Corrie legend Bill Roache has been opening up about the death of his daughter Vanya, who passed away from liver failure in March.
Bill received a text to say that his daughter was close to death and drove from his Manchester home to London to pick up son Will before heading to Chicester, where 50-year-old Vanya was in hospital.
He had driven over 250 miles when his car crashed in snow when he was just 15 minutes from the hospital, meaning that he didn’t make it in time before Vanya’s death.
“By the time I got to her it was too late,” Bill told the Mirror.
He also lost daughter Edwina when she was just 18 months old and opened up about the ‘unbearable pain’ of losing a child.
He said: “To not be able to say goodbye to Vanya was awful. But I take some comfort in now knowing she is in a better place and at peace. I like to think about the happier times we had.
“And when I say ‘I love you Vanya’ I know she hears it.”
Bill revealed that he believes people are “eternal” and that life ‘carries on’ after death.
“We carry on, we’re eternal. We go home [when we die]. That’s our permanent home, this is our temporary school room. So when people have died it’s like no more school. I know that to be true," he explained.
GALLERY: Child soap stars - where are they now?
Child soap stars - where are they now? SLIDER with cover pic
1 of 19child soap stars
2 of 19Molly Conlin (Dotty Cotton)
Molly played Nasty Nick's daughter Dotty Cotton in EastEnders between 2008-10 and caused endless mischief with Tiffany Butcher. But where is she now...
3 of 19Molly Conlin (Dotty Cotton)
... 16-year-old Molly is now at college concentrating on her studies. After leaving the soap, the actress starred in Annabel's Kitchen, Horrible Histories and Blandings as well as adverts for Ragu Pasta Sauce and Bold 2 In 1.
4 of 19Helen Flanagan (Rosie Webster)
Corrie's bad girl had some meaty storylines including being kidnapped (twice!) and dealing with her mother's breast cancer diagnosis. Helen left the soap in 2011, but what has she been up to since?
5 of 19Helen Flanagan (Rosie Webster)
Six years since leaving the soap, the actress has appeared in I'm a Celeb, Celebrity Super Spa, Celebrity Wedding Planner and Holby City. She has had her first child Matilda with Scott Sinclair. So adorbs!
6 of 19Melissa Suffield (Lucy Beale)
Before Hetti Bywater, The Square's tearaway Lucy Beale was played by Melissa Suffield. But where is Mel now...
7 of 19Melissa Suffield (Lucy Beale)
...since leaving Walford, Melissa has evolved as an actress and has since starred in Casualty and played the role of Norma Jean in a musical about Marilyn Monroe.
8 of 19Ellis Hollins (Tom Cunningham)
Ellis Hollins has played Hollyoak's Tom Cunningham since he was just four-years-old and his storylines have gripped us all, from dealing with his mother's shock death to dealings with Sienna Blake... But where is Tom now?
9 of 19Ellis Hollins (Tom Cunningham)
Fourteen years later, Ellis is still in Hollyoaks (as lovable as ever) and was even spotted in Ibiza partying! Oh and he won a British Soap Award, no biggie!
10 of 19Sam Aston (Chesney Brown)
Sam Aston played the adorable Corrie's Chesney Brown since 2003. Speaking about life growing up on a popular soap, he said 'At 16, all my mates were getting fake IDs and going to pubs I always knew I couldn't do that.' But where is Sam Aston now?
11 of 19Sam Aston (Chesney Brown)
Sam is engaged to his girlfriend of five years Briony Gardner! The star had previously said: 'I do think I'm romantic. I like to treat my girlfriend, buy her flowers and make a fuss of her.'
12 of 19Eden Taylor-Draper (Belle Dingle)
Eden Taylor-Draper has played Belle Dingle since 2005, when she fell down a mineshaft on Christmas day. Speaking about being a child actor she said at the time, 'there is no time to go off the rails like Belle, I go home and learn my lines and I am in bed by 9pm!' Where is Eden now?
13 of 19Eden Taylor-Draper (Belle Dingle)
Eden is still in Emmerdale and recently was involved in a storyline where Belle pretended to be pregnant to keep her boyfriend. Uh oh.
14 of 19Charlie Jones (Ben Mitchell)
'Enders troublemaker Ben Mitchell has been played by a handful of actors, but we'll never forget the sweet Charlie Jones who was tormented by the evil Stella. Where is Charlie now?
15 of 19Charlie Jones (Ben Mitchell)
Charlie is now studying acting at the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts – he looks COMPLETELY different to his Walford days.
16 of 19Charlie Clements (Bradley Branning)
Albert Square's favourite ginge (apart from his onscreen dad Max, obv) Bradley, was a knitted jumper-wearing sweetheart and made us want to pinch his cheeks through the television between 2006 - 2010. We are still getting over his tragic fall, where he saw his grizzly end. Where is Charlie now?
17 of 19Charlie Clements (Bradley Branning)
We hardly recognise Charlie Clements with a beard! The actor uploaded the snap to Twitter with the caption. "A year ago everyone was up in arms because I looked SO different at 28 to 18.. bet they didn't expect this at 29! #actor 'chameleon', He has since starred as Charlie Brackenreid in Murdoch Mystereries.
18 of 19Sonny Flood (Josh Ashworth)
Of course you remember Hollyoak's rather swishy-haired Josh Ashworth! His character was best known for dating Amy Barnes and an array of outlandish storylines including attempted murder, underage sex, drugs, drinking and joy riding. Where is Sonny now?
19 of 19Sonny Flood (Josh Ashworth
Sonny has since completed a law degree at the University of Manchester, working as a paralegal. Miles away from underage drinking a pint at The Dog, eh!
“So someone dying is brilliant. It may seem an awful thing to say. However, you miss them and you’re entitled to miss them. It does help to have that understanding."
Vanya, Bill’s second child with first wife Anna, had been ill for three years before her death.
As well as Linus and Vanya, his children from his first marriage, Bill is also father to Will, 32, and Verity, 36, who he shared with his second wife Sara before her death in 2009.
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