Innocent Bill Roache ‘was father figure to us all’

ASKED in court what word she would use to describe William Roache, his on-screen wife replied: “Lovely.”
Coronation Street star Bill RoacheCoronation Street star Bill Roache
Coronation Street star Bill Roache

Anne Kirkbride, who plays Deidre Barlow, entered the witness box at the sex abuse trial of her fellow Coronation Street veteran to testify to his good character.

She was followed at Preston Crown Court by co-stars Helen Worth, who plays Gail McIntyre, and Chris Gascoyne, who is Roache’s on-screen son, Peter.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Roache, 81, was the caring and kind “father figure” and “elder statesman” of the show, who looked after younger members of the cast, the jury were told.

Coronation Street star Bill RoacheCoronation Street star Bill Roache
Coronation Street star Bill Roache

Ms Kirkbride, 59, said she had never seen anything worrying about Roache’s behaviour on set with young women from when she joined the show in about 1972.

Louise Blackwell QC, defending, asked the witness how she felt on joining Coronation Street.

She replied: “I was terrified for my first day. Very nervous going. It was a completely new situation. I didn’t know anybody. I very quickly got to know people and it became easier.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Asked what she thought of Roache on meeting him, she said: “He was friendly. I remember the first time I spoke to him was outside a lift and we had a really nice chat and he offered me a cigarette.

“We shared a lot of the same interests in spiritual things. I just found him very easy to talk to.”

Miss Blackwell asked her: “At that time, if you had one word to describe Mr Roache what would it be?”

She replied: “Lovely.”

Ms Kirkbride, went on: “He was always very helpful. Just very supportive and he made me feel comfortable and at ease in a place where I felt nervous.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Miss Blackwell asked: “Your contact with him in terms of a man and woman together, how did he behave?”

Ms Kirkbride said: “Impeccably. Perfectly. He was always a perfect gentleman.”

The barrister asked: “When you first joined was there anything about his behaviour towards young women which was worrying?”

“Not at all,” said the actress. “No, never.”

Miss Blackwell said: “Over the years have you have seen him in the company of young actor members?”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Ms Kirkbride said: “He has obviously been in the company of younger cast members on a work basis.

“We have had several young actresses play the part of our daughter.

“He has never been anything other than helpful and supportive. There was never a hint or suggestion of anything else in all the years that I have known him.”

Ms Worth, 63, told the jury she joined the show in 1974, aged 23.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

She said she was “extremely nervous” when joining the show “as any young actor is to this day” but she was soon made to feel welcome.

“But Bill perhaps was caring more and welcoming to me then,” she added, “And has been to every new member of the cast since.”

Miss Blackwell asked her how Roache behaved among the cast.

She replied: “He had been there longer than anyone else. We looked up to him. He was a father figure. An elder statesman.”

The barrister asked: “During the time that you worked with him, how would you describe his character, particularly in reference to young women?”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Ms Worth said: “He was caring. Never anything more. Just caring. What more can a man be? He was lovely.”

Miss Blackwell said to her: “Did you see him in the company of young female cast members?”

“Yes, of course,” she said. “I never saw anything that was untoward whatsoever in 40 years.”

Mr Gascoyne, 45, said he joined the show in 2000 and said it had “been a joy to be with Bill”.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Miss Blackwell asked: “Have you been able to assess his character while working alongside him? How would you describe it?”

Mr Gascoyne replied: “Kind, warm, open, good sense of humour. Professional.”

“Have you ever had to ask for advice from anybody about Coronation Street?” Miss Blackwell asked.

“Yes,” he replied.

“Who would you go to?”

“Bill,” he said.

“And how was he?”

“Oh, he’s fantastic, yes, always had time.”

She continued: “How did he present to the other cast members in terms of being a star?”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Mr Gascoyne said: “Well, Bill kind of sets the precedent for everybody, decent to everybody, kind to everybody and not a star.”

“Is there anything you have ever seen about his character that would give you cause for concern about his contact with young women?” Miss Blackwell asked.

“No,” Mr Gascoyne replied.

The defendant waved and smiled from the dock as his ITV colleagues left the courtroom after giving evidence.

Prosecutor Anne Whyte QC later pointed out the three colleagues were talking about the defendant in a period which post-dated the allegations.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

By the time they knew him he was settled with his second wife, Sara, after the turbulent marriage to his first wife Anna, in the 1960s, during which he admitted a number of affairs.