Coronation Street's Bill Roache Reveals Two-Year Feud with Pat Phoenix

William 'Bill' Roache, the longest-serving actor on Coronation Street who has portrayed Ken Barlow since 1960, revealed he had a two-year feud with co-star Pat Phoenix, who played Elsie Tanner. The dispute arose during a scene involving the death of his on-screen wife, Valerie Tatlock, when Phoenix wanted to change the scene and throw an ashtray at Roache, which he considered unprofessional and refused. Despite sharing many scenes together, they did not speak off-camera for two years until Phoenix invited Roache to her birthday party, leading to the reconciliation and eventual friendship. Roache spoke about this incident during a public event, "An Audience With Coronation Street," alongside other cast members. He also highlighted Phoenix's struggle and eventual success in the entertainment industry. Roache continues to play Ken Barlow and aims to do so until he is 100 years old, celebrating 65 years on the soap in 2025.