Several stunned ‘Coronation Street’ fans have vowed to move in real life after discovering character Ken Barlow’s house is up for sale for £120,000.
A number of viewers reacted with surprise last night (24.02.20) after finding out the asking price of Ken’s (Bill Roache) three-bedroom pad at 1 Coronation Street, Weatherfield – a fictional town in Greater Manchester – after he decided to start a new life at Still Waters Luxury retirement complex.
Ken’s daughter Tracy Barlow (Kate Ford) is keen to purchase the property, but only wants to stump up £105,000.
One Twitter user wrote: "So apparently Ken Barlow’s 3 bed house is on the market for £120k. Think it’s time I move to Manchester."
Some London-based dwellers were particularly surprised at the valuation.
One posted: "Just watching Corrie. £120k for Ken Barlow’s house. I NEED to leave London (sic)"
Another shared: "Ken’s house is worth £120k in Corrie – in London that wouldn’t buy Ken a barbie house (sic)"
And one wrote: "Can you seriously buy a house like Ken’s for £120k up North? (sic)"
However, one soap fan pointed out there is quite a high death rate on the cobbles.
They wrote: "£120,000 for Ken Barlow’s house? They having a f***ing laugh? It’s a terraced house in Manchester on a street with a murder rate higher than downtown Baghdad! #Corrie (sic)"
Bill recently confirmed he isn’t leaving the soap after Ken appeared to say goodbye to the cobbles in the show’s 10,000th episode.
He explained: "This is a big decision for Ken but in some ways he thinks it is now or never.
"He has lived on the same street his whole life and in the same house for most of it. He feels that he had a chance to move away with Martha on the barge but he let her go. Part of him regretted that. He doesn’t want to make the same mistake again and Claudia is very persuasive.
"Filming that final scene of the episode was very poignant, just Ken and Eccles and the cobbles. He breaks the news to the family next week and they are surprised but very soon [Ken’s children] Peter and Tracy start squabbling over who will be given first refusal on the house.
"We have already started filming at the retirement complex and I am really enjoying it, it always feels different when we film away from the street.
"It seems fitting that Ken makes this decision in the 10,000th episode but it will be strange not filming in number 1 after all this time."
Bill has played Ken since the show’s first episode on December 9, 1960 and the Guinness World Records named him the longest-serving male television star in a continuous role.