EXCLUSIVE: Coronation Street star teases soap future as grief-stricken Billy ‘goes off the rails’
Coronation Street actor Daniel Brocklebank has revealed the difficult months ahead for his character Billy Mayhew, after his husband Paul Foreman's death on the ITV soap
Daniel Brocklebank has teased “conflict” ahead for his Coronation Street character Billy Mayhew, as he grieves the loss of his husband Paul Foreman.
There’s “months of grief” on the way for Paul’s loved ones, after he passed away in devastating scenes on Monday night. In a devastating twist, Billy wasn’t there with him when he died, and he’s unaware Paul had slipped away before he had the chance to hear his goodbye message over the phone.
Viewers know the character was diagnosed with motor neurone disease last year, and his health has dramatically declined ever since. In recent episodes, Paul’s breathing has worsened and on Monday the character was rushed to hospital.
As Billy struggles to cope without his partner, he could face dark times like he has done in the past on the show. He’s also set to clash with Paul’s mother Bernie Winter, as the pair struggle to agree on arrangements for the funeral.
Speaking of the new chapter in Billy’s life without his husband, actor Daniel told The Mirror there was a long way to go. On if Billy will struggle and go off the rails, he teased: “We’ll have to wait and see. I think he will go off the rails a bit but not like before.
Daniel Brocklebank has teased conflict ahead for his Coronation Street character Billy Mayhew (
ITV)
“It depends on if he finds out about Bernie telling the lie. It’s been interesting, Jane [Hazlegrove] and I spoke about this when we shot the stuff where Paul died it. It felt like we’d been working up to that moment for the last 18 months and then we realised there was months of grief to play.
“Yes we plateaued on one level, but we’ve still got a massive emotional hill to keep climbing.” Dan confirmed viewers would see the characters’ grief for Paul for some time, and there was tension ahead
He said: “Billy and Bernie are very different people in life and in their approach to death, Billy being a traditionalist and Bernie not. When it comes to organising the funeral inevitably they both want very different things. In true Corrie style it will be conflict with a bit of comedy thrown in.”