William Roache says there are "no winners" after being acquitted of historic sexual abuse charges.
The 'Coronation Street' actor, who was today (06.02.14) found not guilty of four counts of indecent assault and two rapes against girls under 16 between 1965 and 1971, gave a short statement outside Preston Crown Court after the trial jury reached its unanimous decision.
William, 81, told reporters: "I'd like to thank all those who've supported me during this situation.
"First and foremost, ITV Granada for their loyalty and support all the way through.
"And of course, my family, who you have seen.
"I'd like to thank my colleagues and friends who've supported me, and all the people I don't even know who have sent me great support through all this."
The actor - who has played soap favourite Ken Barlow in 'Corrie' since its first episode in 1960 - poignantly ended his brief speech by calling for people to be "kinder" to one another following his court experience.
He added: "In these situations there are no winners. And I think we should all be much kinder to ourselves.
"Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to get back to work."
Meanwhile, ITV has issued a statement regarding William's future on the long-running soap, saying: "We look forward to talking to Bill soon about his return to work."
The actor hasn't been seen in 'Corrie' since May 2013, when the historic sexual abuse charges were first brought against him.

A Fathers4Justice campaigner who defaced a portrait of Queen Elizabeth has been sentenced to six months' imprisonment.
Tim Haries, 42, sprayed the word 'help' with purple paint - which is the colour adopted by the campaign group - on an image of the monarch worth £160,000, while it hung in Westminster Abbey on June 13.
He denied the charge of causing criminal damage of more than £5,000 but last month he was granted conditional bail and ordered to return to Southwark Crown Court for sentencing on February 5.
Recorder of Westminster Judge Alistair McCreath told him: "This was a deliberate and planned causing of damage to a valuable item of property on public display, carried out as a publicity exercise."
The father-of-two, who decided to represent himself, said the act was a protest against the "social catastrophe" of fathers not being allowed access to their children.
Haries previously explained: "The pain of losing my children has been like a living bereavement for me.
"I believe that contact denial is a hate crime and an abuse of children's fundamental rights."
In a statement he released through Fathers4Justice he had insisted "children's lives are worth more than any painting".
He explained: "Whilst I disagree with the verdict reached by the jury, I take full responsibility for my actions.
"I would not hesitate to petition the Queen again by peaceful protest on behalf of my children and the millions of children separated from their fathers by the British Government.
"Every Family Court judge who separates fathers from their children does so with the authority of the Queen."
The 11ft by 9ft oil painting by artist Ralph Heimans was bought by Westminster Abbey for £160,000 and cost £7,300 to repair.

Britain's Princess Anne says the "balance" at the Olympic Games has moved from athletes to excess.
The 63-year-old royal - who competed in the 1976 Montreal Olympics - made her feelings known during a debate among International Olympic Committee (IOC) members on Wednesday (05.02.14) where they were discussing the future of the renown sporting event.
Anne said: "I'm afraid the subject of opening ceremonies is one which I did tend to bang on about at LOCOG.
"I really do believe it is about the athletes - the opening ceremony. Of course, I am old enough that I remember that the opening ceremony I went to was only the athletes.
"So, it has changed quite dramatically over those years but I think the balance of import to me has gone too far the other way.
"There must be a way of re-balancing the importance of the athletes showing they are committing themselves to the Olympic ideal but also making it a celebration. But at the moment it seems to be the celebration and the add-on is the athletes committing the Olympic ideals."
Anne - whose official title is Princess Royal - is the eldest daughter of Queen Elizabeth II, who during the London Olympics Opening Ceremony in 2012 appeared to jump out of a chopper alongside Daniel Craig in the spoof sequence before they arrived outside the stadium in time for her big entrance.
In response to her comments, IOC President Thomas Bach quipped: "I think you can inform the royal family there will be no more parachuting at the Olympic Opening Ceremony."

Britain's Princess Eugenie attended the amfAR gala on Wednesday night (05.02.14).
The royal daughter of Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson stepped out in New York's Cipriani Wall Street for the event thrown in support of The Foundation Of AIDS Research, which aims to end the global AIDS epidemic through innovative research.
The brunette beauty opted for a green silk dress which clinched in at the waist which she paired with a clutch, tights and black heels.
Other attendees included Joely Richardson, Poppy Delevingne and Vanessa Redgrave.
Eugenie moved to New York last year after she secured a job at auction house, Paddle 8 - which is backed by Damien Hirst and specialises in contemporary artists including Jeff Koons and Banksy - and is on a £25,000-a-year salary.
The princess is said to be enjoying her new life in the big apple but is finding it difficult being away from her boyfriend of three years, Jack Brooksbank.
A source previously revealed: "Eugenie is loving New York. The hardest thing has been leaving Jack behind, but he told her she had to take the job."

