William Roache on his new book
Corrie legend William Roache tells Yours how he stays in such fine fettle
Having played Ken Barlow in Corrie for almost 60 years, William Roache is so familiar, it’s like we already know him. In the flesh, it’s impossible to meet him and not be bowled over by his easy charm, aura of relaxed calm and the fact that he looks – and acts – many years younger than 87. So, just what is his secret? He smiles.
“Well, it’s the genes to begin with, then it’s what you do with them, isn’t it? How you look and feel is affected by how you live and what you eat. You have the responsibility of looking after your body. I eat healthily and avoid processed food and red meat. I haven’t smoked for decades and these days drink very little alcohol. That’s not to say, I deprive myself. I love chocolate, for instance, but only eat it occasionally as a treat. By cutting down on my sugar intake, I managed to reverse Type 2 diabetes which I was diagnosed with when I was 80.
“I also make sure I drink plenty of water. We’re about 65 per cent water and generally we don’t drink enough of it. Although there’s a tendency to
need less sleep as we get older, I sleep for around eight hours a night. I go to bed at 11 or 12pm and get up between 7 and 8am, depending on whether I’m working or not. This routine helps my body get the rest it needs and when I wake up, I feel rejuvenated.” What about exercise?
“I don’t think you have to pound the pavements or go to the gym every morning,” William goes on. “I think the main thing is to enjoy the exercise that you do. Taking brisk walks is a good thing and I do prioritise getting fresh air. I recently took up golf again and play regularly. Twice a week, I also attend a one-hour ‘fun fit’ session. We do a bit of boxing, a bit of basketball, it’s all very competitive and the group is made up of all ages. It gets the heart rate up and raises a sweat.”
For William, continuing to enjoy life as he ages is as much a mental thing as it is physical.
“The thing that is ageing is a belief system,” he says. “If you think ‘as I get older I’m going to get slower’, ‘Oh I’m 50, I can’t do this now’, you will slow down. Your cells renew themselves all the time – every seven years we’re made up of a completely new set of cells. If you slow down, your cell renewal process will slow down.
“I firmly believe that the more you use your brain the better it works and I also feel that working with or being around younger people keeps you young. They did an exercise at an old people’s home with the school next door – they brought the youngsters in and it enlivened the older people. I’m also a great believer in meditation. I call it a “tea break from life”. What you need is a place in your home and a chair. If you can go to the same place every time it helps. As you walk towards that chair you leave everything, all of your worries, all of your cares, at the door; you will pick them up later. Sit in that chair and have a tea break from life. Doing that for five minutes... that’s a start. You need something to think about, so what I think about is
‘I’m not telling anyone how they should live but it’s what works for me. It’s about moderation, balance and enjoyment’
balancing my breathing and of waves coming in on the seashore.”
William goes into more detail about his tips for living a long and happy life, and feeling younger, in his new book, Life and Soul: How to Live a Long and Happy Life.
“I’m not telling anyone how they should live, but it’s what works for me,” he explains. “It’s about moderation, balance and enjoyment. It wasn’t originally my idea to write the book. My two youngest children, Verity (38) and Will (34), came up with it. We are very close. And I’m also close to my oldest son, Linus (56), although I don’t see him as often as I’d like as he lives in the US.
Life – particularly over the past ten years – hasn’t been easy for William.
His second wife, Sara, to whom he was married for 31 years, passed away suddenly in 2009 while Vanya, his 50-year-old daughter from his first marriage, died last year. His Corrie wife Anne Kirkbride passed away in 2015.
“Of course, I grieved,” he says. “But I tried not to grieve for too long. Grieving for too long can become an indulgent thing. I know that sounds awful. Some people have a lifelong partner, and when that partner dies, understandably they may grieve for the rest of their life. I can understand that. Sara and I had one of the longest marriages in showbusiness. We all have our personal grief, but grief and pain can be a place we visit sometimes, but not too often. In time, we can start to remember the happy times we had with that person, enjoy those memories and be grateful for those times.”
With a month to go before Christmas, we can’t let William go without asking him how he’ll be spending the festive season.
“I’ll be in London with Verity and Will, and we’ll be eating out,” he replies. “Usually Linus comes over from America, but this year he has to stay there so we’ll Facetime him once we’re back from our lunch and opening our presents.”
■ Life and Soul: How to Live a Long and Happy Life, is published by Hay House,
£10.99 paperback and also available on audiobook