As you may have seen on the national news last night, Coronation Street star Bill Roache appeared in court yesterday to answer charges relating to allegations that he twice raped a 15-year-old girl.

Bill, who of course plays Corrie icon Ken Barlow – and who recently split from his girlfriend Emma Jesson – signed autographs for fans when he arrived at Preston Magistrates’ Court for the hearing which followed his arrest on May 1.

The Daily Star reports, “The 81-year-old actor, who has played Ken Barlow in the ITV1 soap for 53 years, arrived for the hearing in a chauffeur-driven black Mercedes flanked by two minders… Read more & comment »

In light of the recent arrest of Bill Roache, Coronation Street are said to be faced with a huge re-write as his character, Ken Barlow, was about to be part of what has been described as a huge storyline.

Roache, who has played the ageing lothario since the show first aired back in 1960, was arrested at his Wilmslow, Cheshire home on Wednesday, on two counts of rape of a 15 year old girl in the late 1960′s, and subsequently charged after questioning.
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After this week’s shocking arrest of Coronation Street legend, Bill Roache, the actor has come out to deny the two allegations of rape with a 15 year old girl on the late 1960′s, and vowed to clear his name!

Roache, who has played Street front man Ken Barlow since the hit ITV soap first aired in 1960, was arrested at his Wilmslow, Cheshire home on Wednesday, on two counts of rape, and subsequently charged after questioning.
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After yesterday’s shocking arrest of Coronation Street legend, Bill Roache, it has been reported that he has been charged with two counts of raping a 15 year old girl in 1967.

According to the Sun newspaper Roache, who has played Ken Barlow in the award-winning ITV soap since it first began in 1960, has been released on bail and will be written out of the soap whilst the case is open.

Cast members of Corrie are said to be close to tears at the news.
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Bill Roache has been arrested over claims that he raped a teenage girl more than four decades ago.

The 81 year old Coronation Street star stands accused of assaulting the then 15 year old in 1967, not long after he shot to fame on the ITV soap opera.

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Coronation Street star Bill Roache – who of course plays the role of Ken Barlow – has spoken openly and frequently about his spiritual beliefs, which some find to be rather off the wall…

However, in an interview with TVNZ this week, Bill has sparked outrage by apparently implying that victims of crime or in fact any form of ‘bad’ event in their lives, may have brought it on themselves as a form of karmic payback for transgressions in a previous life.

And though Bill’s philosophy in that regard isn’t new – Buddhists of course believe that we all pay for the sins we committed in previous lives in our next incarnation – his remarks have come at a time when, in the wake of the Jimmy Savile scandal, the issue of sexual abuse and the victims of it is constantly in the headlines… Read more & comment »

As we reported recently, Coronation Street star Bill Roache ended his relationship with Emma Jesson in order to concentrate his energies on developing his “healing powers.”

And today it’s been revealed that Bill, who holds strong spiritual beliefs and is a member of a religious “sect” in Manchester, is to attempt to communicate with his pet dogs via a psychic, which will be televised.

The bizarre event is set to take place on tomorrow’s edition of This Morning, and will see Bill – who of course plays the role of Ken Barlow on Corrie – joined by psychic Jackie Weaver, who Bill’s turned to for years to help him understand his dogs’ thoughts and “how they’re feeling.” Read more & comment »

As we reported recently, 81 year old Coronation Street star Bill Roache ended his romance with TV weathergirl Emma Jesson earlier this year, and has revealed that he’s chosen to become celibate in order to concentrate on developing his “healing powers.”

Bill – who of course plays the role of Ken Barlow on Corrie – said, “I don’t need a sexual relationship any more.

“Things still work, everything works, but I don’t have that need for sex I used to have.

“This is the time when I have to look at the priorities of things. I have the Pure Love message which I am very privileged to be involved in… Read more & comment »

Coronation Street star Bill Roache has reportedly ditched his girlfriend Emma Jesson in order to concentrate on his “spiritual path.”

Of Bill’s decision to end their three-year relationship, Emma – who’s 36 years younger than Bill – told The Sun, “Our relationship in terms of love is definitely finished.

“Bill’s spiritual beliefs became more of a priority last year. He wants that to be his path now and I accept that as he needs to be at peace with himself.

“We always knew 2012 would be a big year for him. Spiritually, it was an evolutionary year and really important to him… Read more & comment »

Coronation Street star Kate Ford, who of course plays Toxic Tracy Luv Barlow, has revealed that she suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder, which is of course better known by its acronym, OCD.

While speaking to the Daily Mirror, Kate confessed, “In my 20s I did have really bad OCD – I’d check things continually.

“I could check the oven 20 times before going to bed and all the sockets had to be turned off.

“It’s like your brain gets stuck in a loop. I do still have a bit of OCD.”

She added, “When I’m in Manchester I do this thing on the phone with Jon every single night, where I go through a check-list of things he needs to do before he goes to bed.

“I say, ‘Have you checked the oven’s off? Have you checked you’ve locked the back door? Is the car locked? Is the intercom on to hear Otis? Is the alarm on?’”

Otis is of course Kate’s young son… Read more & comment »

Coronation Street residents Ken and Deirdre Barlow are both recidivist adulterers who’ve had more affairs than they’ve had hot dinners, so it shouldn’t come as any surprise to Deirdre (Anne Kirkbride) when she once again catches hubby Ken with another woman…

But she is both surprised and shocked when she follows Ken – after suspecting he’s up to something – and sees him paying a visit to his former mistress Wendy Crozier!

Wendy (Roberta Kerr) and Ken (Bill Roache) had an affair over twenty years ago, and since then, Wendy’s been married and widowed but she and Ken renewed their acquaintance as both battled for a place on the Board of Governors of Bessie Street Primary. Though quite why I can’t imagine given that neither have young children. But hey ho.

And Ken of course decided against informing Deirdre that he’d bumped into Wendy again, given that his affair with her ended up with Deirdre divorcing him… Read more & comment »

In my time, I’ve heard many an excuse for why a bloke doesn’t want to settle down, but Coronation Street star Bill Roache – who of course plays Ken Barlow – has managed to put a new spin on those excuses, saying that he needs to be single in order to spread his “message.”

Is that what they’re calling it these days?

However, Bill – who’s dating weather girl Emma Jesson – is actually entirely serious, and has provided the Daily Mirror with a candid interview in which he makes a few more of what some would consider ‘outlandish’ statements about his views on existentialism and the universe in general.

Bill has of course formerly revealed that he believes in an afterlife, and recently, he also claimed that a spirit visited him in his sleep to inform him that in the future, humans would be able to communicate via telepathy.

In today’s interview, he says that he knows his spirit has lived before in a different body, and that when he dies, he’ll go back into the spirit world before being reincarnated, possibly on another planet… Read more & comment »

Coronation Street resident Ken Barlow has, in his time, had more affairs than he’s had hot dinners and one of those illicit dalliances was with Wendy Crozier back in 1989. That affair led to Ken and Deirdre (Anne Kirkbride) divorcing in 1990…

So it’s little surprise then that when Ken (Bill Roache) bumps into Wendy again, he decides it would be for the best if he didn’t mention it to Deirdre!

The reunion of former lovers Ken and Wendy (Roberta Kerr) is prompted after Ken puts himself forward to take up a spot on the board of governors at Bessie Street Primary, where of course Brian Packham (Peter Gunn) is headmaster.

However, though initially nobody else comes forward to contest Ken for the role on the board, a latecomer, Mrs Papadopolous – who may or may not been the wife of the EastEnders’ launderette owner – puts herself in the running at the eleventh hour… Read more & comment »

Digging around in your family’s past can sometimes unearth secrets that are perhaps best kept as just that, and arguably, Coronation Street star Bill Roache – while filming an edition of ancestry show Who Do You Think You Are? – might have preferred not to learn about some of his ancestors and their behaviour…

That’s because Bill discovered that a whole generation of his family was “torn apart” by the spectre of alcohol fuelled domestic violence.

Bill first discovered that his mother Hester was just three months old when her mother sent her to live with an aunt, so as to spare her possible beatings from “horrible” Albert, her father, who was of course Bill’s grandfather.

Of Albert, Bill – who of course plays Ken Barlow – said, “A picture is emerging of a drunken, violent, horrible man… Read more & comment »

There has of course been much ado made about December 12th 2012, when some believe that the planet will undergo some cataclysmic event that could eradicate the human race, or cause some other rather inconvenient occurrence.

And today, the Daily Mirror cites Corrie veteran Bill Roache – who of course plays Ken Barlow – as having revealed that he believes that on that fateful date, we will be “moving into a higher vibration” as the world will “change dramatically.”

The Mirror states, “Asked if he thought the world would end on that date, which the ancient Maya believed marked the end of the world on the calendar, Bill, said no – but added: ‘This will be the Golden Age, when a majority will know they are love and they are spiritual beings’.”

He continued, “The earth will continue to cleanse itself while material and negative things will collapse and cease to be.”

Bill made his remarks while speaking to Silent Voices, a spiritual, paranormal and metaphysical magazine… Read more & comment »