Daniel Brocklebank interview: Billy discovers Paul's devastating secret

Over recent weeks, Paul has been keeping his motor neurone disease diagnosis a secret from his family and friends. However, viewers saw tonight the devastating moment where Billy found out Paul's secret after turning up at Paul's court hearing.

We chatted with Daniel Brocklebank about how Billy copes with finding out the truth and hinting at what viewers can expect over the coming months.

Prior to finding out about Paul’s illness, Billy was getting a bit frustrated with his behaviour. What did he think was going on?

His behaviour was very abnormal, and I don’t think Billy was as astute as he could’ve been. But by the end of it, he thought he was going off him. He thought he made a mistake getting back into the relationship, and he genuinely thought it was him rather than something going on with Paul because he was always out with Dee-Dee, he was constantly never at home. And I think Billy thought in the end that Paul was going off the idea of being in a relationship and had made a mistake in terms of getting back with Billy. 

Is that what made Billy go to the court case?

Well, his behaviour was so shifty, so Billy goes through his belongings, which again is a very un-Billy like thing to do. And he finds a letter from the court with the date and the time of the court case. So Billy turns up thinking, “What have you done?” And then of course is hit with the news that not only has he been stealing cars, but that his sentence is being reduced due to his medical diagnosis of the MND. It’s a massive shock. 

Billy’s hearing it as a bit of car crash revelation from the judge. She played it brilliantly. And there’s no dialogue in that scene either, so the reaction is just him trying to take it in and get his head around it. The scenes afterwards are the scenes we were able to actually show that emotion between the two of us. 

There was one scene in the court afterwards, and we discussed it with the director, Peter and I… Sometimes, when you get these scenes, you’ve got the writer’s stage directions, but then sometimes, when you’re rehearsing a scene, you don’t necessarily want to play it the way that they’ve decided you should. They decide what we’re going to say, but personally, it’s my job to decide how I say that line. As long as it’s sticking to the narrative and telling the story truthfully. And the stage directions we’d been given for this particular scene, Pete and I both felt that they weren’t helpful in terms of the way… Because we’ve got such a long way to go with this storyline, and it’s such an emotional journey, we don’t want to burn all of that out too soon. 

The tears, the anger, the frustration, of course there’s going to be those moments, but sometimes, we don’t want to be crying all the time in scenes. We want to be giving it variation and colour. And also, the audiences don’t want to just be seeing us sitting and crying all the time either. So there’s choices in how we choose to play these things, and that was one of those moments where all three of us felt, actually, this scene should be played not necessarily as the stage directions were suggesting. 

The scenes back at the flat were highly emotional. What was it like filming those scenes?

They were brutal, actually. I came home exhausted after that day. And Pete and I had done some filming that day with Rob Burrows as well, which I think added to the intensity of filming them. Obviously, having spent the afternoon with somebody with advanced MND and such a hero like Rob as well, who’s made such a huge impact on the MND community and the MND Association. I think it added to filming that day.

They’re heart-breaking scenes, absolutely heart-breaking. Even during the read-through, Pete and I were welling up. Sometimes you make a choice about how you’re going to play things. Sometimes, it just gets you, and you literally can’t choose anything else because that’s how it’s making you feel in that moment.

How is Billy feeling during all of this?

He does have an awareness, obviously, and I think Billy being Billy, he would’ve gone and researched what the potential sort of outcome is for Paul. Especially as he’s not been there for the initial diagnosis.

Of course, he’s devastated. He’s going to be stuck between being a pastoral role, but also, this is a personal journey, so it’s not the same as a parishioner that’s ill. He’s very, very aware that their time together is coming to an end, and their time as it stands is coming to an end because the longer it goes on, the less Paul will be able to do.

I think he’s trying to live every moment as we all should, really. I think we all forget that our time is finite for all of us anyway. I think for Billy, it’s utterly heart-breaking. He feels he’s just got this guy back, and they’re getting things on track, and he thought that everything was going well, then all of a sudden, bang, this thing comes in and literally smashes everything out of the park and completely dismantles the future he thought they were building on. 

