Time runs out for Paul Foreman (Peter Ash) next week in Coronation Street as the beloved character will die after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease.
Paul’s illness started off with some hand problems. After being hit by Carla (Alison King) while in an Underworld van, Paul grew curious when he realised his hand wasn’t healing as quick as the rest of his body.
Fast forward a year, Paul is now confined to the four walls of his flat due to being unable to use his stairlift. He has a wheelchair and support for his neck, and uses an Eyegaze machine to communicate with others due to the MND stopping him from talking normally.
In tonight’s episode, Billy goes out with David (Jack P Shepherd) for a few drinks.
As Paul’s primary carer, Billy will obviously struggle with the prospect of leaving his husband and allowing himself some time to relax. Eventually though, knowing Paul wants him to have fun, Billy leaves.
Coming up, a hungover Billy realises he’s lost his phone. This makes him panic, given the fact the device has so many pictures of him and Paul on it.
As he sets off to trace his steps, Summer (Harriet Bibby) and Bernie (Jane Hazlegrove) are horrified to discover Paul is unresponsive on the sofa and struggling to breathe.
With worry setting in, Summer calls an ambulance just as she realises Billy has left at the worst possible time, and doesn’t have any way of contacting him.
While Bernie and Summer desperately do everything they can to keep Paul alive, the odds are stacked against Billy.
Will he make it in time to say his final goodbye to Paul?
‘Of course, because he’s promised Paul that he will be there in his last moment’, Dan Brocklebank said.
‘Even though everybody had said to him, “Go out for a drink.” It’s not just the fact that he wouldn’t be at the end, either, it would be that he spent Paul’s last night on earth pissed up in a bar somewhere, whereas he could have been at home snuggled up with him, falling asleep next to him, waking up next to him and all of those other bits in between.’
