Billy Mayhew may be set for some dark times ahead following the devastating death of

Paul Foreman in Coronation Street as the character succumbed to motor neurone disease,

a real-life condition which affects around 5,000 people in the UK.

The beloved builder portrayed by Peter Ash drew his last breath in tear-jerking scenes aired this Monday, September 9, while his husband Billy Mayhew (Daniel Brocklebank) tried to reach him before it was too late, after going on the hunt for his mobile phone, lost during a night out with David Platt (Jack P. Shepherd).

During his search for the device, Paul’s health took a turn for the worse, leaving Bernie Winter (Jane Hazlegrove) and Summer Spellman (Harriet Bibby) alone to intervene however they could and with Paul’s breathing machine not being enough, they were forced to call an ambulance as he was rushed to hospital.

Billy eventually got wind that Paul was on his way to Weatherfield General, prompting him to run towards the hospital in a last-ditch attempt to get to his beau before it was too late. Sadly, the Coronation Street vicar was unable to reach Paul in time.

Billy Mayhew could be set for some dark times ahead after Paul’s heart-breaking death

The race began when Summer noticed that Paul was struggling to breathe and covered his face with an oxygen mask in vain. Meanwhile, Billy had no idea that Paul was at a low point as nobody could reach him without his phone.

Kit Green (Jacob Roberts) eventually showed up, leaving Summer and Bernie to explain their dilemma and, upon realising that nothing could be done without the help of professionals, they decided to call an ambulance. Paul was immediately rushed to hospital, with Gemma Winter (Dolly-Rose Campbell) climbing aboard the ambulance while Bernie and Summer saw them off and vowed to join them.

Billy was then found by Kit with David, after the vicar had finally managed to find his broken phone, replacing it with a new one which allowed him to catch up with the many calls and messages he had missed.

Bernie, Summer and were all at Paul’s bedside as Billy was later able to give him one last phone call. Unbeknownst to Billy, Paul drew his last breath, dying just as Billy was declaring his love for him but Bernie insisted on letting the vicar finish what he had to say.

Billy arrived in the hospital shortly after Paul had passed but nobody told him the truth, hinting at a possible downward spiral for the fan favourite if he was ever to rumble Paul had died before he could say goodbye. In this scenario, Billy could be overwhelmed with guilt and grief, leading to him relapsing in his addiction to painkillers. He could even develop a new, more dangerous addiction in the process.

Viewers feared the possibility over on Twitter, now X, as one notably wrote: “Oh, Paul. Billy better make it back in time. I don’t think I can bear the next 12 months of him beating himself up for not being there #Corrie.” Elsewhere, fans had intense emotional reactions to Paul’s death scenes: “PLEASE BILLY WOULD YOU JUST WALK IN THE ROOM LIKE”, “Coronation street hitting me right in the heart tonight…what a storyline this has been…”, “This is heart-breaking. I hope Billy makes it in time.”

Speaking about his exit, Peter Ash said: “I don’t think it has properly hit me yet and I don’t think it will until I see the final episode – it just feels like I’ve had a long break.”

“I will grieve myself when it sinks in. That’s it – I’m not going to see Paul again. I’m dreading it. It has been an amazing ride.” Peter, who has dedicated himself to supporting MND charities throughout the storyline, revealed that the response from the MND community has been “incredible”.

He then added: “They have been a massive help. I’ve met some great people and I’ve been going to as many fundraisers as the schedule allows. They’ve got me forever now!” Before speaking about his new acting gig: “I’m doing panto and I’m really looking forward to it,” he said. “I’m doing Aladdin [at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in Oldham] and I’m the bad guy. That will be great fun, such a change from this. But right now, I’m enjoying a bit of time off and the lie-ins.”