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Coronation Street legend William Roach has played Ken Barlow since he was just 28 years old and holds the record as the longest-serving actor in a TV soap. Although he doesn’t appear on screen as frequently these days, he’s certainly not going anywhere.

Speaking to the Daily Star, show boss Iain MacLeod made it clear that Ken Barlow will never be written out of the show as long as William Roach is alive and willing to continue. While he admitted that exit storylines have been discussed in the past, he stressed that Roach has been part of Coronation Street since episode one and will always have a place on the cobbles if he wants it.

MacLeod said it would take a very brave producer to make the decision to axe him, describing Roach as an extraordinary performer. Even now, he’s completely on point with his dialogue and remains one of the most professional members of the cast — something no one could really argue with.

He also joked about how, years ago, suggesting Ken’s death became a running gag among the writers. During meetings, someone would mischievously bring up the idea of killing off Ken, which would instantly derail the discussion into heated debate. Eventually, someone would call it off and suggest heading to the pub instead. It became an easy way to bring meetings to an end.

William Roach himself has repeatedly said he has no plans to leave Coronation Street, although he has admitted there were times he considered doing more film work and felt Ken had become a little too nerdy. Last year, he also opened up about having a brief feud with a co-star before the two eventually became close friends.

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