Coronation Street star Bill Roache is charging fans £20-a-ticket to hear him talk about his ‘successful life’ as he faces bankruptcy for a second time over tax arrears.
The soap actor, 91, has played Ken Barlow on the ITV soap since 1960 and is currently the show’s highest-paid member of the cast earning around £250k a year.
The event will see Bill taking to the stage for An Evening With William Roache: The Best Of His Life & Times in Scarborough this summer.
The evening, hosted by Stride For Truth, promises to be a ‘genuinely unique and special occasion’.
As well featuring ‘heartfelt and fascinating stories about his long and successful life’.
Coronation Street star Bill Roache, 91, is charging fans £20-a-ticket to hear him talk about his ‘successful life’, as he faces bankruptcy for a second time over tax arrears
The soap actor has played Ken Barlow on the ITV soap since 1960 and is currently the show’s highest-paid member of the cast earning around £250k a year (pictured on the show)
Following news of the possible bankruptcy HMRC said it does ‘not comment on individual cases’, but a spokesperson told The Mirror: ‘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.’
A spokesperson for Coronation Street told the publication: ‘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.’
Papers were lodged against the father-of-five at London’s High Court on Tuesday, and details of the cause of the tax debt remained confidential.
At the end of the nineties Bill ended up bankrupt following a libel battle with The Sun for calling him ‘boring Ken Barlow’.
He won the case but was judged to have wasted court time with the law suit and was awarded only £50,000, the amount the paper had offered him to settle out of court.
He was left with huge legal bills which he compounded with the decision to sue his lawyers over the case, landing him in up to £600,000 of debt.
It was reported in December last year that Bill has signed on to star in Coronation Street for another 12 months, marking his 63rd year on the soap.
Bill will be taking to the stage for An Evening With William Roache: The Best Of His Life & Times in Scarborough this summer
The evening, hosted by Stride For Truth, promises to be a ‘genuinely unique and special occasion
He holds the world record for the longest-serving TV actor in a continuous role and is even listed in the Guinness World Records.
Bill previously said he wanted to still be on the soap at 100 years old.
Last year he told The Mirror: ‘Someone said to me, ‘Look, Bill, you’re in the Guinness Book of Records, you’ve got the MBE, you’ve been in Coronation Street for over 60 years, what else is there?’
‘I said to him, ‘I would like to be the first centenarian who is still cast in an ongoing drama’. That’s my aim, to be 100 and still working on Coronation Street.’
‘While they want me and while I can do it I’ll continue to do it.’
Bill has also said: ‘People will say when are you retiring? Are you going to take a break? But then what happens?
He holds the world record for the longest-serving TV actor in a continuous role and is even listed in the Guinness World Records (pictured on soap with Anne Reid in 1963)
Last December, Bill was awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE) by King Charles for his services to acting following more than 60 years on Corrie
‘Whilst I can do it, and whilst they will have me, I have no intention of retiring. I am so fortunate to work for an organisation that is happy to have me.’
Last December, Bill was awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE) by King Charles for his services to acting following more than 60 years on Corrie.
Bill, who was previously awarded an MBE, revealed the hilarious reaction of King Charles, who playfully asked: ‘Not still working are you?’
In May 2022, Bill revealed he nearly quit the soap to pursue his dream of appearing in Westerns alongside the likes of Clint Eastwood .
He admitted he first aspired to star in films when he launched his career as an actor, telling the Sunday People : ‘When I started out I wanted to be in films, particularly I wanted to be in Westerns.
‘There was a time in the middle of my career, when I was in my 40s, I thought if ever I’m going to get out and do something else, now is the time.
‘But I only thought about it. I never actually did it. I realised I’m really proud of Coronation Street, lucky to be in it.’
