Coronation Street’s Peter Ash is set to leave the soap opera after his character Paul Foreman was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND), with the actor now revealing his future plans.

Peter Ash is leaving Coronation Street after six years on the series, having recently opened up about his special episode on the soap which details his character’s Motor Neurone Disease (MND) diagnosis.

The actor first stepped foot in Weatherfield in 2018 as Paul Foreman, David Platt’s cellmate from their time at Highfield Prison. He quickly became a series regular after Paul’s release from prison. His character led a historical moment on the show with the first same-sex wedding upon Paul’s marriage to on-screen husband Billy Mayhew, played by Daniel Brocklebank. The wedding took place over 60 years after the show first aired.

But the characters have been navigating difficult news with Paul’s MND diagnosis, which has affected his nearest and dearest in the series. Paul kept his diagnosis a secret for some time but eventually told his husband and others close to him about what he was going through.

Only recently, things have deteriorated for the cobbles favourite and Friday’s episode aired a powerful episode devoted entirely to a day in the life of Paul from his perspective. The actor has even won an award for his portrayal of the character facing the condition, being recently awarded the Radio Times Soap Award for Best Storyline.

Actor Peter Ash has been playing Paul Foreman in Coronation Street since 2018 (Image: ITV)

Now, ahead of his character’s undoubtedly sad exit, the actor has hinted about his new acting plans in the pipeline. A joint post with Anton Benson Productions last Thursday (July 25) revealed that Peter would be swapping out the Corrie set for the stage, as he’s set to appear in the pantomime, Aladdin.

Taking on the role of Abanazar – who was the basis for Jafar in the Disney production – Peter will be acting in the panto between December 12 and January 4 at The Queen Elizabeth Hall, Oldham. “OLDHAM PANTO CASTING NEWS!,” the post began. “We are thrilled to announce that PETER ASH will star as Abanazar in this year’s panto at Queen Elizabeth Hall, Aladdin! Peter is best known for portraying the character Paul Foreman in Coronation Street.”

In a recent interview with ITV’s This Morning , Dermott O’Leary asked the star how he’s planning on spending his summer, given his weighty storyline in recent moments on the series. “That’s [in] December,” Peter responded about his pantomime plans. “I’ve got a bit of a while to prep for that yet.” He continued: “I’m just going to enjoy the summer.”

It seems that the actor is staying true to his word, having shared a glimpse of his summer holiday plans. Taking to the social media platform on July 31, Peter posted two images of the English seaside town Broadstairs. “Down in Broadstairs,” he simply wrote beneath the pictures of the beach.