Coronation Street has paid tribute to Alan Rothwell, who played original character David Barlow, following his death at the age of 89. Rothwell appeared in the very first episode of the ITV soap in 1960 and portrayed David Barlow, Ken Barlow's brother, on and off for eight years.
The soap's official social media account posted on X: 'We’re very sorry to hear of Alan Rothwell’s passing and extend our sincerest condolences to his family at this very sad time. 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.'
Rothwell also had roles in Brookside and The Archers. His character David Barlow was a footballer who was forced to retire after an injury and was killed off-screen two years after his last appearance in 1968.
The June 1 episode of Coronation Street ended with a tribute card reading 'In Memory of Alan Rothwell. 1937-2026'.
