Coronation Street responds to Bill Roache bankruptcy filing reports

Coronation Street has responded to reports that Bill Roache has had to file for bankruptcy.

The Mirror has reported that HMRC has filed a petition against the Ken Barlow actor, who is the highest-paid member of the cast, years after he received a bill over investments in a Cayman Islands-based company.

He was previously declared bankrupt over 20 years ago for court costs after suing a newspaper.

A spokesperson for the soap said: "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."

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HMRC stated it does not comment on individual cases, but said: "We take a supportive approach to dealing with customers who have tax debts, and do everything we can to help those who engage with us to get out of debt, such as offering instalment plans.

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"We only petition for bankruptcy as a last resort."

Last year, Roache signed a new contract with the soap, extending his record as the longest-serving performer in a televised soap for another year, for a total of 64 years.

Back in 2022, Roache admitted that he had a period of his life where he didn't want to play Ken anymore.

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"There was a time in the middle of my career, when I was in my 40s, I thought, 'If ever I'm going to get out and do something else, now is the time'," he recalled. "But I only thought about it. I never actually did it. I realised I'm really proud of Coronation Street, lucky to be in it.

"The work I got, and the big stories two or three times a year, is absolutely brilliant. And the rest of the time it's been enjoyable. Although I did consider other things, I didn't seriously consider them. I didn't do anything about it."

Coronation Street airs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm on ITV1 and streams on ITVX.