Coronation Street is set to screen a powerful episode devoted entirely to a day in the life of MND sufferer Paul Foreman from his perspective.
The episode, which will air on 26 July, will be dedicated to the memory of Rugby League legend Rob Burrow, who tragically passed away from Motor Neurone Disease last month.
The hour-long instalment of the ITV soap will take viewers on a rollercoaster of emotions as Billy Mayhew and Paul Foreman enjoy a special day together knowing each moment could be their last.
During the episode, Billy plans a special day for himself and Paul with the help of family and friends, after he is told it is no longer safe for Paul to use the stair lift in their flat.
When Paul wakes from a dream to discover his speech has drastically deteriorated the viewers will experience the day with him through his inner thoughts and emotions.
Coronation Street is set to screen a powerful episode devoted entirely to a day in the life of MND sufferer Paul Foreman from his perspective (Peter Ash and Daniel Brocklebank pictured in the episode)
The episode, which will air on 26 July, will be dedicated to the memory of Rugby League legend Rob Burrow, who tragically passed away from Motor Neurone Disease last month (Rob pictured in 2015)
The hour-long instalment of the ITV soap will take viewers on a rollercoaster of emotions as Billy Mayhew and Paul Foreman enjoy a special day together knowing each moment could be their last
From visiting the church where they married to tasting beer bubbles in the Rovers and enjoying time with his friends and family, viewers will hear Paul’s innermost thoughts as he comes to terms with the fact that he has limited time left.
While discussing the powerful episode, producer Verity MacLeod said: ‘Paul’s MND has been such an important, powerful story and this episode is one of the real pinnacle moments in Paul’s journey.’
‘Coronation Street has never done anything like this before, it is extraordinary, heartbreaking, funny and beautiful. Must see television at its best!’
‘One thing we were keen to show in this episode is that due to motor neurone disease, Paul’s speech has now deteriorated to the point where he is unable to speak to his loved ones unaided by technology, that while brilliant, can be slow and restrictive.’
‘However, Paul’s brain is still completely active, his personality hasn’t changed. He still has a wicked sense of humour and is the quick witted cheeky chappy we first met in 2018.’
‘To portray this we took the bold step of hearing Paul’s internal monologue and the viewers get to enjoy Paul’s thoughts without the encumbrance of MND.’
‘It’s a unique insight into the struggles Paul faces. The acting from all of the cast is superb but especially Peter Ash and Dan Brocklebank. They are truly spectacular.’
‘The directing from Vicky Thomas and the writing by Debbie Oates is stunning. It is an incredible episode that we are all so proud of.’
From visiting the church where they married to tasting beer bubbles in the Rovers, viewers will hear Paul’s innermost thoughts as he comes to terms with the fact that he has limited time left (both pictured on the soap in May 2023)
Peter Ash, 39, who plays Paul, also admitted that he feels ‘incredibly proud’ to have worked on the episode.
He said: ‘I feel incredibly proud to have worked on this episode. From the moment I read the script I knew it was going to be something really special (mostly because I couldn’t stop crying!)’
‘I loved being able to record Paul’s inner thoughts, showing us the mind is still 100%, even with MND. I hope the audience enjoys it, as everyone involved gave their all!’
Daniel Brocklebank, 44, who plays Billy in the soap, previously lost his grandfather to MND and is an Ambassador of the MND Association.
Of filming the episode he said: ‘There were times I burst into tears on set during the filming of this episode.’
‘There was one day I got in the car after work, and I just wept.’
‘Pete and I have been living in an emotional state for a while now with this storyline, and obviously because we have played it out in real time.’
‘Seeing Pete in that condition is so emotional to play. Pete’s performance and his attention to detail has been incredible, I’m hoping that he wins all the awards, he deserves it so much.’
The special episode will air in honour of Rob Burrows who passed away last month at the age of 41 following a battle with motor neurone disease.
He was diagnosed with the disease in 2019, just two years after retiring from a 17-season league career.
The athlete represented both England and Great Britain during his impressive 16-year long career and made more than 100 appearances between 2001 and 2017.
As well as being one of the UK’s most successful rugby stars, he was also a fierce campaigner, raising awareness for MND along with his friend and former teammate Kevin Sinfield.