Does he support Paul’s wishes to keep the diagnosis a secret from his family at the moment?

I’m not sure he supports it, he understands why. There’s obviously Gemma’s wedding coming up, and I think Paul wants her day to be about the wedding, not to be about the fact that he’s ill. So I think Billy understands why he doesn’t want to share it at that moment, but also knows that’s not going to be able to keep it from them for that much longer if the symptoms continue to develop in the way that they are.

How hard is it for Billy going to this wedding now that he’s burdened with this secret?

I think it’s another one of those things where it’s about enjoying the moment, and I think for Billy, seeing Paul walk Gemma down the aisle is hugely emotional because it’s going to be one of those memories after Paul’s gone.

So it’s a big secret for Billy to keep, but Billy’s terrible at keeping secrets. For a vicar, he’s awful at keeping secrets. I’ve been playing him now for getting on nine years. I’m honestly astounded sometimes, I’m like, “Oh, my God, why can’t he keep his mouth shut? This is unreal, you’re an archdeacon.” But obviously in this situation, he only finds out just before the wedding, so he doesn’t really have much time to process it prior to the wedding. Billy is quite an emotional character, and he’s not very good at hiding anything at all, but he’s very aware that he has to try and hold it together for Gemma, and for Paul because realistically, it's not about Billy. It’s not Billy’s place to tell anyone, so he has to respect it. He doesn’t necessarily agree with it, but he understands why, and he has to respect that choice.

How have you found the reaction to this story?

I’ve been working with the MND Association for a very long time, and from the people who have contacted me personally through the MND Association and on Twitter and things like that, they’re thrilled that we are telling this story. Obviously, very sad to see Peter leaving, but thrilled that we are highlighting MND and showing someone’s journey through the illness. It has been very positive.

How are you family feeling now about the storyline?

I think it’s dredging up quite a bit of stuff. It’s 21 years since my grandfather died, so we’ve sort put all of that to bed in some respects. I have to say, there was a scene we filmed a couple of weeks ago, and obviously Paul’s physical debilitation is very visible. And it very much reminded me, telling the whole family what’s going on, and I very much remember that in our family, and in the scene, Paul gets up and walks out of the room, and I remember my grandfather doing the same thing, and all of us just sat together, not being able to comprehend what we were going to have to face as a family. And when Paul gets up and left the room, I just burst into tears. I mean, it totally worked in the scene for Billy, thank God. There are definitely going to be points where it’s triggering.

Can you give any hints about what we’ll be seeing in the coming months?

Well, I think it’s going to be a really lovely blend. I think there’s going to be some really nice moments. Billy and Paul really ticking things off, bucket lists of adventures together and sort of trying to find their happiness in every moment they can. 

Obviously, inevitably, there will be difficulties along the way, but I think there’s going to be some really fun moments as well. So it’s not going to all be doom and gloom and woe is us. It’s about balance. Even in the bleakest of moments, there is a huge amount of humour to be had, and I’m sure we’ll find it. I think we’re trying to find it even when it’s not in there, trying to stay positive, because it’s bloody exhausting having to cry for 12 hours a day. So if you can find moments where you can find little lightnesses within the dialogue, the scenes, the staging of it. We have such a giggle at work anyway. Like, it’s a joyous place to work.

Sophie Williams

Find me on Twitter @sophie_writer1

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Interview: Dan Brocklebank discusses Paul's MND diagnosis

Recently, viewers have seen Paul struggle to come to terms with a possible motor neurone disease diagnosis, which will be confirmed later this month. A short while ago, we chatted with Peter Ash (whose interview you can read here) and Dan Brocklebank about this storyline.

As well as discussing how he thinks Billy will react to Paul's devastating diagnosis, Dan shared with us his personal experience with MND.

You've worked with the MND Association for 20 years - can you tell us your story?

20 years ago, my grandfather was diagnosed with MND and subsequently died from it. So this is a subject that I have lived through in my own life as have the rest of my family. Because I’ve been working with the MND Association for so long, I’ve then met a lot of other people who have been living with MND. So it’s a subject that’s really close to my heart. I’ve been helping to fundraise for them for many years. 

