Bill, who was in Derry yesterday to discuss the serious matter of consumer debt, told the "Journal" that he will play the role of Deirdre's long-suffering husband until he is unable to do so or he is written out of the show.

The 75-year-old, who was one of the show's founding stars 47 years ago, said: "Retiring is definitely not an option. I will end it when I am not able to do the job or I am written out. I love the street and I am very proud of it. I have this wonderfully dysfunctional family - I have a daughter in prison, a son who is a bigamist and mother-in-law like Blanche!"

Bill says it's sometimes hard to believe he's still playing the role of Ken Barlow nearly 50 years on from when the soap first hit our screens on December 9, 1960.

"At the start, no one thought it would run as long as it has" he said. "When I started out there was no such thing as soaps - it was drama serials. We were of that genre.

"It retains some of that style and has that special formula - it is character-based, well written and well acted. I cannot see any reason why it cannot go on forever. It still has that special thing about it."
Bill says the production of the soap, which regularly attracts more than ten million viewers, has changed beyond all recognition from when it was first aired.

"Plot lines are recorded five weeks ahead of what you see and writers write six to seven months ahead. When the series was started, it was filmed as live. It used to go out on a Friday and Monday. When it was recorded, you couldn't stop and start and do retakes. That system of not being able to edit went on for years."

Despite advances in editing, the Derbyshire-born actor says actors on the Manchester-based soap still have their work cut out.

"Filming goes on from eight in the morning to six at night, six days a week. You have your day off on a Saturday. If you are heavily committed you can be in all of those times."

Bill says he has been overwhelmed by the response he has received on the streets of Derry: "The response I have received has been heart warming. The people are unbelievably friendly. I have had taxi drivers shouting out their windows asking how Deirdre is? The profile of Coronation Street here is extraordinarily high. It is a very beautiful city and I have heard very good things about it. I am glad to see that it is thriving."

People and debt

The Derbyshire-born actor, who is a director with debtsolutions.co.uk, was in the city on to promote his firm's new working relationship with Derry financial firm McCambridge Duffy. Bill says that helping people out of debt is something that he holds dear.

"Debt is the single biggest cause of unhappiness and stress in our lives. The majority of people that have debt problems have them not because they are wreckless but because their circumstances change. People think that there is no solution. Every debt does have a solution. You need to go to someone who can look at it. I have always wanted to help people get out of debt and this is a practical and physical way of helping people. The client comes first. Our rates are as low as they can be. Our aim is to help people."