CORONATION Street legend Bill Roache is facing bankruptcy for the second time.
The 91-year-old, who has played Ken Barlow in Corrie since 1960, has been formally petitioned by HMRC for non-payment of tax.
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Rovers comeback veteran Bill Roache is under threat of bankruptcy for the second time Credit: Neil Jones – The Sun
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The 91-year-old has played Ken Barlow in Corrie since 1960. Credit: ITV
A spokesperson for the soap said last night: “We are really sorry to hear about Bill’s financial situation.
“Bill has a permanent contract with Coronation Street and remains a much-loved member of the cast.”
The papers were filed against the father-of-five, who was previously bankrupt in 1999, at London’s High Court on Tuesday.
Roache, who was awarded an MBE in 2001 and an OBE in 2022, is listed under his full name as the “debtor” and HMRC as the “applicant”.
“William Patrick Roache” has also been declared a “litigant in person,” meaning he will conduct his own defense unless he appoints an attorney or declines to contest bankruptcy.
We are really sorry to hear about Bill’s financial situation.
Spokesman Coronation Street
Details about the cause of the tax debt remained secret.
But Roache is known to be among 288 who earned more and invested an average of £1.75m in an off-shore company deemed a “tax avoidance arrangement”.
Roache’s financial problems date back to 1991 when he was sued for defamation after The Sun described him as “boring”.
He was awarded £50,000 in damages after rejecting the same amount in an out-of-court settlement – and had to pay costs of £120,000.
The actor then spent more money suing his lawyers – and lost.
Bankruptcy was declared in 1999, and two years later creditors estimated it had unpaid debts of £600,000.
In 2012, he became a “designated member” of Twofold First Services LLP, which was owned by a company incorporated in the Cayman Islands.
She ran a scheme that involved claiming tax relief from the artificial losses of the company that owned the land.
In a landmark victory for HMRC in 2018, the court ruled that Twofold was a “tax avoidance arrangement”.
The Ministry of Finance called it “offensive and artificial”, and a London court rejected the possibility of further appeals.
It was a new blow for the actor who mourned the death of his daughter Vanja (50) last month.
Roache is the world’s longest-serving soap star, appearing in Corrie’s first episode more than 63 years ago.
In 2012, he boasted in an interview with Piers Morgan that he had slept with up to 1,000 women, earning him the nickname “c**k Roache” from his colleagues.
But he said he regrets his infidelity, which led to the breakup of his first marriage to Anna Cropper in 1974.
His second wife Sara Mottram died suddenly in 2009.
Roache found love again with weather forecaster Emma Jesson, but they split in 2013. His eldest son is actor Linus Roache, 59.
HMRC said: “We take a supportive approach to dealing with customers who have tax debts and do everything we can to help those who work with us get out of debt.
“We seek bankruptcy only as a last resort.”
The actor refused to comment.
Loose Women’s Kaye Adams, 61, won a ten-year tax battle for £124,000 after HMRC admitted defeat.
But she said she was left “absolutely horrified” as the case cost her almost £300,000 in legal fees.
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Patricia Shakesby and Roache in Coronation Street 1960 Credit: Rex Features
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Ken drops to one knee to propose to Deirdre Rachid (Anne Kirkbride) Credit: Rex Features
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