When I first got the phone call, I was out walking my dogs, and like Peter said, it is always a heart-in-throat moment when the producers phone you, and you think “What on earth is this about?” Verity told me what the storyline was going to be, but they had no idea of my history with MND or with the Association, so it was a bit of a shock.

How did you feel when you were told about the storyline?

I’m not going to lie, my legs went a little bit weak because I suppose it just brings back memories of that time, and I thought this could potentially be quite triggering in a lot of ways. I mean, obviously, Billy’s knowledge of MND is very different to my knowledge of MND, but I’m hoping I might be able to bring some of my personal experience into the playing of this storyline, having been somebody who did, in real life, help to care for somebody with MND. 

You been raising awareness for MND for so long - were you pleased that those two worlds were colliding to bring the awareness on screen as Billy?

Yes, absolutely. I was well aware of how much publicity this will give MND and the MND Association. Obviously, extremely sad to know that eventually we’ll have to lose Peter because I love working with him. But for the illness and the MND Association and for my grandfather and for all the people I’ve met and known over the last 20 years who have suffered with the illness, in a strange way, it’s a really lovely way to be able to commemorate them and their stories and hopefully raise awareness and get us to a point where we can fund enough research that we find at least something to slow it down or, and hopefully, cure it. 

Is there added pressure to be involved in a storyline that is very personal to you, and how do your family feel about it?

It’s only been very recently that I spoke with them because we have to keep our mouths shut about what’s coming up. But I did speak with my mum, it was my mum’s dad that had MND, and my mum has a brother and sister, so I spoke to all three of them and asked how much about our family’s journey through living with somebody with MND that I disclose, and all three of them were very happy for me to talk about everything, really, because in the larger scheme of things, it will hopefully raise awareness, raise money, which will hopefully generate research that will mean people won’t have to go through what we went through.

Does it give you added pressure as an actor to play something that is personal to you?

Again, this is Billy’s journey and not mine, so I think the only pressure for me, really, is to see how triggering I think it’s going to be. I won’t have any trouble accessing emotion to play it. Billy’s quite an emotional character anyway. I mean, obviously, as Peter said, we want to portray it with as much sensitivity and realism as we can, and I don’t think that’s going to be any problem all because I’m stepping into something I don’t need to do research on. In some ways, it actually takes the pressure off because I know I’m portraying something that I have lived through and have experience in real life.

Do you feel that soaps are a good platform for this sort of thing to get a message to a wider audience?

Yes. I think, obviously, the point of our show is entertainment, but we have a huge opportunity, an ability to educate as well, and I think a show like ours, because we’re in people’s living rooms for three hours a week, whatever the subject matter is, I think it will invoke questions, conversations, within family members and family groups. When my grandfather was first diagnosed, we’d never heard of it, we didn’t know what it was. As Peter said, with things like the ice bucket challenge, awareness has become more over, certainly in the 20 years since my grandfather died. But again, this is going to reach a new audience. So, yes, hopefully it will increase awareness and discussion.

Paul keeps the diagnosis from Billy for some time. How do you think Billy is going to cope with that news?

Obviously, with him being an archdeacon, his job is very much about pastoral care, so I think on a personal level, he’s obviously going to be absolutely devastated that his partner has been given this diagnosis, but I think his job skills will also help him to be able to be a support for Paul. I did film a scene recently where Billy talks about having a parishioner in his community who is also suffering with MND, so this isn’t the first time that Billy will have come into contact with somebody with the illness. I think in the scene, he says he’s trying to find a support group for him. I think he will want to show a strength for Paul. I don’t know, I haven’t read any of this, but I think he will leave his own personal emotional bits on the quieter side because he won’t want to make it about him because, of course, it is all about Paul.

This story is as much about showing the emotional effects for Billy and Paul as well as the physical side of what Paul is going through. It is a love story as well, isn’t it, that has suddenly taken a path neither of them expected?

And I think grief, you know, it affects people in different ways. And I think if someone is given a terminal diagnosis, people often start to grieve before they lose someone, and people deal with that in different ways. But Billy being a vicar, we’ve seen him deal with death many times during my years playing him - Sinead, Kylie, all these characters he’s either buried or given some kind of support to, so he will be able to offer that to Paul. But obviously, he is also dealing with his own grief as well. It is a love story but told from a very different perspective. 

Was it important to you to be able to offer advice to Peter during this storyline?

Just shed some light on my personal experience of MND. It not only affects people physically, but emotionally. And not just from the shock of having MND, but it can affect people’s emotions. People can become giggly in inappropriate moments or become very emotional or angry. We had a scene last week, obviously Billy still doesn’t know at this point, and we were discussing why Paul gets so emotional at this point, and I said to Peter, well, it might not be from the fact he’s still reeling from his diagnosis, it could be from the fact the MND is actually affecting his emotions.

 That was something I noticed with my grandfather. I had never seen him cry, I was very, very close to him, and even before he was diagnosed, he became much more emotional. He was only diagnosed a week before he died, so we’d had pretty much almost just under two years of his symptoms progressing and us being told it was asthma or this or that. But one thing we did notice was that he became a much more emotional person, would cry at things. Now, in retrospect, that was because of the MND. But as I said, we didn’t know it was MND at the time. So there were those little insights that we’ve been able to discuss on set where I’ve been able to throw little things in.

Sophie Williams

Find me on Twitter @sophie_writer1

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7 years of Billy Mayhew!

Today marks 7 years since the arrival of Reverend Billy Mayhew onto the cobbles, played by Dan Brocklebank. Since then, Billy has been a calming influence on the street, as well as causing a few serious shockwaves. In celebration, I have compiled 7 (of my) highlights of Billy’s time on the street. 

1. Reverend Mayhew arrives in Weatherfield

How would one predict the introduction of a vicar? A series of weddings and funerals that phases the vicar in slowly? A long-lost relative who turns up out of the blue? No. We first met Reverend William Mayhew in a Manchester night club where he chatted up Sean Tully. Off the bat, we knew Billy wasn’t going to be an average clergyman. Billy’s introduction to the actual street was perfect- a frankly chaotic dinner party with Sean, Eileen, Todd, and Julie. From Julie’s ramblings to Todd’s cynicism, Billy took it all in his stride and very quickly became a great addition to the No.11 dynamic. 

2. Making friends

With the introduction of any new character, they must fit in with our regular cast. As viewers, we are innately protective over existing characters, so it was important where the show placed Billy in his early episodes. In a simple yet effective way, Billy found himself befriending street stalwart Emily Bishop. Since Emily told Billy his first sermon in Weatherfield was “shoddy”, they were a helping hand to each other within the parish and a port of call for each other until Emily shipped off to Peru (which Billy helped organise). It wasn’t high drama, but it felt like Corrie. Two characters having real conversations about their everyday lives. Billy’s friendship with Emily also integrated him with the likes of Norris and Mary, which cemented him as a light-hearted, breath of fresh air character. 

3. Rescuing Marta

It wasn’t until early 2016 that Billy got given his first major storyline. Eva had her suspicions that Marta Zarek was being kept as a slave, and so she acquired the help of Billy to put a stop to it. First of all, this started a wonderful friendship between Billy and Eva that continued until Eva’s exit. Despite the serious nature of the story, we had some comedic scenes between Billy and Eva, including Eva going through the random crap Billy had in his car while on a stakeout. Natural, everyday conversations are the backbone of British soap, and it’s something that Billy has always been a great fit for. 

Given this was Billy’s first big story, it gave us the chance to finally see how Billy held his own, away from the comforts of the street. Billy was the perfect character to place into that story. His compassion, determination and level head counteracted Eva, keeping her on an even keel when she got carried away, but supporting her whenever she had another idea on how to help Marta. Dan and Catherine Tyldesley also had fantastic onscreen chemistry, making them a much-loved duo. 

