Coronation Street star Bill Roache admits he 'fancied' the Queen when they met

Coronation Street fans were stunned to make a 'rare sighting' just minutes into the latest episode on Wednesday night, April 27, Manchester Evening News reports.

CORONATION Street is a family affair both on and off-screen for Bill Roache. The iconic Ken Barlow actor insisted he has no plans to retire after turning 90 this month.

Coronation Street legend William Roache, best known for his role as Ken Barlow on the ITV soap opera, turns 90 years old today (April 25).The ITV icon has been in the show ever since it was first aired on December 9, 1960 - making him the longest-serving television star in a continuous role in TV history, which is even listed in the Guinness World Records.During his six decades on-screen, Bill has had many dramatic and iconic storylines, such as the love triangle between Ken, his wife Deirdre (Anne Kirkbride) and her lover Mike Baldwin (Johnny Briggs).On the show Ken has been married four times to three different women, with his relationship with Deirdre being arguably one of the most iconic in TV history.But it would seem that his life off-air has been every bit as soapworthy as his character, Ken Barlow.From claims that the Casanova has bedded 1,000 women to the racy nickname his fellow Corrie castmates has given him, it's no surprise Bill is said to be a bit of a ladies man. Bill has said on numerous occasions how he would like to be in Coronation Street until he reach 100-years-old, which would make him first centenarian to work on a soap.It comes as a special ITV documentary, called Happy Birthday Bill, has been announced, which will celebrate the record-breaking star's life and career.

Coronation Street icon Bill Roache has celebrated his 90th birthday today. Bill is renowned for being the longest-running soap actor, playing Ken Barlow on the ITV show since it first began in December 1960. In order to mark the impressive milestone, his family have released new portraits of the 90 year old taken by his son Will at their family home in Cheshire.

Coronation Street has been flooded with messages about its legendary star as he marks his 90th birthday. William Roache, who has played Barlow patriarch Ken since the very first episode of the ITV soap, is celebrating the big milestone on Monday (April 25).

Coronation Street icon William Roache turns 90 years old today (April 25). The actor is best known for playing Ken Barlow in the ITV soap opera since it was first broadcast on December 9 1960.He's listed in the Guinness World Records as the longest-serving television star in a continuous role.Bill has been married twice and has had five children, two of them have tragically passed away.He married TV and stage actress Anna Cropper in 1961 but the pair parted divorce in 1974.

Coronation Street star Bill Roache, who plays Ken Barlow, appeared on This Morning and admitted that he has a crush on the Queen whilst fans were shocked at his youthful appearance.The veteran soap actor will turn 90 on 25 April and has played Ken Barlow since the ITV programme kicked off back in 1960. ITV aired a documentary ahead of his monumental birthday titled Happy Birthday Bill, which included Bill himself as he discussed his personal life, career and achievements throughout the six decades he has been on the cobbled streets.Fellow Corrie legend Anne Reid, who played Ken’s first wife Valerie, also appeared in the documentary.

Coronation Street's William Roache - known as Bill - was welcomed onto the This Morning sofa to talk to Phil and Holly about his new book, Life and Soul, and upcoming 90th birthday next Monday. And the soap icon - who has played Weatherfield icon Ken Barlow since the show’s very first episode in December 1960 admitted that despite romances with dozens of women as the bookish on-screen lothario, it’s the Queen he has a crush on in real life, dating back to a meeting in 1953. After discussing his life, work and ways he stays young in outlook as his milestone birthday approaches, Holly Willoughby turned the conversation round to the Queen, who celebrated her 96th birthday this week.

His upcoming big birthday may have been widely publicised on ITV this week but William Roache's youthful appearance is still continuing to stun fans. The Coronation Street actor is just days away from marking his 90th birthday, on April 25.

Coronation Street fans were left in awe on Monday as the ITV soap shared a picture of Bill Roache's "incredible" 90th cake.Taking to Instagram, the ITV soap shared a picture of the Ken Barlow star, whose birthday is on 25 April, posing with his birthday cake, which is a replica of his character on the famous cobbles.The cake sees a fondant version of Ken Barlow sitting outside the Rovers Return Inn complete with the cobbles and a Coronation Street sign. Corrie penned alongside the snap: "Bill turns 90! Join us tonight for a special documentary celebrating the 90th birthday of the man behind Ken Barlow.

Coronation Street fans were left making the same demand after watching one of the show's biggest star's life and career celebrated. Happy Birthday Bill aired on ITV on Tuesday night and paid homage to William Roache ahead of his 90th birthday.

