List of Coronation Street Characters (1961) - Bill Gregory

Bill Gregory is a recurring character played by actor Jack Watson between 1961 and 1984. Navy officer Bill first appears when he meets up with old friend Len Fairclough (Peter Adamson), who he served with in the war. Len introduces Bill to his friends and neighbours on Coronation Street, including his best friend Elsie Tanner (Patricia Phoenix). Bill and Elsie are quickly caught up in a love affair, with Bill neglecting to tell her that he is married — but the affair ends abruptly when Elsie receives a poison pen letter warning her against it. She decides to end it with Bill to save complicating her pending divorce from Arnold Tanner (Frank Crawshaw). In reality, actor Jack Watson had to leave his role without any on-screen resolve, due to the Equity actor's strike of 1961.

With Elsie's divorce finalised, Bill returns in July 1962 to pick up where they left off and learns Len is close to beating him to it, having spent a lot of time with Elsie. Bill warns Len off but Len insists they are just friends. Ena Sharples (Violet Carson) later discovers Bill writing to his wife Phyllis, and tells Len he must inform Elsie. Believing his excuses that they are separating, Len decides to keep quiet, so Ena tells Elsie herself. After confronting him, Bill tells Elsie that he is separated, but when Phyllis turns up Bill is forced to make his choice. Elsie tells him she can't make up his mind for him, and so he leaves with Phyllis to give their marriage another chance.

Bill returns once again after an eight-year absence with the news that Phyllis has since died. With Elsie now being courted by Alan Howard (Alan Browning), Bill faced competition for her heart and proposed almost immediately. Elsie waits to make up her mind, while Alan fights to keep her in his life. He succeeds when she turns Bill down and he returns to service. Elsie later marries Alan.

Thirteen years on, and Bill returns from his Portugal home to pay his respects to Rita Fairclough (Barbara Knox) on hearing of the death of Len. Whilst in Weatherfield, Bill is stunned to learn that Elsie is back living on the Street as he thought she was still happily married with Alan in Newcastle. He wastes no time in going round to see Elsie, and takes her out for a meal to catch up. He tells her of his new life in Portugal, but informs her that he must return there the next day, and Elsie is shocked when Bill asks her to come with him. After hours of soul-searching, Elsie decides she's wasted enough of her life and packs her things. After a final walk down Coronation Street, Elsie climbs in the taxi and she and Bill head off for their new life in the sun.

In 2011, as Dennis Tanner (Philip Lowrie) returns to the Street, he tells Rita that Elsie and Bill were married after settling in Portugal and that after twenty happy years together they died holding hands in a car accident in 2004.