Just before Paul Foreman, the character he plays on Coronation Street, is scheduled to leave the show, Peter Ash, the star of the show, revealed a peek of his summer vacation plans.
After six years of heartbreaking Motor Neurone Disease (MND) storylines for his character Paul Foreman, Peter Ash of Coronation Street is about to say goodbye to the cobbles.
The actor first graced Weatherfield in 2018 as David Platt’s former prison cellmate, Paul Foreman, and quickly became a staple of the show following Paul’s release from jail. His character made history on the soap with the first same-sex wedding when he tied the knot with on-screen partner Billy Mayhew, portrayed by Daniel Brocklebank, over six decades after the show’s inception.
However, Paul’s MND diagnosis has brought challenging times for those closest to him on the show. Initially keeping his condition under wraps, Paul eventually confided in his husband and other loved ones about his struggle.
Recently, viewers have seen Paul’s health decline, with Friday’s episode featuring a poignant day-in-the-life perspective of Paul. The actor’s portrayal of the character grappling with MND has even earned him accolades, including the recent Radio Times Soap Award for Best Storyline.
Ahead of his character’s imminent departure, the actor has hinted at his new acting ventures. A joint post with Anton Benson Productions on Thursday (July 25) revealed that Peter would be trading the Corrie set for the stage, as he is slated to appear in the pantomime, Aladdin, reports the Mirror.
He will take on the role of Abanazar – who inspired Jafar in the Disney production – and will perform in the panto from December 12 to 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 on ITV’s This Morning, Dermott O’Leary asked the star about his summer plans, given his significant storyline in recent episodes. “That’s [in] December,” Peter replied regarding his pantomime plans. “I’ve got a bit of a while to prep for that yet. I’m just going to enjoy the summer.”
It appears the actor is sticking to his word, having shared a sneak peek of his summer holiday plans. On July 31, Peter posted two images of the English seaside town Broadstairs on social media. “Down in Broadstairs,” he simply captioned the beach pictures.
