Coronation Street casts Absolutely Fabulous’ Helen Lederer, 69, as Ken Barlow’s new love interest as the 91-year-old takes up speed dating

Coronation Street has cast Absolutely Fabulous actress Helen Lederer in a guest role as the love interest of the show’s oldest character, Ken Barlow.

Known as once the greatest lothario (Bill Roache) and desperate to prove he can still conquer the ladies at the age of 91, Ken takes up speed dating.

After being single for almost a decade following the death of his beloved wife Deirdre in 2015, he catches the eye of fellow dater Elspeth (played by comedian Helen, 69).

Ken attends the speed dating event with ex-son-in-law Steve McDonald (Simon Gregson) and leaves the taxi company owner devastated when, despite his advanced age, he manages to outdo him in the romance department.

Speaking about the role, Helen, who will be released on Wednesday, March 27, described her character as ‘progressive and sassy’.

She also admitted that one of the biggest benefits of playing the role was the opportunity to act opposite Bill, who has appeared on the soap since the first episode in 1960.

Saying: ‘I had met him once before when I was sitting next to him at an event and I thought what a lovely man he was and so handsome. So it was a joy for me to be offered this short role.”

And despite only appearing briefly, Helen teased that Ken had taken Elspeth’s number during their scenes and that she could very well return to the soap if he called.

As well as playing Catriona in Ab Fab, the actress has also appeared in Hollyoaks, Celebrity Big Brother and Agatha Christie’s Marple.

It comes after the actor was given a three-month deadline to pay off his huge tax debt, making ‘property sales’ possible on Monday.

William reportedly earns £250,000 a year playing Ken Barlow in the long-running soap, but has racked up half a million in debt to the tax authorities.

He struck a deal to settle the £588,015.18 bill in 2018, but according to reports last month he has only paid £41,666.65 so far.

Bill wants to sell some property to pay off debts The sun reported in February that a potential buyer had pulled out of a deal.

The High Court has now granted him a twelve-week extension to ‘enable the sale of property’.

Bill failed to appear at a specialist hearing, where HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) lawyers said the amount the actor owes – which was not disclosed in court – has been reduced as a result of payments made.

Jacquille Jarrett, for HMRC, said Bill had requested a twelve-week adjournment, which was unopposed, to ‘allow the sale of property’.

Retired Insolvency and Companies Court judge Stephen Baister approved the adjournment and said Bill’s case will return in June.

“Wonderful,” Dr Baister said at the end of the hearing, which lasted less than a minute, at the High Court in London.

Bill is best known for his portrayal of Ken Barlow in the ITV soap for more than 60 years after making his debut in the first episode in 1960.

He has been married three times during his sex decades on the show, with Deirdre (Anne Kirbride) being the most memorable.

They first married in 1981 and their relationship was rocky, to say the least.

Shortly after first tying the knot, Deirdre had an affair with Mike Baldwin (played by Johnny Briggs) after finding Ken boring.

And although the relationship miraculously survived, it soon came to a devastating end when Ken had an affair with his secretary Wendy Cozier (Roberta Kerr) in 1989.

They divorced in the 1980s but remarried in 2005, which ended tragically after her off-screen death in 2015, in the wake of actress Anne Kirkbride’s death.

Before Deirdre, Ken was briefly married to Janet (Judith Barker) in 1973.

After the death of his first wife, Ken married Janet shortly thereafter so that his twins would have a loving mother.

But the pair were often at odds, with Janet not keen on having the children at home and also disappointed by Ken’s lack of ambition.

In 1977, Janet showed up on Ken’s doorstep and asked him to take her back, but he refused, leading to her committing suicide.

Valerie (Anne Reid) was Ken’s first wife and mother of Peter (Chris Gascoyne) and Susan (Joanna Foster).

They married in 1962 and were in love until her devastating accidental death in 1971.

Ken then agreed to teach in Jamaica and the family prepared to emigrate.

While getting ready for her own going away party, Valerie was electrified by a faulty hairdryer.

Bill, who holds the Guinness World Record for the world’s longest-serving TV soap star, was inducted into the Queen’s New Year Honors list in December 2021 for his services to drama and charity.