After a long career in acting, Bill Fellows is appearing in two of television's best-loved shows – Coronation Street and Ted Lasso. And Spoiler Alert! the one thing he will reveal about his mysterious Corrie character Stu Carpenter is... he's very fortunate to be playing him
On a hot afternoon at the ITV studios on Salford Quays, the main door opens and out walks Bill Fellows. Die-hard Coronation Street fans, who have been waiting, ask for autographs and selfies with the actor who is portraying the enigmatic Stu Carpenter. He greets everyone with a friendly word and poses happily, expertly diverting any requests for plot spoilers.
'I've been an actor for 40 years and it's never quite been like this,' he says as we walk a short distance to a coffee shop. Bill has been working constantly for many years on projects – big and small – gaining a reputation as someone who can play just about everything. He's got one of those faces that people did a double take with and that nagging 'I know you from somewhere but can't quite place it' look but after nearly a year in Corrie, the recognition has gone through the roof.
'Just the other day I was in Alderley Edge and a couple came up to me who watch the show in Canada and they couldn't believe it. They were so warm, friendly and really knowledgeable, that really showed me The Street is more than just a television programme, it's a way of life to so many people and to be part of it is such an honour.'
Stu appeared on the cobbles last October, with no back story; he just arrived. Since then he's become the love interest of Yazmeen Metcalfe and been revealed as a man who went to jail for murder. 'It's exciting for me to grow into this character and also great for the writers because they have a blank canvas, they're not restricted,' says Bill. 'All I was told at first was Stu had been a chef in the navy and he was homeless. I knew as little as everyone else, so it has been great taking it forward and when people ask about what could happen, what secrets he has, I can genuinely turn round and say I don't know.
'The storylines have been brilliant, bringing into focus the issue of homelessness and veterans. As an actor, to have a role like this and watch it develop is just so wonderful. But no spoilers.'
Bill, aged 65, has flirted with Coronation Street a few times but it didn't happen until his agent told him that there was a part coming up he would be great for. 'We were in the middle of Covid, so I recorded a self-tape reading the lines, sent it back, then got a call back to do a screen test, waited and waited and then I got the part.
'It still blows my mind that I'm in it. My family are massive fans and we watched it all the time growing up in Middlesbrough. In fact it does remind me of the houses and back alleys that were near me. I knew an Ena Sharples, Annie Walker and Albert Tatlock, so to walk on set was one of most surreal experiences of my career.
'For my first scene in the Rovers I was incredibly nervous but then you meet the rest of the cast such as Bill Roache, wow, what a gentleman. I'd heard lots of stories of him being a lovely man and he is, so supportive and really cares about the show. Any nerves you have soon disappear because of the love that everyone has for it. It's the nearest thing to working-class theatre and how can you say no to Coronation Street? My sisters are also thrilled to bits that I'm in it.'
Coronation Street's hectic schedule means Bill has returned to his native north of England. 'I moved south to acting school and remained down there. Home is on the south coast, in East Sussex, and to be parachuted into this part of the country was daunting but I've reconnected with friends here and just over the border in Yorkshire.
'You forget how beautiful the area is. Look at Salford Quays now compared to what it was like. Manchester city centre has a really good feeling and I love exploring places like Tatton Park and walking by the Bridgewater Canal. There are some great places to eat and drink. Hickory's Smokehouse by the river in Chester, a coffee at Nourish in Wilmslow and the Roebuck in Mobberley have been great discoveries. If I want to pop back to see family, it's doable in a day so yes, my initial fears soon evaporated.'
Bill's work is long and varied, ranging from Broadchurch to Heartbeat, Downton Abbey to Casualty and the Munich air disaster film, United. He's heard on countless voiceovers and independent productions have kept him busy, including the film Give Them Wings, about a disabled football fan.
More recently viewers have seen him in the hit shows Ted Lasso and This Time with Alan Partridge. 'I've been really lucky and the response to Ted Lasso has been unbelievable. Audience reaction to football dramas only goes one way, there is no halfway house, but of course, there is a serious message of kindness and decency in the show. The action on the pitch is very much the secondary part. As a fan of the game, to play the former manager-turned pundit George Cartrick, alongside Jeff Stelling and Chris Kamara, who are from the same part of the northeast as me was great fun.
'I wasn't very academic to say the least and left school at 15, bounced around a few jobs and at the same time I was involved in a local acting group. One night at a party, I got talking to a great friend, Dave Evans, who was off to Guildford School of Acting as a teacher and he encouraged me to join.
'It may sound a bit corny but as soon as I got there, I felt at home. I'd been aimless before that but this gave me focus and enjoyment. Over the years I've worked with some amazing people, and travelled, so it didn't turn out too bad.
'If someone had said to that 15-year-old that one day he'd be in the most famous, longest-running television soap opera in the world he wouldn't have believed you.
'It's been quite a ride getting here and it's just a joy, professionally and personally, to be part of an icon. But you're still getting no inside information about plots.'
