As viewers of the ITV soap know, Billy Mayhew recently lost his husband Paul Foreman

Coronation Street star Daniel Brocklebank has jokingly teased a new on-screen romance after a heartbreaking death in the long-running show. As viewers of the ITV soap know, Billy Mayhew recently lost his husband Paul Foreman.

Former builder Paul, played by Peter Ash, was diagnosed with the life-limiting illness, for which there is currently no cure, in April 2023 and he and his loved ones went on to see his health deteriorate in front of their eyes, starting with lost use of his limbs to losing the ability to talk.

But in recent scenes, Paul’s health took a sudden turn for the worse and he was rushed to hospital as he struggled to breathe. Later, after doctors informed his family there was nothing more they could do but make him comfortable, Paul took his last breath.

But in a heartbreaking twist, Billy was unable to say goodbye after a series of events, that started with him looking for his lost phone, delayed his efforts to get there. However, he did think he got to tell Paul how he felt over the phone but in reality, Paul had already tragically passed.

It was Bernie who encouraged Billy to say what he needed to say as Summer Spellman and Gemma Winter-Brown watched on in tears and ended up complicit in Bernie’s lie.

Later, when Billy arrived, he was heartbroken to see a doctor confirming Paul was gone before bursting into the room and taking his husband in his arms for one last time.

Speaking after the scenes aired, Daniel told the Manchester Evening News and other press: “We’ve been building up to this moment for 18 months, us as actors, so when we got that final block in, it was like, ‘Oh my God, we’re here!’

“It felt so far ahead in the future when we were first initially pitched the storyline so for us as characters it was harrowing but for us as actors, we pretty much shot everything chronologically so the scene where Billy arrives and holds onto Paul who’s already passed, was Pete’s last scene.

“So we knew that when that moment happened, Pete was going to be leaving and Billy, Gemma, Bernie and Summer are grieving Paul but we’re grieving Pete, our friend. To lose someone that you adore working with every day is rubbish. So it was harrowing on both levels.”

Later Daniel revealed his hopes for Billy’s direction in 2025, commenting: “I’d really like some comedy that would be nice…. Billy and old women, that would work well! Maybe like a knitting club, book club or maybe a choir? But I think Billy and Sally Metcalfe would be an amusing couple.

“But yeah, a little bit of comedy next year would be nice.” When asked about the possibility of a new romance, Daniel cheekily responded: “Maybe, yeah…. I mean, if they decide to bring me in a 27-year-old Spanish window cleaner, it would be a stretch, but I would do my very best.”

When asked if his character could go off the rails again, Daniel said: “Well, hopefully not to the heroin extent… He did go off the rails a little bit, but hopefully not to shooting up in the aisle of a church extent like we saw it before. Billy’s good in a crisis if it’s not his crisis.”

But Daniel is finding it strange without his on-screen partner as he continued: “For me, I’ve just missed Pete. I’ve not had Pete to have breakfast with every morning and giggle our way through the day. Pete and I used to spend – after we’d finished work we’d sit for a ocuple of hours and go through everything for the next day. So it’s all those little bits of my day that I don’t get to do any more.”