Prince performed two surprise shows in London on Wednesday night (05.02.14) - treating fans to new material and his greatest hits.
The hitmaker sparked a buzz online earlier in the day that he would be performing at intimate venue the Electric Ballroom in Camden - which holds just several hundred people and was the venue for his brief show on Tuesday (04.02.14) - and thousands of fans queued for hours in the rain, despite not knowing details of the performances or ticket prices.
Eventually, more than 800 people were allowed in the venue after the doors opened at 7pm and each lucky fan paid just £10 to see the legendary singer perform with his new all-female band 3RDEYEGIRL.
The set included new single 'Pretzelbodylogic', along with 'Let's Go Crazy', 'Funk 'n' Roll', 'Guitar' and 'She's Always in My Hair', in which the 55-year-old singer changed the lyrics to, "always in Prince's big curly hair".
Audience members shouted, "London loves you", before he handed his guitar out to the crowd and dozens of fans surged forward.
The 55-year-old musician came back on for a second encore before fans were ejected from the venue and security let in hundreds of people who were still queuing outside for the second performance.
The pop superstar powered through several of his most famous hits, including 'When Doves Cry', 'Housequake', 'I Would Die 4 U' and 'Purple Rain'.
VIP guests at the gigs included Paloma Faith, Nicole Scherzinger and Lianne La Havas, who welcomed Prince into her home for a secret press conference this week.
Prince has ruled out playing any large venues while in London with his band this month, hinting instead of his desire to play small club gigs.
Speaking to BBC 6 Music, he said he wants to play venues such as Ronnie Scott's and the Bag O' Nails Club in Soho - although details for future gigs are being kept under wraps.
He described his trip to London as "open-ended" and told last night's audience: "We're gonna try and find somewhere else to play in this city. We'll stay as long as you'll have us."

Lianne La Havas claims it was "like a storm had hit" when Prince played an impromptu gig at her house on Tuesday (04.02.14).
The 24-year-old star saw her east London home turned into a concert venue when the 'Purple Rain' singer and his new band 3RDEYEGIRL bombarded her pad for his Hit & Run tour.
She explained: "It's been a weird few hours but a lot of fun.
"They put amplified equipment in my lounge, Prince came, conquered and left. It was like a storm had hit."
The 55-year-old star - who is playing a series of secret guerilla gigs at small venues across London throughout the month of February - performed two acoustic tracks in Lianne's front room, including new single 'PretzelBodyLogic'.
Lianne explained: "His plan is music and music alone. He just wants to play and promote his new band and make a name for them."
However, Prince's turn-up at Lianne's house wasn't completely out of the blue as the pair have met before.
She told the Daily Star newspaper: "Prince and I had hung out before in my old house, he enjoyed my music.
"I had always had music jams at my house, it's a way of having a conversation with musicians.
"So this was a way of Prince doing something he had never done - he just thought let's go back to basics."

William Roache has been found not guilty of historic sex abuse charges. The veteran 'Coronation Street' star - who was on trial for four counts of indecent assault and two rapes against girls under the age of 16 between 1965 and 1971 - was acquitted o...

Jade Jones thinks fans will be "shocked" by Damage's drug revelations on 'The Big Reunion'.
The clean-cut singer - who is engaged to Spice Girl Emma Bunton - has confessed he took ecstasy and smoked marijuana during his heyday with the R&B band, who are reuniting for the first time in 13 years as part of the ITV2 programme.
He admitted: "Maybe just being the youngest, I knew I was in safe hands if it ever got a bit out of hand. I do like a good drink. I like to party.
"We were known as clean-cut, really nice boys so I think everyone's going to be quite shocked.
"We were fortunate enough to keep everything under the carpet. What happened in the band has stayed between us."
The band are further set to shatter fans' expectations in the show's first episode by revealing they used to booze in the morning and live a "rock 'n' roll" lifestyle.
Andrez Harriott said: "You had riders, you'd be doing 9am TV shows and there's tables of wine."
Jade added: "It was totally sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll. We'd go out and buy bottles of champagne, live like we're rich but in actuality we weren't."
Damage - also formed of Noel Simpson and Rahsaan J Bromfield, with fifth member Coree Richard declining to return - are also set to spill the beans on Jade's high profile relationship with Emma.
Rahsaan explained: "The press really came around then. Prior to that it was just about the music -- no controversy."
'The Big Reunion' returns tonight (06.02.14) at 9pm on ITV2.

