William Roache

William Patrick Roache OBE (born 25 April 1932) is an English actor. He is best known for portraying the role of Ken Barlow in the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street since its first episode on 9 December 1960.

William Roache OBE
Roache in December 2012
Born	William Patrick Roache (1932-04-25) 25 April 1932 (age 93) Basford, Nottinghamshire, England, UK
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1958–present
Spouse(s)	Anna Cropper ​ (m. 1961⁠–⁠1974)​ (divorced) Sarah Mottram ​ (m. 1978⁠–⁠2009)​ (her death)
Partner	Emma Jesson (2010–2012)[1]
Children	Linus Roache (born 1964) Vanya Roache (1967–2018) Verity Roache (born 1981) Edwina Roache (deceased) James Roache (born 1985)

Early life

Roache was born in Basford, Nottinghamshire. He grew up in Ilkeston, Derbyshire.

Career

Roache played the leading role in a Granada Television play called Marking Time. It was shown on ITV in 1961. In a 2007 interview, Roache said, "Tony Warren, who created Coronation Street, saw it and thought I was right for Ken Barlow." In 2008, Roache's autobiography Soul on the Street was published.

Personal life

Roache lives in Wilmslow, Cheshire. He supports the Conservative Party.^[2]

Sex crime charges

On 1 May 2013, Roache was arrested at his home on suspicion of raping a 15-year-old girl in the 1960s.^[3][4]