Coronation Street legend Bill Roache has revealed that he believes it will be "some time" before Ken Barlow is back on the cobbles.

The soap shut down production in March as the UK entered coronavirus lockdown but with some restrictions now having been lifted, Corrie is gearing up to resume filming on June 1.

Several reports have recently suggested that older cast members may not be brought back to work straight away due to fears for their safety, and 88-year-old Roache has now appeared to confirm those rumours.

"Senior members of the cast will not be called back for some time, sadly. I'd like to get back," Roache, who has been on Corrie since it started 60 years ago, told BBC Radio Derbyshire.

"They've said it's going to be very, very different. Scenes will be about lockdown.

"Scenes will be shot more simply with less people. Cameras will be placed where there's required distance, so it will be very, very different when we get back."

Roache's comments appear to contradict those of 74-year-old co-star Maureen Lipman, who has insisted that soap will not "ditch the oldies".