Soap’s longest-standing actor William Roache has revealed he had a two-year rivalry with a Coronation Street co-star.
The 93-year-old actor, who has played Ken Barlow on the ITV soap since its 1960 debut, said that he clashed with Pat Phoenix, who played legendary character Elsie Tanner.
Phoenix was also an original cast member, appearing from 1960 to 1973 before returning for an eight-year stint in 1976 – but for two of those years, she didn’t see eye to eye with Roache.
Roache said hostilities started over a scene in which Barlow told Tanner off for saying something unkind to his wife, Valerie Tatlock (played by Anne Reid).
The actor claimed that Phoenix disagreed with how the scene played out, telling the director: “I don’t think she’d take this from this young man.’” Roache said he found this unprofessional.
“She said she wanted to do something in the end, and the director said, ‘Yes, Pat, anything you want,’” Roache said on a panel with several co-stars, including Jane Danson (who plays Leanne Battersby), Jack P Shepherd (David Platt) and Jimmi Harkishin (Dev Alahan).
“Pat asked me to pause and [suggested her character should] throw an ashtray at me. I said, ‘No, Pat, you know what you’ve done here, and as far as I’m concerned, it’s unprofessional.’ We didn’t talk for two years.”
They shared many scenes together, but did not talk when the cameras stopped rolling, until she invited him to her birthday party out of the blue.
“Two years later, we’re standing together waiting to film a scene, still not talking, and it was her birthday coming up. She said, ‘Oh I suppose you’d better come to my party then,’ and we became good friends after that.”
Phoenix’s role as reckless divorcée Elsie led to her being considered one of TV’s first sex symbols. Her character left the cobbles for Portugal in 1983 and it was revealed Elsie had died in an offscreen car crash in 2004.
Away from Corrie, Phoenix starred in British film The L-Shaped Room (1962) and one-act TV play Hidden Talents in 1986 – the same year she died of lung cancer, aged 62.
Phoenix kept her diagnosis secret from her acting boyfriend Anthony Booth – Tony Blair’s future father-in-law – but when she was given just weeks to live, Phoenix told Booth and they married eight days before her death.
Coronation Street celebrates its 65th anniversary on 9 December, which also marks Roache’s 65th year on the soap. He has appeared on the series continuously without taking any breaks, making him the longest-serving actor in soap history. He said he wants to keep playing Barlow until he is 100.
Roache reportedly earns more than £250,000 per year for his role, which would make him one of the highest-paid cast members. However, in 2024, he filed for bankruptcy after having a petition filed against him by HMRC.
A spokesperson for Coronation Street told The Independent: “We’re really sorry to hear of Bill’s financial situation. Bill has an ongoing contract with Coronation Street and remains a much-loved member of the cast.”
The actor received an OBE from King Charles in 2022 for services to drama and charity. At the time, he said: “I’m delighted to be receiving an OBE as it’s such a wonderful honour. I can’t tell you how proud I am.
“Coronation Street has given me so much in life and I absolutely love the programme and everyone who works on the show.”
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