After five months of leaving the soap, Peter Ash finally spoke about his time on Coronation Street. The actor who played Paul Foreman first appeared in 2018 and quickly made his way to our hearts. Paul arrived as David Platt’s former prison mate and soon settled on the cobbles.
Over six years, he was at the heart of many storylines, including his relationship with Vicar Billy Mayhew and the soap’s first-ever same-sex wedding. However, his final storyline, where we saw him getting diagnosed with motor neurone disease—really broke our hearts into pieces. After his emotional departure from the soap, Peter shared thoughts on his time there and what’s next.
Views on Playing Paul
Speaking to Nottinghamshire Live, Peter admitted. He still finds it hard to believe he spent six years on the show. He said, “Corrie, for any UK actor, let alone a northern actor, is a dream job. It’s a British institution going for 60-odd years. I have had six years on it myself, and I still have to pinch myself when I really think about it. Loved every minute of it. I was working with a great team on Corrie.”
The actor reflected on his feelings when he discovered that his character’s story would end with motor neurone disease. Peter said, “It was a bit of a blur; there were mixed reactions, really. I was sad to be leaving a job that is Corrie but also privileged that they trusted me with such a big storyline. I wasn’t saying I wanted to leave; it was just one of those things.”
He added, “The idea of doing an MND storyline was floating around for a while, but I guess it was who do you give that to, and I think they must have seen something in me, maybe that I would be able to do it. Obviously, now that it’s finished, I can say it’s the proudest job I’ve ever done working on Corrie.
I’ve made up for it all.” After leaving the soap, Peter starred in pantomime and is touring the UK in Picture You Dead with Emmerdale-fame Fiona Wade. Will we ever see him back to the cobbles? It’s yet to be seen, and we will keep you posted on the upcoming Coronation Street spoilers. Stay tuned to Soap Opera Daily!
