Coronation Street’s Bill Roache is reportedly set to get a new on-screen love interest.
Known as one of the cobbles’ biggest lotharios, the 91-year-old soap star has played Ken Barlow for 64 years and has been married three times.
After being single for near a decade following the death of his beloved wife Deirdre in 2015, Bill is set to form a new romance with Helen Lederer.
The Absolutely Fabulous actress, 69, filmed her guest scenes earlier this year and is set to appear on the cobbles next month, according to The Sun.
A TV source told The Sun: ‘Despite being Weatherfield’s oldest resident Ken still has an eye for the ladies and his character is very charming.
Coronation Street ‘s Bill Roache is set to get a new on-screen love interest. The 91-year-old soap star , has played Ken Barlow for 64 years and has been married three times
After being single for near a decade, after his latest marriage to Deirdre ended in a tragic off-screen death in 2015, Bill is set to get the sparks going with Helen Lederer
‘Corrie stars are paid per episode so this storyline will help boost Bill’s earnings.
‘Bosses know what he’s going through and bringing in Helen as Ken’s new love interest will mean more air time, which means more cash.’
MailOnline has approched Bill’s and Coronation Street’s representatives for a comment.
It comes after the actor was given a three month deadline to clear his huge tax debt in order to ‘allow for the sale of property’ on Monday.
William earns a reported £250,000 a year playing Ken Barlow on the long-running soap but has racked up a half-a-million debt to the taxman.
He entered an agreement in 2018 to clear the £588,015.18 bill, but according to reports last month he has only paid £41,666.65 so far.
Bill is looking to sell off some property to clear the debt with The Sun reporting in February a prospective buyer had pulled out of a deal.
The High Court has now given him a 12-week adjournment in order to ‘allow for the sale of property’.
The Absolutely Fabulous actress, 69, filmed her guest scenes earlier this year and is set to appear on the cobbles next month, according to the Sun
It comes after the actor was given a three month deadline to clear his huge tax debt in order to ‘allow for the sale of property’ on Monday
Bill was made an OBE in the Queen’s New Year Honours list in December 2021 for his services to drama and charity
Bill did not appear at a specialist hearing, where lawyers for HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) said the sum the actor owes – which was not disclosed in court – has been reduced due to payments made.
Jacquille Jarrett, for HMRC, said Bill had asked for a 12-week adjournment, which was unopposed, to ‘allow for the sale of property’.
Retired Insolvency and Companies Court judge Stephen Baister granted the adjournment and said Bill’s case will return in June.
‘Splendid,’ Dr Baister said at the end of the hearing, which lasted less than a minute, at the High Court in London.
Bill is best known for his portrayal of Ken Barlow in the ITV soap for more than 60 years after making his debut in its first episode in 1960.
He has wed three times during his sex decades on the show with Deirdre (played by Anne Kirkbride) being the most memorable.
They were first married in 1981 and their relationship was rocky to be say the least.
Shortly after tying the knot for the first time, Deirdre had an affair with Mike Baldwin (played by Johnny Briggs) after she found Ken boring.
And while the relationship miraculously survived, it soon came to a devastating end when after Ken had an affair with his secretary Wendy Cozier (Roberta Kerr) in 1989.
They divorced in the 80s only to remarry in 2005 which tragically ended after her off-screen death in 2015, in the wake of the passing of actress Anne Kirkbride.
Before Deirdre, Ken was briefly married to Janet (Judith Barker) in 1973.
After the death of his first wife, Ken married Janet soon after so that his twins would have a lovely mother.
But, the pair would often not see eye-to-eye, with Janet not keen on having the kids at home and also disappointed by Ken’s lack of ambition.
In 1977, Janet turned up on Ken’s doorstep asking him to take her back but he refused, which led her to taking taking her own life.
Valerie (Anne Reid) was Ken’s first wife and mother to Peter (Chris Gascoyne) and Susan (Joanna Foster).
They got married in 1962 and were smitten until her devastating accidental death in 1971.
Ken then agreed to take a teaching position in Jamaica and the family were preparing to emigrate.
While getting ready for her own going away party, Valerie was electrified by a faulty hairdryer.
Bill, who holds the Guinness World Record for the longest serving TV soap star in the world, was made an OBE in the Queen’s New Year Honours list in December 2021 for his services to drama and charity.
Last month, friends from Bill’s spiritual group claimed he was ‘doing fine’ as he ‘faces bankruptcy’ for a second time, according to The Mirror.
At a Stride for Truth group meeting, one member said they were ‘100% supporting’ Bill.
The organisation, which strives for world peace and enlightenment, meets in a room above a foot clinic in Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester.
Bill, who is now the highest paid member of the cast, earning around £250k a year, ‘owes the taxman nearly £550,000’.
The Sun published his six-figure debt, just weeks after it was revealed he’s facing bankruptcy for a second time.
Bill initially owed £588,015.18 and entered a 2018 agreement to clear it, but the High Court papers obtained by the publication claim he has only paid £41,666.65.
He had until last month to pay the full amount of £546,348.53, and now faces a High Court battle in March.
Bill’s interest payments come to £14,699, while he also faces late-payment fines of more than £8,000, which are both included in the total.
A spokesperson for Coronation Street told the Mirror: ‘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.’
