Alan Rothwell

Alan Rothwell (9 February 1937 – 14 May 2026) was an English actor. He played David Barlow in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street as a regular from 1960 to 1961, and again from 1963 to 1968, and Nicholas Black in Brookside between 1985 and 1986. His other acting credits include playing Mike in Top Secret (1961–1962), a recurring role in Heartbeat (1994–1995), and various roles in Doctors (2004–2016). He also presented the children's television series Picture Box and Hickory House.

Life and career Rothwell was born in Oldham, Lancashire, on 9 February 1937. He became a professional actor and appeared frequently on BBC Radio's Children's Hour. He worked in local rep theatre at this time. He studied at RADA in London and then completed his National Service. He first came to fame playing the character Jimmy Grange in The Archers, then David Barlow in the then new ITV soap opera Coronation Street as a regular from December 1960 until June 1961, then appeared for two episodes in June 1963, before returning as a regular from December 1964 to April 1968. The character was killed off off-screen two years later. He also featured as a regular character in all 26 episodes of the 1961–1962 British spy series Top Secret in the role of Mike. He was a guest star in Gideon's Way 1964 as a young man wrongly accused of killing his girlfriend played by Carol White. He also had roles in the rediscovered 1960 film Linda, also starring Carol White, and the 1971 film Zeppelin, starring Michael York and Elke Sommer.

Rothwell then became known as a presenter to a generation of children, appearing on the children's television programmes Picture Box from 1969 to 1989 and Hickory House from 1973 to 1978.

Rothwell returned to soap operas in 1985, this time portraying the heroin addict Nicholas Black in Brookside. In 2002, he appeared in the television drama film Shipman. He also played Gerry Stringer in all six episodes of Dead Man Weds in 2005. Among his many other television credits are parts in Casualty, Emmerdale, Heartbeat, Doctors, Shameless and Bedlam, A Song For Jenny, (BBC 2015), Rovers, (Jellylegs, 2016).

In 2015, Rothwell appeared as a villager in the BBC TV series The Musketeers episode 2.5 "The Return". In 2018, Rothwell appeared as Douglas in 20th Century-Fox's British comedy Walk Like A Panther, released in cinemas 9 March of that year.

Death Rothwell died following a short illness on 14 May 2026, at the age of 89. His death was announced by the Coronation Street social media team. William Roache, who portrayed his on-screen brother Ken Barlow in the soap, paid tribute and said he was "very sorry to hear of Alan's passing. He and I worked together on the very first episodes of Coronation Street, which was such a wonderful time. I got to know him well over the years; he was a very good actor and a delightful man."

Filmography Television Year Title Character Notes 1960–1961, 1963–1968 Coronation Street David Barlow Regular role; 251 episodes 1961–1962 Top Secret Mike Regular role; 26 episodes1961 Citizen James Ron Episode: "Teenagers" 1963 Z-Cars Eddie Cross Episode: "Lucky Accident" 1964 Sergeant Cork Mr. Carney Episode: "The Case of the Stricken Surgeon" Gideon's Way Bill Rose Episode: "The Rhyme and the Reason" 1968–1989 Picture Box Self Presenter 1973–1977 Hickory House Self Presenter 1985 Brookside Community lawyer 1985–1986 Nicholas Black Regular role; 56 episodes 1988 All Creatures Great and Small Hubert Merrick Episode: "For Richer, for Poorer" 1992 Watching Vicar Episode: "Christening" Medics Examiner 1993 Emmerdale Judge 2 episodes 1994–1995 Heartbeat Reverend Jackson 5 episodes 1997–1998 Emmerdale John Kenyon 7 episodes 1998–1999 Casualty Anthony Rafferty 2 episodes 1999–2000 Wilmot Mr. Ronson Regular role; 13 episodes 2000 Queer as Folk Dudley Jackson Episode: "Out of the Closet, Into the Fire" 2005 Fat Friends Stanley Episode: "Angel's Delight"- 2005 Dead Man Weds Gerry Stringer Regular role; 6 Episodes 2011 Casualty Bernard Jones Episode: "Next of Kin: Part 2" 2012–2013 Starlings Brian Valentine 5 episodes 2015 Casualty Henry Chalmers Episode: "Clinging On" The Musketeers Villager Episode: "The Return" 2016 Rovers Stanley Bell Episode: "The Anniversary" Sources: