Coronation Street's Bill Roache Says He Thinks Show Has Lost 'Community' Feel

Bill admitted he didn't even know many co-star's names.

‘Coronation Street’ veteran Bill Roache has admitted he feels the soap has lost its sense of “community” in recent years.

Bill - who has played Ken Barlow since the show’s inception in 1960 - has said that as the cast has changed and grown over the years, he now knows only a few of his co-stars personally, and doesn’t think there’s as much of a family spirit on set.

Bill Roache
Bill Roache
PA Wire/PA Images

Speaking on ‘Sunday Brunch’, Bill explained: “When we first started there were only 15 cast members and we were all in every episode. It was a community. Now there are some [cast members] who I hardly know their names.”

He added: “You go in and work with your family and do your scenes and go home. Some of the others, you see them in the green room for a cup of tea and then you don’t see them for weeks.”

The longest-serving ‘Corrie’ actor’s comments echo similar remarks made by fellow soap star Sue Nicholls, best known for her portrayal of Audrey Roberts.

Sue Nicholls
Sue Nicholls
Dave Thompson - PA Images via Getty Images

In an interview with the Daily Star last year, Sue joked: “I seem to know the people at my local Sainsbury’s more than I know half of the new ‘Coronation Street’ cast. What can I say?”

Reminiscing, she added: “Ah, the days of Pat Phoenix. Pat was so easy to work with. And there was Jean Alexander and Betty Driver. It was a lovely time.”

During his interview on ‘Sunday Brunch’, Bill also said that he never considers stepping down from ‘Corrie’, insisting: “It’s a great show and I love it and I’m very fortunate to be in it – and I’m proud to be in it.”

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