Coronation Street icon Alan Rothwell dies aged 89

Alan is best known for his role on Coronation Street (Picture: ITV/Shutterstock) Coronation Street star Alan Rothwell has died at the age of 89. The actor, who is also known for his role in Brookside, portrayed original cobbles character David Barlow – brother of Street legend Ken and son of Ida and Frank – during the 1960s, making his debut in the ITV soap’s very first episode. The news of his passing was revealed by Coronation Street, whose official social media account posted on X (formerly Twitter) to pay tribute to the legendary star. ‘We’re very sorry to hear of Alan Rothwell’s passing and extend our sincerest condolences to his family at this very sad time,’ read a statement. ‘He created an iconic and memorable character in David Barlow and will forever be remembered as one of the original cast members of Coronation Street.’ Alan was born in 1937 in Oldham, Lancashire. No stranger to the world of soap having played Jimmy Grange in The Archers, he landed the role of his career in 1960, taking on the part of David Barlow in Tony Warren’s Coronation Street upon its TV debut. Alan played the role of David between 1961 and 68 (Picture: ITV/Shutterstock) Alan played David on and off across eight years. He was initially a regular cast member – starring in the primetime soap between December 1960 and June 1961 – before being written out in the latter year. David would stage a return for sporadic appearances in both 1963 and 1964, before becoming a mainstay once more until his exit in 1968. The character was famously very different from Ken, who had a love of literature. David pursued a career in football – though he would later be forced to retire after sustaining an injury during a match. David was killed off off-screen two years after his last appearance. David’s final appearance in Coronation Street was in 1968 (Picture: ITV/Shutterstock) Away the cobbles, Alan would go on to appear in a number of other soaps. After playing a community lawyer in Brookside shortly after its debut in 1985, he would land the role of Nicholas Black in the Channel 4 soap for a year. Don't miss a Soaps scoop! Add us as a Preferred Source As a loyal Metro Soaps reader, we want to make sure you never miss our articles when searching for stories. We have all the latest soaps news, spoilers, videos, and interviews, with a vibrant community of highly engaged readers. Click the button below and tick Metro.co.uk to ensure you see stories from us first in Google Search. Add us as a Preferred Source Now you can ensure you never miss a story from the Soaps team Nicholas was the husband of original Brookie character Heather Black, formerly Huntington, and he appeared in 56 episodes. David, meanwhile, also played several roles in Emmerdale, including a judge in 1993 and the more regular part of John Kenyon between 1997 and 1998. He also appeared in Casualty, playing various parts over the years, as well as Heartbeat, where he played Reverend Jackson. Away from the world of soap, David starred in Queer As Folk, The Musketeers and All Creatures Great and Small. Deals of the Day K-beauty is taking over skincare in 2026 – and this new serum is leading the way The best outdoor candles to buy now for alfresco dining and bug-free nights This tablet recreates the feeling of writing on paper – without the mess Shopping for new bedding? Simba Sleep’s latest launch has options for every sleeper Buy one, get 50% off – stock up on SPF for less with iHerb's limited time deal This is a breaking story, more to follow. If you’ve got a soap or TV story, video or pictures get in touch by emailing us soaps@metro.co.uk – we’d love to hear from you. Join the community by leaving a comment below and stay updated on all things soaps on our homepage. Arrow MORE: Christina’s shocking police lie causes George to take drastic action Arrow MORE: ‘Very sad’ EastEnders’ Jake Wood issues public apology over his art Arrow MORE: ‘Life won’t be the same’: Emmerdale’s Katie Hill hit with sad family loss The Soaps Newsletter – Weekly Sign up for exclusive spoilers and interviews, handpicked by our Soaps Editor.