Bill Roache has witnessed the Good, the Bad and the Ugly in 62 years as Corrie’s evergreen Ken Barlow.
Yet he reveals today that his record as the world’s longest-serving soap star could have been shot to pieces had he pursued his dream of starring in the Westerns.
Bill, 90, loved cowboy films and admits he thought of hanging up his TV hat and trying on a stetson alongside the likes of Clint Eastwood, 91.
He would have earned A Fistful of Dollars... but would have been Unforgiven by Corrie watchers.
Thankfully, Bill resisted the temptation, stayed in Weatherfield and has kept soap fans enthralled since appearing alongside crotchety Albert Tatlock in the Street’s first episode back on December 9, 1960.
Bill tells 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.
“The work I got, and the big stories two or three times a year, is absolutely brilliant.
“And the rest of the time it’s been enjoyable. Although I did consider other things, I didn’t seriously consider them. I didn’t do anything about it.
“But it’s not like it’s been one job where you’re in a play in the West End, doing the same thing every night.
“I’ve actually been growing up and growing older.”
Bill is the only original cast member and Corrie is the world’s longest-running drama serial – a fact that fills him with pride and, he says, helps keep him young and vibrant.
He loves the show – and loves talking about it. Bill goes on: “The schedule has changed unbelievably since the first day, when we used to do it live.
“I don’t think we would’ve survived, but now we just go in and just film it. And this is what I like. All the time the story is coming on you and it’s a very rewarding job.
“I’ve been very fortunate to have the continuity of this work. So apart from being taxing or demanding, I would say it’s helped me.
“I would say being in Coronation Street has been like being in a gym mentally, mental exercise, and good company. It’s enhanced me rather than being demanding of me.”
Bill, honoured with an MBE and OBE for services to drama and charity – likes to keep active and has no plans to retire.
“I’m very fortunate in my work and at Coronation Street everybody cares about you,” he continues.
“It’s a happy day to go to work. So I’ve got an extended family – and I’ve got another family in Coronation Street which is very dysfunctional, but they’re very lovely people in real life and I like working with them.
“I’ve never really worked out in that sense, or done bodybuilding either. I like walking a lot. I walk my dogs and walking the dogs is a good thing, and swimming.”
However, things weren’t quite so disciplined back in the day.
Bill – who explains the power of positive thinking in his new book – explains: “In the early days I was drinking a bit too much. Life wasn’t good, my domestic life wasn’t as good as it could be.
“I just knew something was missing, then I started looking around and finding more about life. I also had a great fear of death and so I started to explore life after death.
“It’s an individual journey and only if you go on that journey will you find out about it.
“And I found out some wonderful things that life does go on, that there is a god, a loving god who cares for everybody equally irrespective of who you are.
“Call him the source, or whatever you want to.
"Once I found that I was a truly beautiful human being and I think if you express the love in you and if you’re forgiving, kind and passionate, then you begin to feel these things around you.
“Life becomes better and easier and you get healthier as well.
“I think that is important. Every human being is a beautiful human being. If they don’t appear to be, then what has happened is their ego is allowing them to not be who they are, their bad behaviour, violence, aggression in the world comes about.
“So if people could remember that, if they are an aggressive person, there’s a beautiful soul imprisoned inside and they need more love than anybody.
"And love, I mean love in a big creative sense, is the answer to all problems.
“Everything is made of love.
"Once you know that, I don’t waste time in belief, beliefs change, as you get older and you look back and may say, ‘Oh, my goodness I used to believe that when I was younger’.
“And if you radiate that and express that as a human being, you feel healthier, you feel happier, and everything works out far better.”
On that note, things couldn’t have worked out much better on screen for Bill, who lives in Wilmslow, Cheshire.
As Ken, he has wed four times – to Valerie Tatlock, Janet Reid and twice to Deirdre, after finally fending off love rival Mike Baldwin.
The Ken-Deirdre-Mike love triangle won a number of awards for Bill, Anne Kirkbride and Johnny Briggs.
There have been 27 girlfriends for Ken, including Elaine Perkins, played by a young Joanna Lumley in 1973.
Off screen, former Army captain Bill had five children – two with first wife Anna Cropper, including son Linus, who played David Wellington in Homeland.
Daughter Vanya died at the age of 50. There was more heartbreak for Bill with his second wife Sara Mottram. They had three children in the 1980s – Verity, Edwina and son James. Tragically, Edwina died from pneumonia at just 18 months.
Sara died in 2007 at the age of 58. Bill went on to date weather girl Emma Jesson from 2010-12 – his last-known serious relationship.
Family is the cornerstone of Bill’s life. He says: “I’m very lucky I’ve got a very loving family around me.
“My oldest son, my daughter and my other son, we’re always together and we’re always very happy. There’s always a lot of laughter among us. So, family life is very important.
“My greatest moment has been being present at the birth of my children, which is an amazing experience. It made me look at and appreciate women in general in a much more respectful way.
“I’ve been there when I could on each occasion. It makes me want to cry, but crying in a way because of the beauty of it and the wonder of it.”
Life & Soul: Secrets for Living a Long and Happy Life , William Roache OBE, £12.99, Hay House.
