The Archdeacon of Weatherfield has got men confessing their love for him left, right and centre this week, and it's got Billy's head in a spin. With this, one thing I've noticed is that Billy is lacking in the friend department. Shona has probably forgotten his existence after her memory loss, and Eva left the country. While Billy does still have friends in Sean and Eileen, they are not ideal candidates for him to discuss his tangled love-life with, seeing as one is his ex-boyfriend and the other is his ex's mum. So, fear not, Billy, I am here to offer some of my own wisdom.
The biggest question I have for Billy is: why would he want to be with either Paul or Todd? It was nice to see Todd's plan backfire on him as Billy was hardly left swooning after Todd's declaration of love- he was due a socially distanced slap and Billy delivered it in the form of a severe dressing down. Tonight, we'll also see Paul confessing his undying love. While it's unknown what reaction Billy will have to this, it's sure to throw a spanner in the works. Despite both men falling at his feet, I sincerely hope that Billy tells them both to do one, and here's why.
Let's start with Todd. I'll clear this up now- I like Todd, but isn't it time he was either honest with Billy about his feelings, or moved on entirely? With Todd acting like a you-know-what all the time, he and Billy are no longer suited. Any respect he once had for Billy has gone right out the window and has little sign of returning any time soon. Todd has done nothing but manipulate and lie to Billy since he clapped eyes on him last year. Next.
Now we have Paul, who appears to be pretty harmless. He and Billy lived a moderately happy life together and of course there were bumps in the road, but this is Coronation Street and happiness is only allowed in 5-minute intervals. These days, these pockets of happiness occur when someone has a good hotpot in the pub, swiftly ruined by finding a bag of cocaine hidden in the gravy, or seeing their partner doing things they shouldn't with their neighbour in the corner. I digress. Billy and Paul's relationship was never healthy. Paul became heavily reliant on Billy, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it always seemed very one-sided. Paul never seemed available to offer Billy support when he needed it, and it evolved into something quite parental. Paul's strops paired with Billy's holier-than-thou attitude equals an unhealthy dynamic.
Billy now faces a choice. Get back together with manipulative (and quite frankly, sociopathic) Todd, or fall back into the arms of whinging Paul. My advice to Billy would be to not bother with either of them. Paul and Todd have a way of getting inside Billy's head and making him miserable. Last Friday, Billy was the life and soul of The Rovers with Sean and Eileen until Todd came waltzing in, smirking about his latest plan. As soon as Todd sat down, Billy's aura diminished as he started worrying about Paul, and then got manipulated into believing he'd upset Todd by quite rightly thinking it weird that his two exes have suddenly become best friends. The best thing Billy can do now is invest in some self-care books and realise his worth without these two men making his life hell. Maybe I'm being crazy here, or could Billy even venture a bit further than Weatherfield to find a man who will actually respect him? If he had a mate knocking around, they'd have told him that months ago.
Taking my advisory hat off for a moment, it's worth noting that Dan Brocklebank and Gareth Pierce do work really well together on-screen. Their scenes explode with energy, so perhaps that could be an interesting avenue to explore. Billy and Summer also have a wonderful relationship- they have a lovely father/daughter dynamic that I'd love to see more of.
Billy is a unique and brilliant character, so if he has to choose either Todd or Paul, I hope to God he makes the right decision for himself.
Sophie Williams
I'm on Twitter @sophie_writer1
![]()
All original work on Coronation Street Blog is covered by a Creative Commons License
All original work on Coronation Street Blog is covered by a Creative Commons License
