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THE MIRROR
http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/coronation-streets-bill-roache-reveals-9067210
First look at Ken Barlow in hospital after stroke as Coronation Street's Bill Roache reveals what shock storyline means
Bill has played the character of Ken Barlow for 56 years and admits he was shocked when he was told what was going to happen
On Monday night Corrie fans were left devastated as one of their favourite characters was taken seriously ill in a storyline that has shocked audiences.
Now, as the first image of Ken Barlow lying motionless in his hospital bed is released, Bill Roache, who plays the much-loved role of Ken, has spoken out about what the storyline means to him and the future of his character.
Peter Barlow keeps a vigil next to his sick dad, Ken, in hospital in Corrie
And the news he was presented with did nothing to allay his fears – Ken Barlow, the character he has played for the past 56 years, was to suffer a serious stroke.
But, thankfully for Bill, it wasn’t all bad.
Producer Kate Oates told the veteran star that while the stroke was severe, Ken was not being killed off.
Far from it.
In fact, Ken’s stroke is part of a plot which intends to bring the Barlow family back to the fore.
“When I found out about the storyline, I didn’t feel paranoid about my health, but I did feel paranoid about my job,” says Bill.
“The first thing I asked was ‘do I get better?’.”
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Ken collapses in the hallway of number 1 during a big row with his errant son
He does. And 84-year-old Bill reckons Ken will be on the cobbles for many years to come.
“How long do I think I could continue for? It would be good to be the first centenarian actor still in a soap,” he says, not altogether jokingly.
Millions of soap fans watched in horror as Ken collapsed at home just as he was leaving to take the trip to Europe he had always dreamed of.
His stroke came after a row with wayward son Peter, who has returned, penniless, to Weatherfield harbouring a secret.
As the pair clashed, Peter – played by Chris Gascoyne – took the opportunity to tell Ken what a terrible father he’d been over the years.
And those harsh words, however true, may well have been the trigger for the catastrophic event which followed.
Janet Reid when she married Ken Barlow in Corrie
Speaking about filming those difficult scenes, Bill says: “I don’t act, I try to be. So to be having a stroke is not good.
"You set things going in your body, but I do protect myself from that and tell myself I’m just an actor enjoying playing this. To have something positive to do is brilliant.”
Once he understood the plan was for Ken to have a slow recovery, he felt that it could well provide some of his finest moments.
“I’m very much a here and now man and I can honestly tell you that when Kate told me – apart from my paranoia – I was absolutely thrilled.”
His next concern was that, if he was to portray a stroke victim, he wanted it to be authentic.
Stroke expert Pippa Tyrrell, from Manchester University, was drafted in.
“I said the only thing I want is advice to make sure that I was medically correct, and Pippa was wonderful,” says Bill. “I wanted to know about the onset. She said it was rapid.
“We did have some words after the stroke but she said ‘no, you can’t speak’.”
| Period | 18 Oct 2016 |
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Media coverage
Media coverage
Title First look at Ken Barlow in hospital after stroke as Coronation Street's Bill Roache reveals what shock storyline means Date 18/10/16 Persons Philippa Tyrrell
Keywords
- stroke