The inhabitants of Coronation Street will soon get together to bid farewell to Paul Foreman (Peter Ash), so emotional times are ahead for everyone.
Paul was given a motor neurone disease diagnosis the previous year. In a segment devoted just to their narrative, which airs this Friday, July 26, Paul and Billy Mayhew (Daniel Brocklebank) will leave the flat one more time before Paul is restricted to their house.
Billy takes Paul out for one last time after telling him it is no longer safe for him to use the stair lift to leave the flat. They visit several significant locations, such as the church where they were married.
Paul wakes up before they leave and discovers that his speech has significantly gotten worse. Actor Peter Ash provides a voiceover for Paul during the episode, revealing his deepest emotions as he comes to terms with his impending death.
Daniel is shown wearing a collar, implying that Billy would be in charge of the burial. Photograph: ZENPIX LTD.
Rob Burrow, a rugby league legend who passed away from motor neurone disease (MND) last month, will be honoured in this episode, which was written by Debbie Oates and directed by Vicky Thomas.
“Paul’s MND has been such an important, powerful story, and this episode is one of the real pinnacle moments in Paul’s journey,” producer Verity MacLeod remarked in reference to the special episode.
This is something that Coronation Street has never done before; it’s amazing, tragic, hilarious, and lovely. Must-watch TV at its finest!
We wanted to make it clear in this episode that Paul’s speech has gotten worse as a result of his motor neurone illness, to the point where he needs the help of technology, which is great but may be sluggish and limiting when speaking to loved ones.
Nevertheless, Paul’s personality hasn’t altered, and his brain is still fully functional. He is still the quick-witted, cheeky chappie that we met in 2018 and he still has a wicked sense of humour.
We boldly chose to show Paul’s internal monologue in order to convey this, allowing viewers to appreciate Paul’s ideas free from the limitations of motor neurone disease. It offers a distinctive perspective on Paul’s challenges.
These brand-new pictures show Billy, Bernie (Jane Hazlegrove), Gemma (Dolly-Rose Campbell), Summer (Harriet Bibby), and Todd (Gareth Pierce), Paul’s closest and dearest, getting ready for the big reveal.
To demonstrate how well-liked Paul was in the Weatherfield community, actors David (Jack P Shepherd), George (Tony Maudsley), Dev (Jimmi Harkishin), Ed (Trevor Michael Georges), and Kirk (Andy Whyment) will be joining them.
Attendees also include characters Dee-Dee (Channique Sterling-Brown), Chesney (Sam Aston), and Aadi (Adam Hussain). The recent arrival Jacob Roberts is also shown. He portrays Kit Green, the long-lost sibling of Paul and Gemma who was only recently revealed.
Actor Dan Brocklebank told us, “The entire day is amazing and I really don’t want to spoil it by giving too much away,” in response to this Friday’s show. It was the most amazing and poignant episode to shoot. Not every day is filled with grand gestures or surprises. Billy is probably discovering this already, as are most others, that the little things in life are sometimes the largest. Grand gestures and costly presents are not necessary; what matters most is the small things, the details.
Billy is waiting for Paul to inform him he’s ready to terminate his life in the midst of all of this. Paul requested Billy’s assistance with this earlier in the year, stating that he didn’t want to get to the point where his motor neurone illness made him feel like a “hostage inside his own body.”
Dan said, “I believe Billy has found peace with it.”
At first, it was evidently against Billy’s entire moral and religious code, against all he stands for, as he believed that life is holy and priceless since it is a gift from God. However, it’s also evident that he respects Paul’s desires. Billy is a genuinely kind person, and although though it was the most horrible experience of his life, I believe he has moved over it. Billy’s concern is more about making sure Paul is making the correct choice and that the perfect time will arrive, if and when that time comes.
“I do believe that in the end, Billy has come to terms with Paul’s decision. However, he may face consequences later on and may wonder if I could have done more to stop him or persuade him that perhaps tomorrow or the week after that would be a better day.”
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