Billy Mayhew (Daniel Brocklebank) and Paul Foreman’s (Peter Ash) wedding is approaching in Coronation Street.
The couple got engaged a few months ago, determined to live life to the full as Paul’s motor neurone disease continues to develop.
While it’s been an exciting time planning the big day, Paul knows the wedding won’t ever completely live up to Billy’s hopes and dreams, given they aren’t allowed to get married in a church.
‘I think he knows Billy very well now and Paul knows that Billy’s downplaying how upset he is about not being able to get married in a church’, Peter Ash told us.
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‘Shelly’s death is something that brings out Paul’s faith. At the funeral he kind of has a spiritual moment. Wanting to get married in a church is a bit more of a priority now for Paul, but he wants to do it mainly for Billy.
‘He knows Billy has devoted his life to the church and he knows that’s where he wants to get married. So it’s a bit disappointing that they can’t, and there can’t be any religious music and all those rules that go around it. Billy’s downplaying it but Paul knows he really is a bit upset that they can’t have any of that at the wedding.’
Coming up, after final touches are made to outfits, hair and makeup, Bernie (Jane Hazlegrove) and Gemma (Dolly-Rose Campbell) walk Paul down the aisle at the Bistro.
Billy waits for him as friends and family watch on, hearts full of love.
Billy and Paul exchange vows and the registrar pronounces them married but after the ceremony, Billy is shocked to discover his new husband has a secret.
Viewers will be aware that Paul is hiding the fact he’s been speaking to Todd (Gareth Pierce) about assisted dying, despite telling Billy a few weeks ago that the subject was no longer on his mind.
‘He will have the guilt of hiding something from Billy but he knows how Billy would react to that’, Peter said.
‘Obviously they have talked about it when it was brought up earlier and it was quashed when they decided to get married. Shelly dying brings it all back for Paul and he’s determined to end things on his own terms because he realises that Shelly didn’t get to do that. Paul really, really wants to do that before he can’t speak any more. Knowing that Shelly was alone at the end, Paul wants it to be on his terms.’
Later in the week, a parishioner called Vaughn tells Billy that he should be completely ashamed of himself following the wedding.
Billy loses his temper and tells him that he needn’t worry as his husband is dying…completely unaware that Paul has heard.
‘It’s a challenge’, Peter told us, reflecting on what changes when he plays Paul as his MND develops.
‘It’s another layer to think about, I guess, as you’re acting, to be aware of those parts of your body that aren’t going to be working. All of us from the beginning have said we want to get this as right as possible. There are real people living with this so we don’t want to misrepresent it. We want to show it with honesty and truthfulness. The MND Association have been amazing, they’ve always been a phone call away if I need to ask anything about any new symptoms that come up in the story. They’re constantly in touch with the story-boarders dealing with every aspect of Paul’s story.’
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