Coronation Street: William Roache 'well' after contracting Covid-19

Roache has played Ken Barlow since Corrie began in 1960

Coronation Street's William Roache has "recovered well" after testing positive for coronavirus, ITV has revealed.

It said the 88-year-old, who plays Ken Barlow on the show, had taken time off and was "looking forward to returning to the cobbles as soon as possible".

ITV said Roache had wished to clarify he had taken time off work "following recent reports about his health".

Roache and other older cast members were initially kept away from the set when the pandemic began.

The actor has been a member of the Coronation Street cast since the ITV soap began in 1960.

Last year he was presented with the Guinness World Record for the longest serving TV soap star for his six decades on the Street.

Roache with Corrie co-stars Anne Kirkbride and Johnny Briggs in 1983

Coronation Street resumed filming in June last year ahead of the show's 60th anniversary celebrations in December.

Earlier this month the show revealed it was using kissing doubles to enable intimate scenes to be filmed within social distancing guidelines.

As Ken, Roache has been involved in some of the long-running soap opera's most dramatic storylines.

They include his bitter feud with love rival Mike Baldwin, who famously had an affair with Ken's wife Deidre.

Johnny Briggs, who played Baldwin on the show for 30 years, died in February at the age of 85.

A tribute to the actor will be shown on ITV at 20:00 BST between Monday's editions of the show that made his name.