Coronation Street 's Paul Foreman will find it increasingly difficult to hide his recent health diagnosis on the ITV soap in the coming episodes, after experiencing new symptoms.
Paul, played by Peter Ash, recently discovered he had Motor Neurone Disease, but he hasn't told any of his family or his partner Billy Mayhew the news yet.
The character was struggling with using his hand after a motorbike crash earlier this year, with him thought to have sustained a nerve injury.
But as his issues continued and he struggled to grip things, further tests suggested he may in fact have MND with him later diagnosed with the condition.
In upcoming scenes, Paul is still hiding his big news with only two residents knowing the truth – but a new symptom may reveal all.
Spoilers for next week reveal he believes there is a glimmer of hope with a new drug he's found on the internet, and he seeks advice.
But as he visits the MND clinic in the hope of discussing it with a doctor, he's left unsuccessful.
Then, in the lead-up to his twin sister Gemma's wedding he experiences a new symptom as he struggles with his right foot.
He knows something isn't right but hides it, but the struggles continue – leading to another visit to the clinic where he begs for Tofersen treatment, convinced it’s the answer to his prayers.
Later in the week, Paul falls out with Gemma and his behaviour soon sparks concern with Billy who reaches out to Dee-Dee Bailey, who is currently covering for Paul.
It seems the news could come out as Paul sneaks off to court after the recent arrest, another thing he's kept from Billy.
So when Billy heads down there to hear what he has to say, will he find out about his partner's illness?
Actor Peter Ash previously admitted he had "mixed feelings" about his exit from the soap, knowing that the MND diagnosis will shorten his character's life and sadly eventually lead to his passing.
Peter explained to The Mirror and other press: "I was called into the producer's office late last year, and he said 'we've got this very big storyline for you, which will be a great thing to do, but it will mean an eventual exit'. I had mixed feelings obviously.
"I'll be sad to leave the show. It's an amazing job, I've met fantastic people. I'll be sad to leave but at the same time, I'm quite happy to be involved in such a powerful storyline which will hopefully bring awareness to it. It's a double edged sword."
It's not yet been revealed how long he'll be on the Cobbles for, but the storyline will be spread across months and months.
Producer Iain Macleod said at the time the news was announced: "Motor Neurone Disease is something that many people might have heard of but perhaps don’t know a lot about, even given the recent cases of public figures talking about their experiences of living with the condition.
"At first, Paul – who as a builder, relies entirely on his physicality for his livelihood – will massively go off the rails in a misplaced bid to ensure he isn’t a burden on his loved ones. But in the end, they will be the ones to put him back together emotionally."
Coronation Street airs Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm on ITV1 and ITV X.
