Coronation Street legend Bill Roache facing bankruptcy hell at age of 91 as he’s hauled to court over mystery tax debt
CORONATION Street legend Bill Roache is facing bankruptcy for a second time.
The 91-year-old, who has played Ken Barlow in Corrie since 1960, has been formally petitioned over tax arrears by HMRC.
A spokesperson for the soap said last night: “We’re 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 lodged against the father-of-five, who was previously made 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” with HMRC as “the petitioner”.
“William Patrick Roache” is also declared a “litigant in person”, indicating he will conduct his own defence unless he appoints a lawyer or declines to challenge the bankruptcy.
We’re really sorry to hear of Bill’s financial situation.
Spokesperson
Details of the cause of the tax debt remained confidential.
But Roache is known to be among 288 high-earners who invested an average £1.75million each in an off-shore firm deemed a “tax-avoidance arrangement”.
Roache’s financial woes date back to 1991 when he won a libel action after The Sun described him as “boring”.
He was awarded £50,000 in damages after turning down the same amount in an out-of-court settlement – and had to pay £120,000 costs.
The actor then spent more money suing his lawyers – and lost.
He was declared bankrupt in 1999, and two years later his creditors estimated he had unpaid debts of £600,000.
In 2012 he became a “designated member” of Twofold First Services LLP, which was owned by a company registered in the Cayman Islands.
It ran a scheme which involved claiming tax relief from the artificial losses of a land-owning business.
In a landmark victory for HMRC in 2018, a tribunal ruled Twofold was “a tax-avoidance arrangement”.
It was branded “abusive and artificial” by the Treasury and a London court rejected the prospect of further appeals.
It was a fresh blow to the actor, who was mourning the death of daughter Vanya, 50, the previous month.
Roache is the world’s longest-serving soap star, appearing on Corrie’s very first episode more than 63 years ago.
In 2012, he boasted in an interview with Piers Morgan that he had bedded up to 1,000 women, and led to his co-stars nicknaming him “c**k Roache”.
But he said he regretted his infidelity which led to the break-up of his first marriage with Anna Cropper in 1974.
His second wife Sara Mottram died suddenly in 2009.
Roache found love again with weather presenter 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 engage with us to get out of debt.
“We only petition for bankruptcy as a last resort.”
The actor declined to comment.
Loose Women‘s Kaye Adams, 61, won a ten-year tax fight over £124,000 after HMRC conceded defeat.
But she said she was left “utterly horrified” while the case had cost her nearly £300,000 in legal costs.