CORONATION Street’s Billy Mayhew has begged Paul Foreman not to take his own life in emotionally charged scenes tonight.
The archdeacon – who is played by actor Dan Brocklebank in the ITV soap – broke down as everything with Paul’s impending death from motor neurone disease got on top of him.
It erupted when their date was crashed by one of Paul’s old mates.
But when Paul’s former friend tried to drag him out of his chair to dance, Billy lost it and punched him to the floor.
Later at the flat the police arrived to question Billy, insisting he go to the station.
Fortunately Dee-Dee was there to help him and she had the police drop the charges as long as Billy apologised to the idiot in question.
But it all spiralled into a row back home when Billy was forced to reveal that he had been hiding his back pain agony and Summer’s opportunity to study in America.
Paul begged him to stop hiding things from him and pitying him.
Billy replied: “I don’t pity you. I have never been more proud of anyone in your whole life.
“I’m in awe of you. The strength that you have, the strength that you give to other people. I’m the one you should pity. I’m falling apart, I’m failing you.”
“You’re not failing me,” insisted Paul.
Billy told him: “Look, I punched him because he couldn’t see what I can. He couldn’t see the strongest, sweetest person I will ever know.
“He couldn’t see that I would give anything to have every second of life with you. Please don’t hate me.”
“I could never hate you,” said Paul.
“Then tell me you’ll say,” replied Billy. “I promise I will open up, just please don’t ever say it. Never say that you want to leave me.”
But Paul told him: “Of course I don’t want to leave you, but we both know that pretty soon that won’t be my choice.”
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Billy replied: “But today it is. So I am begging you with all my heart, choose me. Choose me.”
He broke down in tears as Paul didn’t know what to do to comfort him.
