Bill Roache has opened-up about his Coronation Street character Ken Barlow's stroke on the hugely popular UK soap opera and said he feared it could mean the end of the road for the much-loved character.
The soap started a huge new storyline for Ken Barlow on Monday night as he suffered a stroke following a furious row with his son Peter.
The alcoholic former bookmaker arrived back in Weatherfield after a year-long absence just before his dad was set to leave on a once in a lifetime holiday to Italy.
TONIGHT at 7.30 & 8.30pm
— Coronation Street (@itvcorrie) October 17, 2016
Surprise! 😎 #Corrie #PeterBarlowsBack pic.twitter.com/mXY2DYdGtk
As Corrie's longest-serving cast member Bill Roache talked about his reaction to the shocking development and what's next for his legendary character.
Roache said he was keen to ask what was the possibility of Ken Barlow making a full recovery. After all, it could be an opportunity to limit his screen time or even write the legendary character out of the show.
"When I first heard about it, of course I was a bit paranoid," he revealed. "The first thing I said was: 'Do I get better?'
"When I asked Pippa [the head of strokes in NW England] about the recovery, she explained that it can be very severe but recovered in days, weeks, months or not at all," he says. "So that left it wide open for the writers to do it.
Happier times as Bill Roache and the Corrie crew celebrate his 80th birthday in 2012
Roache also revealed that he wanted to make sure that the storyline would be medically accurate.
"I wanted to know about the onset and she said it's rapid. I'd already worked out a way that I hoped I could speak. As an actor you don't act the deformity, you act trying to speak through it. So I thought I would bite my tongue and Pippa said that was perfect, so I was very happy."
Meanwhile the Barlow dynasty are set to be re-united on Coronation Street as Ken's other son Daniel along with his grandson Adam are also due to return to the famed cobbles next month.
