Corrie legend Bill Roache to be reunited with on-screen wife Anne Reid more than fifty years after she was killed off

Coronation-Street-legend-Bill-Roache

Bill Roache and Anne Reid embrace in ITV documentary Happy Birthday Bill Credit: ITV

Coronation Street legend Bill Roache is reunited with former screen wife Anne Reid for an ITV documentary.

Happy Birthday Bill celebrates Bill’s 90th birthday and sees the star get back together with Anne, who played his first wife Valerie, The Mirror reports on Monday, April 18.

The new ITV documentary celebrates Bill’s birthday and his record-breaking stint on the Cobbles.

And in the tribute show Bill, who plays Ken Barlow, will get back together with Anne, who played his first wife Valerie before her untimely demise in 1971 at the hands of a faulty hairdryer.

Bill says he has also discovered that Anne had a secret crush on him during her eight-year stint on the soap.

Ken’s first wife Valerie was mother to his twin sons Peter and Susan, but she was tragically killed after electrocuting herself on a faulty hairdryer, in scenes watched by nearly 19 million viewers.

Asked what was the highlight of the new doc, Bill told The Mirror: “Without a doubt meeting up with Anne Reid again after all those years. She played my wife in Coronation Street for eight years and I was very sad when she chose to leave.

“When Valerie died she was due to meet Ken at the Rovers so when she walked through the doors finally 52 years later it was a lovely moment, we both just started laughing.

“It was beautiful to see her again, to me she looks no different,” Bill said.

Bill revealed that Anne, at their reunion, said she had a thing for him.

“She told me that she used to dream about me and I laughed and said don’t you mean nightmares? And then she told me that she had a crush on me, but she never told me at the time!,” Bill added.

Happy Birthday Bill airs on Tuesday at 8pm UK time on ITV. Coronation Street airs on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 8pm UK time.


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Written by

Fergal MacErlean

Originally from Dublin, Fergal is based on the eastern Costa del Sol and is a web reporter for The Euro Weekly News covering international and Spanish national news. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com.

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