Emotional times lie ahead for the residents of Coronation Street, as they’ll soon gather together to say goodbye to Paul Foreman (Peter Ash).
Paul was diagnosed with motor neurone disease last year. This Friday (July 26), in an instalment dedicated entirely to their storyline, Paul and Billy Mayhew (Daniel Brocklebank) will leave the flat one more time before Paul finds himself confined to their home.
Having been told it is no longer safe for Paul to use the stair lift to leave the flat, Billy takes Paul out one last time, and the pair visit places that mean a lot to them, including the church they were married in.
Before they head out, Paul wakes up to find that his speech as drastically deteriorated. Throughout the episode, viewers will hear Paul’s innermost thoughts through a voiceover by actor Peter Ash, as he comes to terms with the fact that he has limited time left.
The episode, written by Debbie Oates and directed by Vicky Thomas, will be dedicated to the memory of Rugby League legend Rob Burrow, who died from MND last month.
Speaking about the special episode, producer Verity MacLeod said: ‘Paul’s MND has been such an important, powerful story and this episode is one of the real pinnacle moments in Paul’s journey.
‘Coronation Street has never done anything like this before, it is extraordinary, heartbreaking, funny and beautiful. Must see television at its best!
‘One thing we were keen to show in this episode is that due to motor neurone disease Paul’s speech has now deteriorated to the point where he is unable to speak to his loved ones unaided by technology, that while brilliant, can be slow and restrictive.
‘However, Paul’s brain is still completely active, his personality hasn’t changed. He still has a wicked sense of humour and is the quick witted cheeky chappy we first met in 2018.
‘To portray this we took the bold step of hearing Paul’s internal monologue and the viewers get to enjoy Paul’s thoughts without the encumbrance of MND. It’s a unique insight into the struggles Paul faces.’
In these new images, we see Paul’s nearest and dearest – Billy, Bernie (Jane Hazlegrove), Gemma (Dolly-Rose Campbell), Summer (Harriet Bibby) and Todd (Gareth Pierce) all preparing themselves for the big event.
Joining them will be the likes of David (Jack P Shepherd), George (Tony Maudsley), Dev (Jimmi Harkishin), Ed (Trevor Michael Georges) and Kirk (Andy Whyment), highlighting just how popular Paul was among the Weatherfield community.
Characters including Dee-Dee (Channique Sterling-Brown), Chesney (Sam Aston) and Aadi (Adam Hussain) are also in attendance. Also pictured is newcomer Jacob Roberts. He plays Kit Green, who was only recently introduced as Paul and Gemma’s long-lost brother.
Reflecting on this Friday’s episode, actor Dan Brocklebank told us: ‘The whole day is amazing and I really don’t want to spoil it by giving too much away. It was the most incredible and emotional episode to film. Not all of the day is big surprises or gestures. I think what Billy is realising, as I think most people should, in life, generally anyway, is that actually the small things are the biggest. You don’t need grand gestures or expensive gifts, it is in the detail, the little things that matter the most.’
Amid all of this, Billy is waiting for the moment where Paul will tell him he’s ready to end his life. Earlier in the year, Paul asked for Billy’s help with this and said he doesn’t want to reach a point where his motor neurone disease makes him feel like a ‘hostage inside his own body’.
‘I think Billy has made peace with it’, Dan revealed.
‘Initially, obviously, it went against his entire moral and religious code, against everything he stands for, because in Billy’s mind life is life is given to us by God, and therefore is sacred and precious. But then obviously, he also understands Paul’s wishes. Billy’s a very compassionate person, and despite it being the most brutal moment of his life, I think he’s made peace with it. With Billy, it’s more about when that time comes, if that time comes, he has to make sure that it really is the moment and Paul is making the right decision.
‘Billy will then be left with the consequences afterwards, and could potentially be left wondering, should I have tried harder to stop him or convince him that maybe next week is a better day, or the week after that, or the week after that, but I do think ultimately, has now made peace with Paul’s decision.’
