What is William Roache?
{{Infobox person | name = William Roache <br/> [[Order of the British Empire|OBE]] | image = File:William Roache Cropped.jpg | caption = Roache in December 2012 | birth_name = William Patrick Roache | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1932|4|25|df=y}} | birth_place = [[Nottinghamshire|Basford, Nottinghamshire]], [[England]], UK | occupation = [[Actor]] | years_active = 1958–present | spouse = {{marriage|[[Anna Cropper]]|1961|1974}}(divorced) <br /> {{marriage|[[Sarah Roache|Sarah Mottram]]|1978|7 February 2009}} <br /> (her death) | partner = Emma Jesson (2010–2012)<ref>{{cite web|author=Published Tuesday, Sep 25 2012, 13:58 BST|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s3/coronation-street/news/a408093/corries-bill-roache-cools-romance-with-weather-girl-emma-jesson.html|title=Corrie's Bill Roache cools romance with weather girl Emma Jesson?|publisher=Digital Spy|date=25 September 2012|accessdate=1 May 2013|archive-date=7 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121007194733/http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s3/coronation-street/news/a408093/corries-bill-roache-cools-romance-with-weather-girl-emma-jesson.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> | children = {{nowrap|[[Linus Roache]] (born 1964) <br /> Vanya Roache (1967–2018) <br/> Verity Roache (born 1981) <br/> Edwina Roache (deceased) <br/> [[James Roache]] (born 1985)}} }} '''William Patrick Roache''' [[Order of the British Empire|<small>OBE</small>]] (born 25 April 1932) is an English actor. He is best known for portraying the role of [[Ken Barlow]] in the [[United Kingdom|British]] [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] [[soap opera]] ''[[Coronation Street]]'' since its first episode on 9 December 1960. ==Early life== Roache was born in [[Nottinghamshire|Basford, Nottinghamshire]]. He grew up in [[Derbyshire|Ilkeston, Derbyshire]]. ==Career== Roache played the leading role in a Granada Television play called ''Marking Time''. It was shown on ITV in 1961. In a 2007