."

The pair continued to film scenes together for the programme but did not talk at all off camera, until one day Pat suddenly decided that they were on speaking terms again.

Bill added: "Two years later, we're standing together waiting to film a scene, still not talking and it was her birthday coming up.

She said 'Oh I suppose you'd better come to my party then,' and we became good friends after that!"

Before landing her role as Elsie, Pat had been an actress struggling to make it for several years. Once she had made it, Bill admitted she was one particular member of the cast who enjoyed the 'celebrity' aspect of her job.

Pat initially appeared from the first episode in 1960 and stayed with the programme until 1973. She made a comeback in 1976 and quit again in 1982, just two years before her death at the age of 62.

On screen, she was played by EastEndersactress Jessie Wallace in the 2010 drama The Road to Coronation Street, and Tony Warren, the show's creator, once claimed that Carla Connor (Alison King) is the Elsie Tanner for the current generation.

Earlier this year, Bill was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award at The Entertainment Agents’ Awards, and at the time, claimed that he wants to stay with the cast until he reaches the age of 100.

He explained: "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 - hopefully until I am 100!

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