Coronation Street's Bill Roache, 91, charges £20 a ticket to hear him talk about his 'successful life' – as he goes bankrupt for a second time despite Ken Barlow's £250,000-a-year role

Coronation Street star Bill Roache is charging fans £20 a ticket to hear him talk about his 'successful life' as he faces bankruptcy for a second time due to back taxes.

The soap actor, 91, has played Ken Barlow in the ITV soap since 1960 and is currently the highest-paid member of the show's cast, earning around £250,000 a year.

The event will see Bill take to the stage for An Evening With William Roache: The Best Of His Life & Times in Scarborough this summer.

The evening, presented by Stride For Truth, promises to be a 'truly unique and special occasion'.

Also with 'sincere and fascinating stories about his long and successful life'.

The soap actor has played Ken Barlow in the ITV soap since 1960 and is currently the highest-paid member of the show's cast, earning around £250,000 a year (pictured in the show)

Following news of the possible bankruptcy, HMRC said it 'does not comment on individual cases', but a spokesperson said this The mirror: 'We deal with customers with tax debts in a supportive manner and do everything we can to help those who work with us get out of debt, for example by offering repayment plans.

“We only file for bankruptcy as a last resort.”

A spokesperson for Coronation Street told the publication: 'We are really sorry to hear of Bill's financial situation. Bill has an ongoing contract with Coronation Street and remains a much-loved member of the cast.”

Papers were filed against the father-of-five at London's High Court on Tuesday, and details of what caused the tax debt remained confidential.

In the late 1990s, Bill went bankrupt after a libel battle with The Sun for calling him 'boring Ken Barlow'.

He won the case but was judged to have wasted time with the lawsuit and was awarded only £50,000, the amount the newspaper had offered him to settle out of court.

He was left with huge legal bills, which he compounded with the decision to sue his lawyers over the case, leaving him with debts of up to £600,000.

In December last year it was reported that Bill has signed up to star in Coronation Street for another twelve months, marking his 63rd year on the soap.

The evening, presented by Stride For Truth, promises to be a 'truly unique and special occasion'

He holds the world record for longest-serving TV actor in a continuous role and is even listed in the Guinness World Records.

Bill previously said he still wanted to be on the soap at the age of 100.

Last year he told The Mirror: 'Someone said to me, 'Look, Bill, you're in the Guinness Book of Records, you've got the MBE, you've been on Coronation Street for over 60 years, what else is there? over there?'

“I said to him, 'I'd like to be the first centenarian to be cast in an ongoing drama.' That's my goal: to live to be 100 and still work on Coronation Street.'

“As long as they want me and as long as I can do it, I'll keep doing it.”

Bill also said, “People will say, when are you going to retire? Are you going to take a break? But what happens then?

He holds the world record for longest-serving TV actor in a continuing role and is even listed in the Guinness World Records (pictured on soap opera with Anne Reid in 1963)

Last December, Bill was awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE) by King Charles for his services to acting after more than 60 years in Corrie

“As long as I can do it, and as long as they want me, I have no intention of retiring. I am fortunate to work for an organization that is happy to have me.'

Last December, Bill was awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE) by King Charles for his services to acting after more than 60 years with Corrie.

Bill, who was previously awarded an MBE, revealed King Charles' hilarious response, who playfully asked: “You're not still working, are you?”

In May 2022, Bill revealed that he almost quit the soap to pursue his dream of appearing in westerns alongside the likes of Clint Eastwood.

He admitted that he first aspired to be in films when he launched his career as an actor, telling the Sunday People: 'When I started I wanted to be in films, especially westerns.

“There was a time in the middle of my career, when I was in my 40s, when I thought if I was ever going to go out and do something else, now was the time.

“But I was just thinking about it. I've never actually done it. I realized that I am very proud of Coronation Street, and that I am lucky to be a part of it.'