Storylines
Ken is born and raised in Coronation Street, Weatherfield, Greater Manchester on 9 October 1939. He is the eldest son born to Frank (Frank Pemberton) and Ida Barlow (Noel Dyson). An intelligent pupil, Ken attends grammar school after passing his eleven plus exam and in 1957 wins a scholarship at Manchester University; he lives with his parents and brother David (Alan Rothwell) in Weatherfield while studying and gains a second class honours degree in History and English. Being educated and politically minded, Ken differs from his family and neighbours. This is a source of friction between Ken and his father Frank, who believes Ken is trying to distance himself from his working-class roots. When Ken writes a scathing newspaper article about his uneducated neighbours in Weatherfield, Frank and the community are outraged. In 1961, Ken's mother dies in a motor accident. Ken turns down a teaching post to support his father, but he and Frank continue to clash until Frank leaves in 1964. David and Frank's deaths in 1970 and 1975 respectively, leave Ken as the sole surviving Barlow.
Ken begins teaching, and marries Valerie Tatlock (Anne Reid) in July 1962. Two years later, he has a fling with exotic dancer Pip Mistral (Elaine Stevens), but his marriage survives. Twins Peter (Robert Heanue) and Susan (Katie Heanneau) are born on 15 April 1965. In January 1966, Ken has another affair with reporter Jackie Marsh (Pamela Craig). Valerie leaves when she finds out, but is later persuaded to return. Ken continues to stand up for his political beliefs, and spends seven days in prison in March 1967, after being arrested for protesting. Ken is left a single-parent following Valerie's untimely death; she perishes after being electrocuted in January 1971, and Ken is left heartbroken. Ken is supported by Valerie's uncle Albert Tatlock (Jack Howarth), with whom he shares a close relationship, but caring for the twins proves too difficult and they are sent to live with their grandparents in Glasgow.
Ken has numerous flings, including a one-night stand with Rita Littlewood (Barbara Knox), but his next serious relationship occurs in 1973, when Ken marries Janet Reid (Judith Barker), in the hope that she will mother his two children. Janet refuses to do this, and in 1974 they separate. Janet flits in and out of Ken's life until 1977, when she kills herself by taking an overdose when Ken turns down a reconciliation.
When Ray Langton (Neville Buswell) leaves his wife Deirdre (Anne Kirkbride) in 1978, Ken supports her. In 1981 they marry, with Ken becoming stepfather to Deirdre's four-year-old daughter Tracy (Christabel Finch). However, by 1983, Deirdre grows bored with Ken and has an affair with his rival, Mike Baldwin (Johnny Briggs). Ken and Deirdre's marriage suffers; the couple separate in 1990, and eventually divorce following Ken's affair with Wendy Crozier (Roberta Kerr), his colleague at the local newspaper, The Weatherfield Recorder. Ken takes the separation badly and attempts suicide by overdose, but is prevented from doing so by his friend, Bet Lynch (Julie Goodyear).
Ken and Mike, who are the moral opposites of each other, remain enemies; Ken is incensed when his daughter, Susan, falls in love and has a short-lived marriage with Mike. In 1991 Ken and Mike compete for the same woman, Alma Sedgewick (Amanda Barrie). When she is dumped by Mike in favour of Jackie Ingram (Shirin Taylor), she starts seeing Ken. On Christmas Day 1991, Mike lures Alma back into his bed to get back at Ken. Later in 1992, Ken falls for one of his pupil's mothers – Maggie Redman (Jill Kerman). The Baldwin/Barlow feud erupts again, as Mike is the father of Maggie's son, Mark (Christopher Oakswood). Mike hates the thought of Ken spending Christmas Day with his son, but Ken's pride gets the better of him. He cannot handle the situation, and he and Maggie split.
Ken has a relationship with hairdresser Denise Osbourne (Denise Black) in 1994 and fathers her child; their son Daniel (Lewis Harney) is born in 1995. Denise agrees to marry Ken, but is having an affair with her brother-in-law Brian Dunkley (Benny Young) at the same time. She leaves Weatherfield in 1996, leaving Daniel with Ken. It is a short-lived custody as, later that year, Denise returns and snatches Daniel; Ken's attempts to reclaim his son fail.
Ken and Deirdre remain close, despite their other relationships. They reunite in 1999, following encouragement from Deidre's mother Blanche (Maggie Jones). They eventually remarry on 8 April 2005; although Ken discovers that Deirdre slept with Dev Alahan (Jimmi Harkishin) in 2001, he forgives her and they remain together. Deirdre supports Ken in 2002 when he loses his teaching post for assaulting a pupil, Aidan Critchley (Dean Ashton), who has been terrorising him. Marital problems arise in 2006 when, following Mike's death from Alzheimer's, Ken grows jealous of Deirdre's grief reaction; he leaves home and tries to rebuild a relationship with his estranged son Daniel. Daniel's mother Denise, now single, gets the wrong idea and attempts to rekindle a romance with Ken; Ken rebuffs her advances and returns to Deirdre. Ken does stray in 2009, after meeting Martha Fraser (Stephanie Beacham). Ken falls in love with Martha, and in May 2009, plans to leave with her. He cannot go through with it, and he jilts her, returning to Deirdre. Eventually he admits to the infidelity. Although Deirdre is angry, she forgives him as he had forgiven her fling with Dev; however, Deirdre later cheats on Ken again, kissing Lewis Archer (Nigel Havers). Relations are once again strained between Ken and Deirdre. The couple acknowledge their mutual unhappiness with their marriage, but remain together.
In late August 2010 Norris Cole (Malcolm Hebden) discovers an unopened letter addressed to Ken, dating back to the 1960s. The letter is written by Ken's first girlfriend, Susan Cunningham (Patricia Shakesby), whom Ken had dated in 1960. Susan has a son named Lawrence (Linus Roache), who turns out to be Ken's child. Ken and Lawrence bond, which temporarily threatens Ken's relationship with his other son Peter. When Ken discovers that Lawrence is intolerant of the homosexuality of his own son, James (James Roache), Ken severs contact. Realising that he has been unappreciative and neglectful of Peter over the years, he makes an effort to bond, supporting him through his relationship and health problems that follow.
Read more about this topic: Ken Barlow