The special episode will air in honour of Rob Burrows who passed away last month at the age of 41 following a battle with motor neurone disease (pictured with his wife Lindsey in 2022)
The rugby legend spent his entire club career with Leeds and made more than 400 appearances between 2001 and 2017 before his shock diagnosis in 2019
Rob was diagnosed with the degenerative condition in 2019 and said that he first started to experience symptoms while at an awards show.
The athlete revealed that he started slurring his speech at the Leeds Rhinos event and his caring teammates encouraged him to see a doctor.
After the appointment, he was diagnosed and his family revealed in their ITV documentary Lindsey & Rob: Living With MND that the news came as a complete shock.
He explained that he went for an MRI scan and blood tests which came back clear leading the family to be quite optimistic but then a neurologist delivered a devastating blow.
He said: ‘It’s not good news. I’m sorry to tell you it’s motor neurone disease.’
He added: ‘When I was diagnosed, I think I took it better than Lyns. I think I was just happy for it to be me and not anyone else in my family.’
Despite his diagnosis, the former athlete insisted on living his life to the fullest.
On an appearance on This Morning last year he said: ‘I refuse to give in. I will fight and fight to my very last breath, I use positivity to get me through. Sometimes, even when things are hard, I like to crack a joke and make everyone laugh.’
‘When I was diagnosed I was terrified, but I soon realised I could control how I would approach my situation mentally.’
Last year in a heart wrenching documentary, the former rugby star showed what day to day life was like for him and his family.
The documentary showed how Burrow’s wife Lindsey almost singlehandedly looked after the ill star, feeding him and making him comfortable as well as looking after their three children and working for the NHS.
The show didn’t shy away from the realities of life with MND and the impact on the whole family.
By 2023, Rob had significantly deteriorated from his sporting self just a few years earlier.
Just a year before his death, he weighed just seven stone, was non-verbal and could only eat liquidised food spoon fed to him by his wife Lindsey.
He also had to sleep downstairs and some nights required a ventilator to decrease high levels of carbon dioxide in his body.
But while the physical changes proved challenging for the family, he revealed that the hardest part was the toll the disease had taken on him being a father.
‘The hardest thing for me is not being able to be the dad I want to be,’ Rob, who operates a computer with his eyes to communicate, said on the programme.
‘I would give anything to be able to kick a ball with my son or read the kids a bedtime story. It’s the small things and things that often we take for granted that having MND makes you appreciate,’ he added.
Rob’s determined wife refused assistance from carers and equipment, instead carrying him around their home and from his wheelchair to the car.
Speaking on the documentary, she vowed to continue looking after her beloved husband ‘while I’m physically able’, adding: ‘I know he’d do the same for me.’
Lindsey told The Mirror at the time: ‘We haven’t really discussed the option of carers. We don’t want stairlifts, hoists and things, for me it can become quite clinical.’
The father-of-three also praised his wife, who looked after him and their children while working part-time as a physiotherapist for the NHS.
He said: ‘I am extremely proud of Lindsey. I have nothing but admiration for her. Without her, I wouldn’t be here today,’ he said at the time.’
Lindsey said: ‘You just want to do what you can, while you can, for as long as you can. He’s my husband, I want to care for him. You say those vows, in sickness and in health, that’s what you want to do.’
‘He’ll often say: “Thank you for looking after me, I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you doing these things.” I know how grateful he is.’
Rob said the documentary was made with a very small team of people who had been there ‘since the start.’
He explained: ‘So many people feel like the diagnosis is the end for them. But it is not.’
‘I wanted to show that you don’t need to hide away, or stay at home or be frightened of going out. You can still live every single day.’
‘That is my philosophy and it’s really simple.’
‘I feel for the people who are broken by the words “you have MND”.’
‘I know I was for a while. So I hope I can show them that there is a way you can live with this. If I can help one person then I feel like our film has done its job.’
The couple were married for 17 years and first met when the rugby league star was a ‘shy’ 15-year-old.
The rugby player was given two years to live following his diagnosis and last year he was struggling against having no voluntary movement control aside from his eyes, which he used to spell messages on a screen and tell his wife ‘he couldn’t be more proud’.
But Lindsey admitted at the time: ‘I don’t think he can really get any worse.’
Rob surpassed medical expectations though, living for five years after his diagnosis, appreciating every day while being supported by his children, wife and parents.
Lindsey said Rob introduced a ‘no tear’ policy early on in his diagnosis and added that the family managed to stick to it ‘most of the time.’