[6] Prior to appearing in The Bill Lloyd had already played the high-profile role of nightclub owner Don Watkins in the soap opera Coronation Street.

He also appeared in a number of other television shows, including the first series of Starting Out, Boon, Minder, Dear John, Farrington of the F.O., Dempsey and Makepeace, Z-Cars, Andy Capp, Auf Wiedersehen Pet, Blake's 7 and Casualty.

His film credits included roles in Trial by Combat (1976), Talent (1979), Britannia Hospital (1982), Don't Open till Christmas (1984), Link (1986) and Billy the Kid and the Green Baize Vampire (1987).

Lloyd spoke of the similarities between himself and his character in the series, namely that he and Tosh were both short, scruffy and slightly overweight, and both had multiple children to support.

Shortly afterwards, he entered a clinic in Burton upon Trent for medical supervision and a programme of alcohol detoxification, with the administration of antabuse.

His widow subsequently launched a legal action alleging negligence by the facility's medical staff, but lost the case in court.

Lloyd lived with his family in Duffield, Derbyshire, from which he regularly commuted a round trip of 270 miles (430 km) to Notting Hill, west London, where The Bill was filmed.

[13] In 1992, he was a subject on This Is Your Life, whereby the Derby County squad paid a video homage to him singing "We want Kevin Lloyd".