Coronation Street fans were left seething at Billy Mayhew (played by Daniel Brocklebank) after he failed to charge Paul Foreman’s (portrayed by Peter Ash) speech device, as his health continues to decline due to motor neurone disease. The beloved builder relies on this communication aid to converse with his loved ones, including his devastated husband Billy.
As Paul’s fight against the crippling illness nears its end, he has begun creating memories for his family and Billy to cherish.
In Wednesday’s episode of the soap (September 4), Paul recorded a list of things he wants Billy to do after he passes away, which includes finding love again.
Billy and Summer Spellman (Harriet Bibby) settled down on the couch, ready to listen to Paul’s heart-wrenching list, but things didn’t go as planned.
However, when Paul tried to play his message, the synthesiser ran out of power because Billy couldn’t locate the charger, reports the Express. This mistake resulted in all of Paul’s hard work being lost, leaving everyone feeling deflated.
Summer took control of the situation, instructing Billy to get some fresh air while Paul rested. She then used “all of her patience” to assist Paul in re-writing his manifesto using a letter board, with Summer transcribing.
Upon Billy’s return home, he listened to Paul’s instructions in an incredibly emotional scene.
Corrie watchers were absolutely livid over Billy’s mistake and stormed Reddit to vent their irritation, as one particularly vexed fan penned: “Billy is a selfish. He is a terrible, controlling partner and Paul deserves better.”
Another viewer inquired: “How can Billy lose a charger that keeps the only form of communication, for Paul, alive? I can see why, with the storyline but it’s so unrealistic. It’s frustrating, as a mum of a disabled child who has zero communication… Ugh!”
Adding to the frustration, a third joined in with criticism: “Went for a walk, didn’t bother to go into Curry’s to buy another charger. Good going Billy.”
Finally, an irate fan commented about the character’s recent portrayal: “So out of order, I swear they’re trying to make Billy seem flippant”.
