‘Coronation Street’ veteran Bill Roache has admitted he feels the soap has lost its sense of “community” in recent years.

Bill – who has played Ken Barlow since the show’s inception in 1960 – has said that as the cast has changed and grown over the years, he now knows only a few of his co-stars personally, and doesn’t think there’s as much of a family spirit on set.

Speaking on ‘Sunday Brunch’, Bill explained: “When we first started there were only 15 cast members and we were all in every episode. It was a community. Now there are some [cast members] who I hardly know their names.”

He added: “You go in and work with your family and do your scenes and go home. Some of the others, you see them in the green room for a cup of tea and then you don’t see them for weeks.”

The longest-serving ‘Corrie’ actor’s comments echo similar remarks made by fellow soap star Sue Nicholls, best known for her portrayal of Audrey Roberts.

In an interview with the Daily Star last year, Sue joked: “I seem to know the people at my local Sainsbury’s more than I know half of the new ‘Coronation Street’ cast. What can I say?”

Reminiscing, she added: “Ah, the days of Pat Phoenix. Pat was so easy to work with. And there was Jean Alexander and Betty Driver. It was a lovely time.”

During his interview on ‘Sunday Brunch’, Bill also said that he never considers stepping down from ‘Corrie’, insisting: “It’s a great show and I love it and I’m very fortunate to be in it – and I’m proud to be in it.”