Coronation Street actor Bill Roache has admitted he “really fancied” the Queen when he met her.The star, who is best known for playing Ken Barlow in the soap, also shared how he had gone on to meet the royal eight times over the years. Bill, who is set to turn 90 next week, first met the Queen, 95, during his younger years in the army, before his rise to fame in the ITV series.Speaking about their first encounter in a TV documentary, the actor said: “I’ve met the Queen eight times.”“I first met her when I was 21 and I was in the Army and we had the day with her which was very nice.“I really fancied her! I don’t know if that’s heresy but she was very attractive.”The soap actor spilled all about meeting the Queen in his new ITV documentary, Happy Birthday Bill, which celebrates his ninth decade around the sun. Bill, who will celebrate his birthday on April 25, also has “no intention of retiring”. He explained: “People will say when are you retiring? Are you going to take a break? But then what happens?“Whilst I can do it, and whilst they will have me, I have no intention of retiring. “I am so fortunate to work for an organisation that is happy to have me.”Bill has been a part of Corrie since the series first aired in 1960.His character Ken was involved in some major storylines a couple of years ago when the show celebrated an impressive 60 years of being on our screens. Heartbreaker Ken has notably been married three times, even reuniting with first on-screen wife Valerie Tatlock (Anne Reid) 50 years later, and well after she had left the show. Incredibly, Bill is in the Guinness World Records as the longest-serving television star in a continuous role.A young Bill joined the British Army and was commissioned into the

Coronation Street legend Bill Roache has revealed he "fancied" the Queen when he met her. The soap stalwart has met the monarch eight times over the years and admitted he took rather a shine to her.According to The Sun, he spoke out in Happy Birthday Bill, a new documentary celebrating the actor as he prepares to turn 90.

Coronation Street fans have predicted that Joanna Lumley could return to the cobbles - as a love interest for Ken Barlow. The Ab Fab star actually did a stint in Weatherfield back in the early 70s and her character Elaine was a love interest for Ken (Bill Roache).Joanna popped up in Happy Birthday Bill, ITV's documentary celebrating the actor and his career as he prepares to turn 90.And now fans think she could follow it up with a return to the soap - even considering her incredible Hollywood roots."Wouldn't it be fab if Joanna Lumley came back into #Corrie as Ken's old flame," one person poster on Twitter."Just need Joanna Lumley to return to the Street now...

Coronation Street legend William Roache has reunited with his former on-screen wife as part of a documentary to mark his 90th birthday.The actor has played Weatherfield resident Ken Barlow since the first-ever episode in 1960.Happy Birthday Bill, which airs on ITV tonight (April 19), celebrates Bill reaching the milestone birthday and his record-breaking time on the cobbles.During the show, the soap veteran is reunited with Anne Reid more than 50 years after her exit from Corrie.Anne played Ken’s first wife Valerie, who died after being electrocuted by a faulty hairdryer in 1971.Opening about the highlight of making the documentary, Bill said: "Without a doubt meeting up with Anne Reid again after all those years. "She played my wife in Coronation Street for eight years and I was very sad when she chose to leave.

It's been a staple on the small screen for more than 60 years and was recently visited by the Queen to mark its delayed anniversary but not many will know that Coronation Street almost wasn't called Coronation Street. The ITV soap was first broadcast on December 9, 1960.

He holds the Guinness World Record for being the longest-running TV soap star but does Coronation Street legend William Roache plan to retire any time soon? We wouldn't put any bets on it.

Coronation Street is renowned for its long-standing characters - from Ken Barlow to Rita Tanner. But over the past year, some fresh-faced stars have taken to the cobbles in some of the ITV soap's most hard-hitting storylines to date.

Coronation Street star Millie Gibson showed there was more love off-screen then on it for the actors who play Imran Habeeb and Toyah Battersby. It's been a whirlwind time for the on-screen couple after Toyah was left heartbroken after discovering her fiancé was the father of Abi Franklin's surprise baby.

Coronation Street's former villain Reece Dinsdale has baffled - and delighted - fans by announcing he has returned to the soap. The actor has had to clarify to some, however, that it won't be in an acting role.

He's just days away from celebrating a huge milestone and in celebration, Bill Roache has been reunited with his first on-screen wife. The Coronation Street legend is set to have a programme dedicated to him on Tuesday (April 19) ahead of his 90th birthday on April 25.