William Roache says the royal family love Coronation Street
William Roache - who has played Ken Barlow in Coronation Street since 1960 - says the royal family are fans of the hit ITV soap
William Roache says the royal family are fans of Coronation Street.
The 93-year-old actor - who has played Ken Barlow in the hit ITV soap since 1960 - says Queen Camilla, 78, told him that she tunes into the programme when she visited the set as the then-Duchess of Cornwall in 2010.
Appearing in the An Audience With Coronation Street event at The Lowry, Lyric Theatre in Salford, Greater Manchester, on September 20, William said: "The royals are fans of the show.
"I asked if she watched the show, and Camilla said, 'I can tell you that at 7.30pm on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday, the telephone goes off the hook.'
"That is really lovely."
William also revealed that the late Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, easily got "a bit" irritated.
He said: "Prince Philip could be a bit touchy if you were not careful.
"Once I was asked if I would do a four-minute talk for the Queen [Elizabeth] and Prince Philip."
William - who holds the Guinness World Record for the longest-serving soap star - also revealed he temporarily fell out with the late Pat Phoenix, who played Elsie Tanner in Coronation Street from 1960 until 1984, because he refused to let her throw an ashtray at him.
He remembered: "I said, 'As far as I am concerned, it is unprofessional.'
"We didn't talk for two years."
And William revealed that singing legend Sir Cliff Richard, 84, was offended after the late Margot Bryant - who played Minnie Caldwell in the soap from 1960 to 1976 - criticised his weight when the Summer Holiday hitmaker was an extra in an April 1962 episode.
William recalled: "Margot said he was a 'chubby little lad.'
"It made him go on a diet, and he has been on it ever since."
