<P> Ken Barlow ( William Roache ) entered the storyline as a young radical , reflecting the youth of 1960s Britain , where figures like the Beatles , the Rolling Stones and the model Twiggy were to reshape the concept of youthful rebellion . Though the rest of the original Barlow family were killed off before the end of the 1970s , Ken , who for 27 years was the only character from the first episode remaining , has remained the constant link throughout the entire series . In 2011 , Dennis Tanner ( Philip Lowrie ) , another character from the first episode , returned to Coronation Street after a 43 - year absence . Since 1984 , Ken Barlow has been the show 's only remaining original character . Emily Bishop ( Eileen Derbyshire ) had appeared in the series since late - January 1961 , when the show was just weeks old , and was the show 's longest - serving female character before she departed on 1 January 2016 . </P>
<P> Ken Barlow ( William Roache ) entered the storyline as a young radical , reflecting the youth of 1960s Britain , where figures like the Beatles , the Rolling Stones and the model Twiggy were to reshape the concept of youthful rebellion . Though the rest of the original Barlow family were killed off before the end of the 1970s , Ken , who for 27 years was the only character from the first episode remaining , has remained the constant link throughout the entire series . In 2011 , Dennis Tanner ( Philip Lowrie ) , another character from the first episode , returned to Coronation Street after a 43 - year absence . Since 1984 , Ken Barlow has been the show 's only remaining original character . Emily Bishop ( Eileen Derbyshire ) had appeared in the series since late - January 1961 , when the show was just weeks old , and was the show 's longest - serving female character before she departed on 1 January 2016 . </P>
who is the longest running character in coronation street
who is the longest running character in coronation street
Ken Barlow
Ken Barlow