Coronation Street's Peter Ash shares honest response to how he 'winds down' from playing Paul's deterioration

Coronation Street star Peter Ash had an honest reaction to being asked how he 'winds down' after playing his challenging soap scenes in which his character Paul Foreman's health deteriorates as a result of being diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease.

There have been some heartbreaking scenes in the ITV soap being delivered by the actor since Paul was diagnosed with the life-shortening disease, in which messages from the motor neurones gradually stop reaching the muscles, last April with there currently being no cure.

Earlier this year in the ITV soap, Paul's husband Billy Mayhew discovered what Paul had been secretly planning after viewers watched the heartbreaking moment Paul suggested to Todd Grimshaw that he wanted to make the choice when his life should come to an end as his symptoms caused by the life-limiting disease progress.

READ MORE: Coronation Street fans plead 'why' as they spot possible new couple that's not Nick and Toyah

READ MORE: Read more of our Coronation Street stories here

After Paul used former drug addict Abi Webster to get him some drugs, an emotional confrontation ensued with Billy who didn't want his husband's life to end in this way. But in the end, Billy vowed to be there for his husband and help him when he decides the time has come for him to end his own life and the couple have since been going about their business, both knowingly hiding a secret.

Spoilers for upcoming Corrie scenes have revealed that Paul's dad, Denny, will arrive in Weatherfield after hearing his interview about dying with Amy Barlow. Paul's mum Bernie Winter covers her shock at coming face-to-face with Denny and makes out Paul’s already dead and the interview was a recording.

But disbelieving her, Denny follows her up to the flat where Gemma and Paul are shocked to see their dad. When Denny remarks that Paul looks great for someone that’s supposedly dead, Bernie freezes in horror. Later, Bernie lets off steam to Dev about Denny, secretly worried that Denny might blab about her past. Billy, meanwhile, reminds Paul that Denny used to knock him about when he was a kid and he’s not to be trusted but when Paul invites Denny to watch a film, Billy reluctantly leaves them to it.

Denny soon nips out for ice cream leaving Paul alone in the flat. He bumps into Gemma and begs her to let him meet his grandchildren. But while alone in the flat, Paul has a coughing fit and struggles to breathe. He calls for an ambulance but when the operator answers, he drops the phone. Denny then returns and is shocked to find Paul barely conscious.

Asked how hard it is playing the physical side of Paul's diagnosis, actor Peter said: "In some ways it is less difficult to play as Paul moves a lot less and I am in the chair a lot of the time. I also find that when I am in the chair my arm automatically goes into position, there is a certain amount of muscle memory when you do something so often."

He continued: "The voice has been something I have worked on a lot, I have to speak so that people can understand but show that Paul is having difficulty speaking. I also feel a responsibility to make sure the portrayal is accurate."

Then when asked how he winds down after filming those scenes, the soap star admitted: "I have always been really good at not taking the job home with me but I also remember that for me I am playing the role and for the people who are living with MND it is their life, they can’t get a break from it."