Coronation Street has had its fair share of fiery bust-ups on screen, but one of the show’s biggest stars has now admitted that the drama once carried on behind the cameras too. William Roache, who’s played Ken Barlow since day one, revealed that he and co-star Pat Phoenix had such a huge fallout that they didn’t speak for two years. So, what sparked it, and how did the two Corrie legends finally bury the hatchet?
Ken’s On-Screen Battles Keep Coming
Ken Barlow has been through the wringer lately. Not long ago, he hired Cassie Plummer to help him around the house, only to discover she was secretly drugging him. The shocking truth only came out when Ken suffered a heart attack, forcing Cassie’s scheme into the open and leaving her out of a job.
And just last week, Ken got dragged into Tracy Barlow’s blackmail drama. Tracy had been threatening Carl Webster over his affair with Abi, determined to use the secret against him. But Carl hit back hard, sending Dylan Wilson to trash the flower shop and then making a chilling threat in front of Ken. The warning was enough to scare Tracy into dropping her plan, showing once again how quickly Ken can find himself right in the middle of the chaos.
Bill Admits to Two Years of Silence
Speaking at ‘An Audience with Coronation Street’ in Salford, Bill admitted that he and Pat Phoenix stopped speaking. Pat apparently felt her character would never take being told off by Ken. And she even suggested Bill should pause his lines so she could threaten him with an ashtray.
Bill told the crowd he refused, saying he thought it was unprofessional, and from that moment the two of them simply didn’t talk. For two whole years, they carried on filming together in silence. But eventually, things softened. Pat casually mentioned her upcoming birthday and invited Bill to her party. He said he was delighted to go, and from then on, they became good friends again.
Corrie’s Past and Its Future Shocks
All these years later, Bill is still on the Street and showing no signs of slowing down. With Coronation Street about to celebrate its 65th anniversary in December, the show is gearing up for some huge drama. Executive producer Iain MacLeod has already warned fans to expect the shocking death of a major character. He’s teased that the “soap gods demand a sacrifice” when there’s a milestone like this.
He promised plenty of twists, trauma, and heartbreak. He also hinted that sometimes it’s the most loved characters who bow out most dramatically. Naturally, fans are wondering whether Ken Barlow could be in danger as the anniversary approaches. Stay tuned to Soap Opera Daily for all the latest Coronation Street news and spoilers.