Benedict Cumberbatch has no plans to quit 'Sherlock'.
The actor credits the BBC One crime drama with launching his career internationally, but has no intentions of leaving his role as the titular socially-awkward detective until he feels the loveable character has stopped "developing".
He told USA Today: "I'll keep doing it as long as [Sherlock grows], as long as I feel he's developing and there's stuff we're all being challenged by and that it's being loyal to the original stories as well.
"[The show has] done a lot. Won't say it's changed my life, because I had a huge break at the same time as this role first came to fruition.
"It was a sort of perfect storm of all mediums coming together at the same time - television, film and theatre, even some radio."
Meanwhile, 'Sherlock' producer Sue Vertue has hinted fans could be treated to longer series in future, although episodes will stay true to their original 90-minute format.
She told Collider.com: "You might not always have three episodes. The [unaired] pilot was 60 minutes. But... we shot it again and made the pilot 90 minutes. Since then, it's always been 90 minutes.
"You might not always have three, possibly ... but they'll stay that length. It's a good length, I think."
Two more series of 'Sherlock' - which also stars Martin Freeman as Watson - have currently been commissioned.

Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean are planning to retire.
The figure skating legends became British heroes at the 1984 Olympics when they won the gold medal for their bolero, and the 'Dancing on Ice' mentors are now gearing up to return to Sarajevo, in Bosnia, to recreate the performance for the final time before they split up later this year.
Torvill revealed: "We're not going to perform the bolero after this year ever again - and we're taking a break from each other. We tried to retire in 1998 but then 'Dancing On Ice' sprung up."
Dean - who will move to the United States permanently when the pair part ways - agreed with her saying: "It will be like a death really."
Although they have been skating partners for nearly 30 years, it was only last year that the pair admitted to having had a brief romantic relationship when they were teenagers and they have now opened up about the fling.
Dean, 55, told The Sun newspaper: "We were very involved. We were really close - we spent so many hours together training week in week out."
Addressing people's assumptions that the pair had always been a couple, 56-year-old Torvill added: "We weren't dating anyone else. We were so boring - skating, eating and sleeping."
Torvill and Dean will travel to Sarajevo next week to perform the routine for the last time.
'Dancing on Ice', which is currently airing an all-stars series on ITV, will end this year after the skating duo decided to leave the show.

'Broadchurch' and 'Coronation Street' triumphed at the Broadcast Awards last night (05.02.14).
The hit ITV shows picked up Best Drama and Best Soap respectively at the annual television awards in London's Grosvenor Hotel.
'Broadchurch' won the prestigious drama prize over the likes of 'The Fall' and 'Top of the Lake', which both aired on BBC Two, and BBC One's 'Last Tango in Halifax'.
Other winners - which were decided by Broadcast magazine - included Channel 4's hit documentary series 'Gogglebox', which won Best Original Programme and Best Factual Programme. Channel 4's hit show 'Educating Yorkshire', meanwhile, won Best Documentary Series.
Broadcast editor Chris Curtis: "'Broadchurch' breathed new life into the whodunit, 'Educating Yorkshire' was funny and moving, and 'Gogglebox' was a genuine word-of-mouth smash. All three have the potential to be big international successes, and prove the power of British TV."
ITV had more reason to celebrate as it also won the Channel of the Year prize following the success of 'Broadchurch', 'Corrie', 'Downton Abbey' and 'Mr. Selfridge'.
Elsewhere, Sky 1's 'A Touch of Cloth II: Undercover Cloth' picked up Best Comedy Series and David Walliams' one-off show 'Mr. Stink' won Best Children's Programme.

Calvin Harris has joined Robbie Williams' soccer team.
The Scottish DJ - who currently resides in Beverly Hills - has signed up to the 'Candy' hitmaker's Los Angeles' squad, which sees him and a number of other stars meet up on a weekly basis for a friendly kick-about and a gossip.
A source told The Sun newspaper: "After daughter Teddy, his missus Ayda and music - football is one of the biggest loves of Robbie's life.
"He is not a big party guy, so hosting friendly matches with some of his pals is the main socialising that he does.
"Calvin is the latest guy to be signed up.
"He'll fit right in because he's quite a guy's guy and very down to earth.
"This is all just about having a kick-about with friends, nothing showbiz."
Robbie, 39, used to have his own official squad LA Vale - named after his favourite British team Port Vale - and a kit until 2007, when he realised he had been allegedly conned out of $400,000 by two teammates, who asked him to fund their fashion label but blew the money on partying instead.
However, Robbie - who has 17-month-old daughter Teddy with his wife Ayda Field - still regularly arranges fixtures so that he can continue with his passion for the sport.