Coronation Street’s Barlow clan find themselves at the centre of a dramatic whodunnit when it is revealed that Ken Barlow did not fall down the stairs – he was pushed.

Viewers were shocked on Monday night when the soap stalwart, played by William Roache, was discovered unconscious at the bottom of the stairs.

Many assumed Ken had suffered another stroke.

But, as his family gather round his hospital bed in Wednesday night’s episode of the ITV soap, they are given the shocking news that police are launching an attempted murder investigation, after discovering that Ken was hit on the head and pushed.

Coronation Street (ITV)
Coronation Street (ITV)

As the investigation goes on, police realise the family have many skeletons in their closet and any one of them could be responsible for what happened to Ken.

Actor William, 84, said his alter ego “can’t remember a thing” about the incident.

He said: “He remembers pretty much up to it, he remembers the morning of the day quite clearly. Beyond that nothing that would give him a hint that he was pushed or who might have done it.”

William said he was also left in the dark about his attacker’s identity in real life.

“We didn’t know and only now, some weeks on from filming a lot of the story and as we get closer to finding out in scripts, have we been made aware,” he said.

“It was great to play it like that and all of the suspects were told to behave as though they were guilty or hiding something and they didn’t know.

Ken Barlow
Ken Barlow, played by William Roache (ITV)

“It was fun to be part of the secrecy and to act out the story not knowing the truth.

“I hope the viewers enjoy trying to work out who it could be in the same way that we all did.

“It is very cleverly done and I am thrilled to bits with it.”