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Coronation Street legend Bill Roache has opened up about a secret feud with his late co-star Pat Phoenix, revealing that the pair didn’t speak to each other off-camera for two years at the height of the soap’s early success.
Roache, 93, who has played Ken Barlow since Corrie first hit screens in 1960, shared the story during a rare live event, An Audience With Coronation Street, held in Salford alongside several other cast members.
Reflecting on the behind-the-scenes drama, Roache explained that the tension arose during a particularly emotional storyline in 1971, which followed the death of his on-screen wife Valerie Tatlock (played by Anne Reid). Phoenix, who played the fiery Elsie Tanner, had clashed with Roache over how the scene should play out.
“I had a scene where Elsie had said something unkind to my wife, and I told her off,” Roache recalled. “Pat said to the director: ‘I don’t think she’d take this from this young man…’ She said she wanted to do something in the end, and the director said: ‘Yes, Pat, anything you want.’ So Pat asked me to pause, and she’d throw an ashtray at me. I said: ‘No, Pat, you know what you’ve done here, and as far as I’m concerned, it’s unprofessional.’ We didn’t talk for two years.”
Despite continuing to appear alongside one another on screen, the two stars kept their personal interactions to a minimum for an astonishingly long period, even as their characters frequently shared scenes in Weatherfield.
Eventually, it was Phoenix herself who broke the ice, according to Roache. “Two years later, we’re standing together waiting to film a scene, still not talking, and it was her birthday coming up. She said, ‘Oh I suppose you’d better come to my party then,’ and we became good friends after that!” he revealed.
Reflecting on his clash with the late Pat Phoenix, who portrayed Elsie Tanner (pictured with Jim Sedgewick), he revealed they fell out during a 1971 scene depicting the death of his on-screen wife, Valerie Tatlock (Anne Reid).
The anecdote sheds new light on the personalities behind the long-running soap. Phoenix, who starred in Corrie from its first episode in 1960 until 1984, was widely regarded as one of the most glamorous and outspoken stars of her era, while Roache is celebrated as the world’s longest-serving television actor in a continuous role.
Fans attending the Salford event described the story as a fascinating glimpse into the pressures and personalities that shaped Coronation Street during its formative years. While the show has always been known for its compelling storylines, it’s clear that the off-screen dynamics were sometimes just as dramatic.
Bill Roache’s recollection not only highlighted the tension but also the eventual warmth between the two stars, reminding audiences of the strong bonds that ultimately held the Corrie family together despite clashes along the way.
Phoenix sadly passed away in 1986 at the age of 62, but her character Elsie Tanner remains one of the most iconic figures in soap history. Roache’s candid story has reignited interest in the early years of Coronation Street, showing that even legends of the small screen weren’t immune to personal disagreements.
