Coronation Street‘s 10,000th episode ended in a shock climax as Ken Barlow revealed he’s leaving the cobbles after 60 years – but will remain on the show.
The end of the emotional and hilarious episode on Friday culminated in the long-term resident (played by William Roache, 87) bid farewelll to his home as he made up his mind to move to a retirement complex with girlfriend Claudia Colby.
As he walked his beloved dog Eccles at the end of the night, he fondly said the words: ’80 years too late but finally it’s time to go. Goodbye old friend.’
Leaving: Coronation Street’s 10,000th episode ended in a shock climax as Ken Barlow announced he’s leaving the cobbles after 60 years
The special hour-long episode aired on Friday 7th February and saw many of the show favourites join Rita Tanner (Barbara Knox) on a trip to Blackpool to scatter the ashes of her late husband Dennis Tanner.
And while on the road in a fun-filled party bus driven by Early Doors actor John Henshaw, several of the residents took a trip down memory lane as they reflected on the past.
However, the flashback to the past saw Ken lament his own life as he realised he’d never gone further than the street.
Speaking with his good friends Rita and Audrey Roberts (Sue Nicholls), he moaned: ‘I had such dreams when I was a young lad, like George Bailey in It’s A Wonderful Life. When I was a young man, all I wanted to do was travel.
Goodbye Ken: The end of the emotional and hilarious episode culminated in the long-term resident (played by William Roache) bid farewelll to his home as he made up his mind to move to a retirement villgea with girlfriend Claudia Colby
Emotional: The special one hour-long episode saw residents including Rita Tanner (Barbara Knox) take a trip down memory lane as they reflected on the past
‘I was born at Number 3 Coronation Street, and the furthest I’ve got is next door.’
He also showed his pals a brochure of the retirement village he and Claudia had been discussing, with a shocked Rita exclaiming: ‘You’re not seriously think about this surely.’
However, he clearly was as at the end of the episode, he seemed to have made his mind up about saying goodbye to his beloved home for good.
Memories: while on the road in a fun-filled party bus driven by Early Doors actor John Henshaw, several of the residents took a trip down memory lane as they reflected on the past
Regrets? However, the flashback to the past saw Ken lament his own life as he realised he’d never gone further than the street
As he walked dog Eccles, he meaningfully looked up and remarked: ’80 years too late but finally it’s time to go. Goodbye old friend.’
Viewers were quick to comment on the shocking turn of events, with several remarking on their upset that the iconic character is departing the street.
‘So Ken’s leaving @itvcorrie Awwwwww. Longest serving cast member. You will be missed #kenbarlow #CoronationStreet’ commented one viewer.
While another remarked: ‘Well! What with the @Schofe making his announcement and now #KenBarlow leaving, it certainly has been a different Friday than usual. #corrie.’
Sad: Speaking with his good friends Rita and Audrey Roberts (Sue Nicholls), he moaned: ‘I had such dreams when I was a young lad, like George Bailey in It’s A Wonderful Life. When I was a young man, all I wanted to do was travel’
Not gone far: ‘I was born at Number 3 Coronation Street, and the furthest I’ve got is next door’
Moving on: However, he clearly was as at the end of the episode, he seemed to have made his mind up about saying goodbye to his beloved home for good
A third said: ‘Noooo Ken Barlow cannot leave @itvcorrie that’s like David Attenborough not doing nature programmes anymore!!!’
A fourth remarked: ‘That was a wonderful trip down memory lane tonight in #Corrie and the old timers – Barbara Knox and Bill Roache – gave fantastically moving performances. But surely Ken can’t leave?!’
‘Wait…WHY has ken left?!?!?!?!?! NO’ exclaimed a fith upset soap watcher,
While another added: ‘Ken’s NOT seriously gona leave the street after 60 years is he?’
However, actor Bill later revealed that while Ken would be moving away from Coronation Street, the character will still appear in the ITV soap.
Gutted: Viewers were quick to comment on the shocking turn of events, with several remarking on their upset that the iconic character is departing the street
He said: ‘This is a big decision for Ken, but in some ways he thinks it is now or never. He has lived on the same street his whole life and in the same house for most of it.
‘He feels that he had a chance to move away with Martha on the barge but he let her go. Part of him regretted that.
‘He doesn’t want to make the same mistake again and Claudia is very persuasive. Filming that final scene of the episode was very poignant, just Ken and Eccles and the cobbles.’
The veteran actor then went on to reveal that Ken breaks the news to his family next week, with children Tracy and Peter squabbling over who gets his house.
Not gone for good: However, actor Bill later revealed that while Ken would be moving away from Coronation Street, the character will still appear in the ITV soap
Fresh start: He doesn’t want to make the same mistake again and Claudia is very persuasive. Filming that final scene of the episode was very poignant, just Ken and Eccles and the cobbles’
He added that the cast have ‘have already started filming at the retirement complex’, adding that he’s ‘enjoying’ the filming, but it ‘feels different’ to shoot scenes away from the iconic cobbles.
The star went on to say that it ‘seems fitting’ that Ken made this momentous decision in the 10,000th episode, but it will be ‘strange’ no longer filming at Number 1.
Upcoming episodes will seen Ken despair over his warring family as he stands firm about beginning a peaceful life at Still Waters with Claudia.
However, his time is far from peaceful as he soon bumps into old pal Norris Cole and his partner Freda, while he soon locks horns with fellow resident Charles (Michael Elwyn).
Will Ken and Claudia be able to enjoy their new lives? Or will they bsoon come running back to the cobbles?
Actor Bill recently discussed reaching the huge episode milestone as he said: ‘10,000 episodes – who would have believed that? Nobody when it started.
‘If they’d offered me a 60-year contract back then, I probably would have run a mile at the time.’
Scenes to come: He added that the cast have ‘have already started filming at the retirement complex’, adding that he’s ‘enjoying’ the filming, but it ‘feels different’ to shoot scenes away from the iconic cobbles
Roache, who won the British Soap Awards Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999, was 28 when he first played Barlow, then an 18-year-old student. He was introduced as the educated son of a working-class family.
His storylines have been dominated by his many love interests.
Barlow has been married four times: to Valerie Tatlock, Janet Reid and twice to Deirdre Hunt.
He also has four children by three women, two from affairs. His daughter Susan was killed off in 2001.
Early days: The 87-year-old actor’s character Ken has had a turbulent time on the show, enduring failed relationships, scheming step-children and even being held at gunpoint (pictured 1961)
1960: Roache, who won the British Soap Awards Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999, was 28 when he first played Barlow, then an 18-year-old student (above with Frank Pemberton)
One of his biggest storylines was when he found out that Deirdre had been having an affair with factory owner Mike Baldwin. It was reported that 20million people tuned in to watch his discovery of the affair.
Coronation Street producer Iain MacLeod said: ‘10,000 episodes! Not bad for a programme which one newspaper said in 1960 was “doomed from the outset”.’
‘I am first and foremost a massive fan of the show and I watched this landmark episode with absolute glee. It is uniquely Corrie: funny, poignant and characterful – and a glorious homage to the comedic charabanc trips of times past, packed with strong female characters and sparkling dialogue.’
He added: ‘It’s a really great exhibition of Coronation Street’s classic qualities as we start a new decade on the cobbles.’
Legend: His storylines have been dominated by his many love interests. Barlow has been married four times: to Valerie Tatlock, Janet Reid and twice to Deirdre Hunt (Anne Kirkbride – above in 2006)
Explosive: One of his biggest storylines was when he found out that Deirdre had been having an affair with factory owner Mike Baldwin
