Coronation Street actor Bill Roache has admitted that he never intends to leave the ITV soap.

After the recent death of his wife Sara, many speculated that Bill would want to retire, but the soap veteran claims that nothing could be further from the truth.

“I’ll never quit the show I love. Sara would have wanted me to carry on,” The People quotes Roache as saying. “Apart from my family, Coronation Street has been my life. At my lowest ebb it crossed my mind but I knew I could never walk away.

“Sara always joked that the show was the second woman in our marriage. The cast and crew are like family. I’d stay for another 50 years if I could.”

Roaches former co star Bruce Jones explained: “He said despite the shock of losing Sara so quickly he could never bring himself to walk away. It has left a huge vacuum in his life but knowing he has the support and love of all the cast and crew is a great source of strength.”