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