Coronation Street icon Bill Roache’s unusual beliefs – from telepathy to negative energy

He is best known as the ever-present fixture Ken Barlow on the beloved soap Coronation Street.

Over the past six decades, actor William ‘Bill’ Roache has found himself at the heart of some of the ITV show’s biggest storylines. From heartwarming romances and shocking affairs to being involved in the Barlow family drama, it’s been anything but easy for Ken.

The actor made his debut in the now infamous role when he was only 28 years old and has continued to be a Weatherfield staple. Along with being given a Guinness World Record holder for the longest- serving television star in a continuous role, his career was also recognised by royalty.

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In 2022, he was awarded an OBE by King Charles for his services to drama and charity. Although, it seems as though there are some aspects of Bill’s interesting life that could have found a home in the explosive soap.

Back in 2011, the TV favourite opened up about his unusual spiritual beliefs when he appeared on a Welsh chat show. The star was interviewed on The Moore Show on Sky Showcase by Kevin Moore, who told viewers his beliefs about the future advancements of the human race.

He told fans that he believed humans would soon be able to communicate via telepathy, that reincarnation was the “only thing that made sense” and that the Earth will soon be hit with a slew of natural disasters to cleanse it of negativity. The actor began by explaining: “Ask anybody, ‘Is time going quickly?’ and they’ll agree, because it is going quickly.

“The frequency level and the vibrational level of the Earth are speeding up because the Earth is ascending. This is what all the prophecies about 2012 are.” He went on to explain that many tragic natural disasters occur due to the overflow of “negative energy.”

Bill continued: “Now, unfortunately, there are some cleansings that have to take place, where negative energy has to be discharged, and these will be in the form of earthquakes, hurricanes, floods and tsunamis.” During the interview, he revealed how he had struggled through a difficult period on the TV show.

Thankfully, he was able to overcome those struggles with the help of a homeopathic doctor named Dr Morm, who appeared in visions while he slept. The award-winning actor also claimed that many major religions were not teaching the “major truths” about spiritual life.

He went on: “So all the bad things coming to the surface will be seen and they will fall away. We’ll move into the golden age, which will be a wonderful age where we’ll all love, we’ll communicate telepathically.

“We’ll all be aware of our spiritual selves, and it will be a beautiful place to be.” The Weatherfield favourite also shared his views on reincarnation.

He claimed: “You incarnate to go through a set of circumstances, to discharge some negative energy you’ve built up, to work out some karma and then you go back to the spirit realm, and you’ve grown up spiritually.

“You keep doing that while this particular planet helps you. You may reincarnate on some other planet.” The dad-of-five also spoke about the struggles he faced following the death of his 18-month-old daughter Edwina.

On the show, the star claimed he had received messages from after her death in 1983. He explained: “I’ve had messages from Edwina saying her role in the spiritual realms is helping young babies who have gone over and are crying for their mummies.

“Well, after she died the grief was awful. Children are not supposed to die before you and with young children it’s not just the upset, it’s a sense of guilt and, as a parent, you feel responsible.

“On the morning of the funeral, I really didn’t know how I was going to get through it and I woke up, I know I was awake, laid in bed and I saw what I can only describe as a golden glow. I saw Edwina’s face in it smiling and with it came this great sense of peace and comfort and that helped us get through funeral service.”

He went on: “My wife Sara didn’t see what I saw but she said that she did feel better and a bit easier that day. We then got to the state where we could enjoy the 18 months she had been with us knowing it was a planned thing, there was a reason for it.”

The actor went on to touch on the passing of his second wife Sara, who died back in 2009 at the age of 58. Bill confessed he was “thrilled” for Sara because he knows he will “join her eventually.”

He added: “I can celebrate and rejoice for Sara. I’m absolutely thrilled to bits for her that she’s gone home. I don’t worry about Sara as I know I will join her eventually.” The star’s unusual beliefs have been a core part of the Roache household, which he also passed onto his children.

His eldest son Linus, recalled how his father and mother – his first wife actress Anna Cropper – freely explored the world of spirituality throughout his childhood. He claims the pair even briefly embraced druidism and celebrated the summer solstice at Stonehenge.

The former actor explained: “Dad has always been a great influence on me. He has always stood up for spirit, staying true to his beliefs and I like to do the same with regard to my own beliefs, regardless of the potential criticism or mockery.”

Speaking about his youth, he added: “My parents were receptive to the emerging wave of spirituality in the Sixties and the way they embraced it opened me up to new dimensions. Mum read tarot cards and she and dad became druids for a while.

“I went to a couple of the ceremonies as a kid but wasn’t particularly into the ritual side of things. But I admire anybody who is seeking to find some real answers.” His son went on to follow in his father’s footsteps in more ways than one.

Bill’s two sons Linus and James soon stepped into the acting industry and his eldest son was lucky enough to work with his dad on the famous cobbles on more than one occasion. He kicked off his career by playing Peter Barlow, the son of his father’s character Ken, back in 1975.

He was the fourth actor to play the role, most recently played by Chris Gascoyne. In 2010, Linus returned to Weatherfield in a different role, but still part of the Barlow family. So it’s fair to say he surprised fans when years later he decided to step away from showbizness to follow a new passion in a complete career U-turn.

The actor – who has starred in films such as The Wings Of The Dove and Batman Begins – moved to New York to help run a worldwide sect called EnlightenNext. The growing company was founded by none other than American guru Andrew Cohen back in 1988, who calls himself a spiritual teacher and cultural visionary.

Since then, the spiritual network now claims to have thousands of disciples in 20 countries across the globe. Roache, who met Cohen in 1994, has been climbing the organisation’s ranks ever since.

In 2012, the star was appointed to managing director of the New York offices while his wife Rosalind organises the CEO’s PR.

Coronation Street airs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 8pm on ITV1 or catch up on ITVX

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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk