How has Billy been feeling about Paul’s somewhat erratic behaviour? Was it hard to forgive Paul for what he did with his ex?
He forgave him very quickly. I think had he not been ill wouldn't have made such allowances for his behaviour because he's put not just Billy but Gemma and Bernie through the ringer. He is incredibly worried about him. I think Billy was a little more forgiving than he would be normally purely because of the conversation he had with Toyah. She made him think when she said, ‘Look he's dying. His head's going to be all over the place. Surely he should be forgiven for making a few rash decisions’ I think Billy really was in two minds initially as to whether he's going to stick with Paul but it's Toyah’s chat that's helped his decision.
Paul really struggles with the MND meeting and seeing his future, how does this make Billy feel? Is he feeling the pressure to be strong for Paul?
Billy feels a huge amount of pressure because obviously Billy being Archdeacon slash he is used to doing the pastoral care role, but this is different because it's his partner. So he's trying to apply his normal sort of way of dealing with things to this situation, but it's impossible for him to do that, because he's in love with Paul. He's under a huge amount of pressure to be there. But also, he has got to try to be there for himself, which is one of the reasons why he tries to convince Paul to go to these MND meetings. He's had one parishioner with MND so he knows the condition in that he knows what's going to happen to Paul. But he thinks if Paul is able to reach out to other people with MND, it will take a bit of pressure off of Billy. They also would be able to answer questions that he can't, but obviously for Paul seeing his future by going to those meetings that is going to be hugely stressful for Paul. Being faced with that is going to cause issues. In some ways. It's done the opposite to what Billy hoped it would do, rather than giving him that support and somewhere else to sort of let off steam about it. It actually initially brought more problems home to Billy I guess.
So how does Billy feel then when Paul announces that he wants to look at assisted dying as an option?
He is absolutely horrified. Because it not only goes against his own personal moral stance, but also his role as an Archdeacon is very much about celebrating the life they've got left rather than terminating it; he wants them to have more time together, not less. So he's absolutely horrified that Paul is even considering it.
How does that affect their relationship in that moment?
Billy is very fixated on the fact that Paul isn’t christened and now he wants to end his life so he is worried that he may not go to heaven and they won’t see each other in the afterlife. It throws up other issues because Paul quite rightly says, look, you're already focusing on the end. And I'm not ready to face that yet. Billy is already focusing on the fact that what's going to happen after he's gone, whereas Paul says I don't want to think about that bit yet.
One of the ways that Billy deals with it and deals with impending death is his faith and that that side of things is important. So this flies in the face of all of that, doesn't it?
Totally. If you compare at the end of life conversations he had with Sinead yes when he visited her deathbed talking about the afterlife. That was beautifully written. she said I'm scared of what if there's nothing and he said but there's a peace in nothing. We'll get eternal life, we get the rest. So his view on things is very different. I think there's a lot of reasons, both personally professionally and spiritually, why Billy is against the assisted dying thing.
But then the next shock for him after that whole conversation is that that Paul proposes is that a surprise and and how does he feel when that happens?
When Paul says I've got something I need to ask you. Billy automatically assumes that it's going to be a proposal. He gets so excited. He gets himself all dolled up. He lights a candle it
And then Paul basically asks him to help him kill himself when the time comes. That was not what he was expecting. But eventually Paul does ask him to marry him and he is thrilled.
Once the proposal then does come they immediately start talking about the wedding and how does Billy feel at this stage about the fact that they can't get married in church?
I think, again, I think it comes down to the fact that Paul is dying. On some level, of course, he would like to get married in a church that is, of course, his ideal wedding. But knowing that it's not possible. I suppose marrying a man that you love, even if in a non religious setting is better than not marrying him at all.
And how do you feel about the fact that this potentially could be the first Corrie gay wedding that goes ahead? We got to the altar with Sian and Sophie but they didn't get married. And are you looking forward to all the build up to it and everything?
I do feel slightly honoured, I'm thrilled. I mean, obviously there's been long running gay characters in the show, prior to Billy with Todd and Sean and also Sophie. And I'm thrilled that we are going to finally have a wedding. Billy has been on the other side of the altar for so many it seems fitting for him to have the first one, and with him being a religious man it is significant in that way too. Although he hasn't been the best omen at weddings. Most of the ones he has officiated at haven't ended well! Let’s hope that doesn’t jinx it.
The storyline is developing quite rapidly now. How's it been so far for you?
It's been obviously quite emotional. I am really starting to notice the progression too. I watched it the other night when I got home after filming some scenes coming up where Paul can’t get up the stairs. On screen Billy and Paul had just got back from their honeymoon and the physical deterioration between Paul then and what we had been filming that day was massive. Peter is doing a truly stellar job he really is. His attention to detail with it and his commitment to it is incredible. It's obviously painful to watch, it’s horrible.
What has the reaction been like?
The reaction has been phenomenal. A lady stopped me in the street a few weeks ago, it was it was the third anniversary of her husband’s death from MND. She stopped me in the street and she said, I just I'm so thrilled that Corrie are covering this. She said they felt very much isolated by this illness and I obviously understand that statement having gone through it myself with my grandfather.
You must feel proud of what the show is doing?
Absolutely. The disease progresses in such a way that by the time you actually get any help for that one bit. You're already way beyond that so for us to be able to highlight it in not not not only a sensitive way, but also sometimes in a humorous way is fantastic. There is humour in the darkness as well because I think when you are living with a terminal diagnosis, you don't spend your whole day just focusing on that diagnosis. You do try to live in the moment, especially with MND, because you might wake up one morning and you walk fine and then by lunchtime, your right leg has given way and never comes back again. So I think living in that moment is vital and we are showing that too.
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