List of Coronation Street Characters (1961) - Billy Walker

Billy Walker was the son of Annie and Jack Walker and first appeared 27 January 1961. He was played by actor Ken Farrington.

Farrington was originally tested for the part of Dennis Tanner; producers felt that he did not suite the role and it later given to actor Philip Lowrie. Farrington told Ken Roche of TVTimes that "they didn't think I was right for it, so the wrote me into the series as the son of Annie Walker (Doris Speed)". The actor had spent time away from Coronation Street pursuing other projects; he told Roche that he enjoyed the breaks because each time he would return she felt "refreshed".

Billy was the son of Jack and Annie, landlords of the Rovers Return. Although he grew up in Weatherfield, Billy moved to London to run a garage in 1961, and only made fleeting appearances in Coronation Street until Jack died in 1970 and Billy returned to help out at the Rovers to ease the burden on Annie. A mechanic by trade, Billy was never happy behind the bar of the Rovers and left Weatherfield several times in the early 1970s to work in London again. In 1974, Billy became engaged to Deirdre Hunt. With the wedding only weeks away in 1975, Billy called off the wedding and left to take a job in Jersey, which became Billy's new home. In the years that followed, Billy occasionally returned, usually to ask Annie for money for the latest business deal which interested him as he usually gambled his own money away and was always debt-ridden. He kept tabs on Deirdre, despite her marrying and divorcing Ray Langton in his absence, and unsuccessfully tried to convince her to make a new start with him in Jersey.

When Annie retired in 1984, Billy took over the Rovers licence at her request, but after a short time as landlord he was forced out by the brewery for holding after-hours parties and he left Weatherfield again and returned to Jersey. It is not known what has happened to Billy in the years since his departure.