Ken’s accent was distinctly more northern in this episode. The former teacher and journalist has always been articulate and erudite in the episodes I’ve grown up with.

Even in episodes that pop up on Classic Coronation Street from the 1970s he is very well spoken. He talks like someone who has lived in the south and softened his accent. However in these early offerings he sounds far more Mancunian.

Given that Ken has never left the cobbles other than for the odd holiday I found this distinctly odd. A bit of digging revealed that this wasn’t my imagaination and he had in fact changed the way he spoke as the show progressed.

𝑾𝒆𝒃𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒆: corrienews.vi.money – 𝑶𝒇𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝑵𝒆𝒘𝒔 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒍

He reportedly used a more pronounced Lancashire accent to fit the working-class setting of the show originally. However, over time, as he became more comfortable and the show became a long-running fixture, he gradually dropped it in favour of his natural accent.