Corrie's Roache speaks about wife grief

Coronation Street star Bill Roache has opened up about his grief at the sudden death of his wife.

Roache was left heartbroken when his partner of more than 30 years passed away at their family home in February.

The 77-year-old revealed that his Corrie co-stars Anne Kirkbride (Deirdre Barlow) and Stephanie Beacham (Martha Fraser) helped him through his recent troubles.

"They are my family. They all came to the service and they are so loving," he said.

Four months on from Sara's passing, Roache said that he still does not know what caused the 58-year-old's death.

"There is going to be an inquest," he told The Sun. "The coroner gave an interim death certificate, they did toxicology tests and an autopsy but there was nothing untoward.

"The coroner was perfectly happy it was natural causes but they just can't pinpoint what it was. It wasn't a heart attack, because if it was a physical thing like the heart you would see right away. The cause will be so minute that I feel it has to be in the brain."

Speaking about his emotions since Sara's death, he said: "It was such a shock. It was like having the carpet pulled from from under me. I've found the grieving process is not a straight line, it's variable. You have a sort of numbness to begin with - a terrible grief - then great waves.

"You have periods when you feel totally normal. It's almost callous, as if life is just going on without Sara, and then of course it hits you on the back of the neck."

Roache added: "I know that we will be together again one day. That much I'm sure of. Sara was everything to me and no one could replace her - I would never want that. Good heavens, no."