In recent Coronation Street scenes, Billy Mayhew (Daniel Brocklebank) has been deeply concerned about Paul Foreman (Peter Ash), but he has so far been unable to determine what is behind his troubling behaviour.
Billy questioned Dee-Dee Bailey (Channique Sterling-Brown), the best friend of Paul, in the May 26 episode.
The audience will be aware that Dee-Dee has been Paul’s attorney before to his court appearance for automobile theft, which he has kept from partner Billy.
His motor neurone disease diagnosis, which is something else he has been trying to stay quiet about, is what is actually on his mind right now.
Billy implored Dee-Dee to tell him what she knew, thinking that he would have confided in her about whatever it was that was bothering him.
She instructed Billy to speak to Paul directly because she didn’t want to betray his trust.
Paul eventually considered giving up and showed up to his court appearance with Dee-Dee by his side for support.
However, when Billy showed up, ready to find out what was going on, they were both in for a surprise.
Paul was horrified and pleaded with Dee-Dee not to bring up his MND, but she reminded him that his medical information had already been given to the other party.
They had no choice but to wait while the court deliberated because they had no control over the situation.
Billy was utterly speechless when the court said that Paul would receive a suspended sentence owing to his diagnosis after what felt like hours for poor Paul.
Billy addressed Paul as the courtroom was closing and expressed his hurt at being kept in the dark.
Billy afterwards went over to Paul’s house and gave him the opportunity to explain everything before pledging his support.
Billy advised Paul to be honest with his mother Bernie (Jane Hazelgrove) when she arrived to chastise him for skipping sister Gemma’s (Dolly-Rose Campbell) wedding.
Paul declined, saying that he was aware that Gemma was on to him and that he wanted to be as far away as possible so that she would remember her wedding day as the day she married the man she loved and not the day she learned that her brother was dying.
Paul sobbed and revealed how terrified he was.
Will Billy be able to persuade him to reveal himself to his family?
Dan Brocklebank reflected on the shocking finding and told us, “Of course, he’s distraught. It’s challenging, in my opinion, since he will have to juggle his duty as a pastor with the fact that this is a personal journey and not the same as being a parishioner.
He is acutely conscious of the fact that their time together is winding down. And as things stand, their time is running out since, of course, Paul will be able to accomplish less and less the longer it goes on.
“I think for Billy it’s utterly heartbreaking that he feels like he’s just gotten this guy back and they’ve got things on track and he thought that everything was going well, and then all of a sudden, bang,” says the author.
The future that he believed they were constructing is entirely destroyed as this creature enters the scene and “literally smashes everything out of the park.”
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