Corrie's Bill Roache says he 'couldn't help' but fancy the Queen when they first met

Bill Roache has reiterated that he fancied the Queen when the pair met for the first time almost seven decades ago, with him asserting that she was "very attractive".

The actor, 90, - best known as Ken Barlow on Coronation Street - has previously spoken about first meeting the monarch, 96, but revealed more about it recently.

He explained that his first interaction with the Queen had been during his time in the army, when he was stationed in Jamaica with the Royal Welsh Fusiliers in the mid 1950s.

It was shortly after her Coronation in 1953, with him meeting the monarch on her tour of the Caribbean - describing her as "very attractive" when he met her with army colleagues.

Bill Roache, pictured with the Queen in 2002, first met the monarch when they were in their twenties (Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)

He discussed the experience with Denise Welch, 64, for a segment that aired on Loose Women earlier, with her asking if he had a "little twinkle" for the monarch.

Bill - who said he was about 23 at the time, meaning she would have been around 29 - responded: "Oh definitely, you couldn't help [it]. She was very attractive, she was lovely."

Further describing her, he said she was "very young, very alive, very alert and very attractive," recalling that he met her for lunch at a governor's house whilst stationed abroad.

He recalled their first interaction on Loose Women this week (ITV)

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Bill said he spoke with her in a small group, stating that the army officers talked to her about their regimental goat, with the Queen "very interested" by the conversation.

The actor has met the monarch on numerous occasions since, estimating that it's been "about eight times" over the years - with him further commenting about her personality.

Bill has met the Queen 'about eight times,' including on her visit to the Corrie set last year (Getty Images)

He said that she is "always lovely" and "always wanting to laugh," adding that she's "very alert" even now, with her having visited the Coronation Street set last summer.

And discussing the Queen and her late husband Prince Philip, he remarked: "They were always lovely because they enjoy what they do. They take an interest in it."

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