What’s wrong with Paul on Coronation Street and when is Peter Ash leaving?
Paul Foreman actor Peter Ash is set to leave Coronation Street after his character was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in a devastating turn of events
Coronation Street’s Paul Foreman is set to leave the show in a poignant storyline after his motor neurone disease diagnosis.
The beloved character’s departure has been confirmed but a date has yet to be set. Peter Ash – who plays Paul – admitted he had “mixed feelings” about the storyline, knowing it would sadly leave to his eventual exit.
Sharing his thoughts about his departure, he said: “I was called into the producer’s office late last year, and he said we’ve got this very big storyline for you, which will be a great thing to do, but it will mean an eventual exit. I had mixed feelings obviously. I’ll be sad to leave the show. It’s an amazing job, I’ve met fantastic people. I’ll be sad to leave but at the same time, I’m quite happy to be involved in such a powerful storyline which will hopefully bring awareness to it. It’s a double edged sword.”
What is wrong with Paul?
Paul has been diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease. He had an accident and was failing to recover, before doctors later investigated and realised he had MND. His speech has slowly started deteriorating and he was recently told he could only eat pureed foods rather than solid ones, leaving him devastated as he tried to stay strong for his family.
Paul will die in sad scenes, likely to air later this year
Producer Iain Macleod spoke about the significance of the storyline, highlighting the need for greater awareness. He added: “Motor Neurone Disease is something that many people might have heard of but perhaps don’t know a lot about, even given the recent cases of public figures talking about their experiences of living with the condition.”
“A show like Coronation Street is uniquely placed to show the day-to-day reality of dealing with an illness that gradually and progressively erodes the physical attributes that you perhaps take for granted, changing forever the way you interact with the world around you. At first, Paul – who as a builder, relies entirely on his physicality for his livelihood – will massively go off the rails in a misplaced bid to ensure he isn’t a burden on his loved ones. But in the end, they will be the ones to put him back together emotionally. We are committed to portraying in a long-term, sensitive way the effects of this condition on Paul and his family and friends, not shying away from the sometimes painful reality of what his life will be like.”
Peter Ash has admitted he has mixed feelings about leaving the show
He added: “We have been privileged to work with the Motor Neurone Disease Association – including talking to people who have the condition and their families – to ensure we do justice to people’s real-life experiences.”
When is Peter leaving?
A leaving date has yet to be confirmed. However, it is believed one important milestone has already come for Paul. Last Christmas, Paul celebrated what was believed to be his final Christmas with his family, so it is expected that Paul will pass away in the next few months before the end of 2024 is up, although a specific exit date is yet to be confirmed for Peter.
Paul is deteriorating quite rapidly now, and although we don’t have a specific time Peter will leave the show, it is likely to be in the next few months and will no doubt be heartbreaking for viewers and the cast alike.