Held the record for longest-serving actor on a television serial for many years.
William Roache, who plays Ken Barlow on the British soap
Coronation Street (1960) was widely
believed to be the record-holder, but Don Hastings had portrayed Bob
Hughes in
As the World Turns (1956) for two months longer than Roache has played Ken. However, since
As the World Turns (1956) was canceled in September 2010,
William Roache had taken over the record from November 2010 onwards.