Coronation Street star Bill Roach is “not making gradual repayments” of a six-figure debt to the taxman, friends say.
The 91-year-old actor, who has played Ken Barlow in the ITV drama since 1960, signed a deal to clear his £588,015.18 debt in 2018, but has so far only paid £41,666.65.
According to the Mirror, Bill's friends in a spiritual group insist he is “facing bankruptcy” for the second time but is “doing well”.
At Friday night's Stride for Truth group meeting, one member said he was “100% behind” Bill.
The organization, which aims for world peace and enlightenment, meets in a room above a foot clinic in Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester.
Stride for Truth's Facebook page says: “The ultimate vision and plan is true and eternal world peace. A new world order will be established and a new collective consciousness created.
“This new order and new earth will be centered around love. Power will return to the human heart and lies, deceit, greed and evil will no longer flourish. The truth will set us free. Sho.”
Bill, currently the highest paid cast member, earns around £250,000 a year, but says he “owes about £550,000 to the tax office”.
Just weeks after it was revealed he was facing bankruptcy for the second time, The Sun published his six-figure debt.
Bill originally owed £588,015.18 and entered into a deal in 2018 to clear it, but High Court documents obtained by the magazine show he only paid £41,666.65. He says there is no.
He had until last month to pay the full amount of £546,348.53, but the case will now be fought at the High Court in March.
Bill's interest payments amounted to £14,699 and his late payment penalties amounted to more than £8,000, both of which are included in the total.
MailOnline has contacted Bill's representatives for comment.
This comes after HMRC said it “does not comment on individual cases”, but a spokesperson told the Mirror: Get out of debt, including offering installment plans.
“We only file for bankruptcy as a last resort.”
A Coronation Street spokesperson told the magazine: “We are really sorry to hear about 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 in London's High Court on Tuesday, but details of the cause of the tax debt remained confidential.
In the late 1990s, Bill ended up bankrupt after a defamation battle with The Sun, who dubbed him “boring Ken Barlow”.
Although he won the case, he was judged to have wasted court time in the case and received only £50,000, the amount the newspaper offered in settlement.
He was left with huge legal costs, compounded by his decision to sue his solicitor over the matter, leaving him in debt of up to £600,000.
In December last year, it was reported that Bill had signed a contract to appear on Coronation Street for a further 12 months, marking his 63rd year on the show.
The 91-year-old actor has played Ken Barlow on the ITV soap since it debuted in 1960 on a salary of £70 a week.
He holds the world record for television actor for most consecutive roles and is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records.
Bill has previously said that he hopes to remain active even when he is 100 years old.
Last year he told the Mirror: “Someone said to me, 'Look, Bill, you're in the Guinness Book of Records, you've got an MBE, you've been on Coronation Street for over 60 years, what else do you have? 'There?'
“I said to him, 'I want to be the first centenarian to appear in an ongoing drama.'” That's my goal, to still be working on Coronation Street when I'm 100. ”
“I'll keep doing it as long as they need me and as long as I can do it.”
Bill also said, “People will say, when are you going to retire?” Do you want to take a break? But what happens after that?
“As long as I can do that and as long as they get me, I'm not going to retire. I'm very fortunate to work for an organization that has me.”
In December last year, Bill was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by King Charles in recognition of his achievements as an actor, appearing on Corrie for more than 60 years.
Bill, who was previously awarded an MBE, revealed King Charles' hilarious reaction when he playfully asked: “Aren't you working yet?”
In May 2022, Bill revealed that he was about to quit the soap to pursue his dream of starring in a western alongside Clint Eastwood and others.
He admitted that he first wanted to act in a film when he started his acting career, telling the Sunday People: “In his early days he wanted to be in movies, especially Westerns.
“There was a time in my mid-career, in my 40s, when I thought if I was going to go out and do something else, now was the time.
“But I was only thinking about it. I'd never actually done it. I realized I was really proud of Coronation Street, and I'm lucky to be a part of it.”
