Coronation Street actor William Roache has admitted learning his lines “is getting a bit harder”, according to reports.

The 83-year-old actor, who plays Ken Barlow in the ITV soap, is also believed to have stated he is not a fan of doing live episodes.

“I just keep going. I turn up and learn my lines,” he told the Mirror.

“It is getting a bit harder to learn them but it does not have the same pressure as if you do a live episode. They are a nightmare.”

The popular soap celebrated ITV’s 60th birthday last year with a live episode.

William claimed viewers enjoyed watching the live episodes to see “if people will mess up and it is a nightmare”.

The actor, who has played Ken since Corrie’s first episode in 1960, was also disapproving of celebrity cameos on the show.

He said: “It is OK if they are good actors but I don’t like them bringing in people who are known for something else.”

Earlier in the week, he said his late co-star Anne Kirkbride was an alcoholic, according to The Sun newspaper.

He said Anne, who played his on-screen wife Deirdre Barlow for 42 years, had stopped drinking before her death but had been taking anti-depressants.

Anne died in January last year aged 60. She had been diagnosed with breast cancer and had also suffered a stroke.

William pays tribute to Anne (Ian West/PA)

Following his reported comments, Anne’s husband David Beckett insisted that she had not drank alcohol for many years before her death.

He told The Sun: “Whilst Anne did describe herself as an alcoholic, as many alcoholics do, she had not touched a drop of alcohol for 30 years or more.”

Coronation Street continues on ITV on Easter Monday, 7.30pm.