Fifty Fascinating Years
‘ONE thing we can say without fear of contradiction is that William Roache, aka Coronation Streets Ken Barlow, is not boring.
| ”Things get interesting on the Street” |
It is indeed hard to imagine a man for whom the word boring is less appropriate – as Hello! so ably demonstrates with a look back on his 50 years in showbusiness.
The occasion is a testimonial dinner at the Dorchester Hotel in London, during the course of which we learn many interesting nay, fascinating facts about Mr Roache.
We learn, for instance, that he is in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest serving actor in a television serial as they call soaps these days.
We are reminded that during the 44 years he has spent in Weatherfield, he has had 23 girlfriends and three wives (all of whom are now ex-wives).
And we discover that in real life he has had two wives (only one of whom is an ex-wife) and four children, the youngest of whom William Jnr wants to become an actor like his dad.
But William Snr is so much more than a collection of (albeit riveting) facts.
Both his parents were doctors and he wants to give something back beyond the millions of TV viewers whose lives he had enriched and the libel lawyers whose pockets he has lined.
And so he gives talks about philosophy recently to a group of families of bereaved children and also to spiritual groups which he hopes are helpful and healing to people.
Oh, and hes a friend of disgraced Tory MP Neil Hamilton or perhaps he used to be a friend because theres no sign of Neil or his charming wife Christina at his testimonial dinner.
Which is in itself very interesting…’
Posted: 27th, October 2004 | In: Reviews Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