4. Billy’s relationship with Todd

In the summer of 2016, Billy packed Sean in when he realised his feelings for Todd ran deeper than deep. To the surprise of probably everyone, this was a turning point for Todd’s character as their relationship became something very loving and pure. It was a breath of fresh air to be honest in the world of soap relationships. There was no backstabbing, no cheating, no point scoring. Billy and Todd gradually got closer during the storyline of Callum’s murder and so their impending feelings for each other was a very natural conclusion. With their personalities so vastly different, they mixed surprisingly well, and each character brought out different sides of each other which was very pleasing and refreshing to watch. 

In 2016, Corrie received 170 Ofcom complaints after a rather saucy scene involving a hotel bed. These complaints were swiftly rejected, but it started huge conversations around the basis of the complaints and it boils down to one thing: Corrie dared to show two men kissing at 8 o'clock in the evening. Ridiculous, isn't it? Nevertheless, after a torrent of bigotry on social media, I was very pleased to see Corrie continue Billy and Todd as they were. They didn't dial down any aspects of their relationship in response to the complaints, and the two characters eventually moved in together and became the street's first same-sex parents- a huge milestone which was a great step forwards in terms of representation on British soap. 

5. Fighting the church

By the end of 2016, one thing about Billy was abundantly clear: the church was one of the most important things in his life. He is utterly devoted to his job and his faith, and it’s part of what makes Billy Billy. Over the years, Billy’s relationship with the church has been strained a couple of times, but none more so than when Billy actually quit the church after they proclaimed he could not live with Todd. This story went on for quite a while as Billy started a long and drawn-out fight for his basic rights, and it includes a wonderful scene between Billy and his bishop. In an impassioned speech, Billy talks about how the church doesn’t tolerate discrimination, yet he is unable to bring his male partner home and is frustrated by the church’s unwillingness to budge on the subject. It’s moments like these where you remember that sometimes, Corrie is so much more than a soap. It pushes on real-life, emotional topics, ones that start conversations in living rooms across the country and sometimes, it just might make a change. To some people, myself included, just to see Billy, a fictional vicar on telly fighting for his rights, it gives you hope that this change is on the horizon. 

Ultimately, Billy went back to the church after deciding he couldn’t live without it. But did Billy stop fighting? Did he ‘eck. He worked it out so he could go on living with Todd as well as serving his community as their vicar. These issues with the church have kind of been forgotten about now. Especially with Billy’s engagement to Todd last year, I was hoping we’d see Billy once more fight for his right to get married in the church, after he has made several comments over the years about not being able to get married in his line of work. Perhaps we would’ve seen this if Todd wasn’t such a scheming so and so, or perhaps it’s in the pipeline for Billy’s future. 

6. Taking Summer in

In 2017, Billy’s next challenge came in the form of his 12-year-old goddaughter, Summer Spellman. It took a little while for Billy and Summer to bond after the death of Drew, but now they have such a lovely relationship. They are undoubtedly there for each other, and Billy always does his best to be a supportive father figure. I’ll skip over the part where Billy gave her up to Geraldine when he got addicted to heroin if you don’t mind, please and thank you. Earlier this year, after kicking Todd out, Billy proclaimed to Summer that: “From now on, it’s just you and me, kid.” I hope Billy keeps this promise. They’ve always been a good team, and it’s something I want to see lots more of. 

7. A Calming Voice 

Rounding up everything I’ve just talked about, one of Billy’s best highlights is the calming voice he has been to many residents over the last seven years. It doesn’t happen as much anymore which is a real shame, but Billy has offered an ear and sound words of advice to anyone who needed it. During the story of Callums’s murder, Billy was a pillar of support to Sarah, offering her advice or just listening to her, as well as offering a friendly ear to Todd. Billy tried to help Jason grieve for his dad, and he had wonderful scenes with Sinead in her final days. Billy also has a large tendency to stick his nose in where it’s not wanted, but we’ve all got flaws, right?

As part and parcel of being a vicar, Billy has also conducted many a service, including Deirdre, Kylie and Norris’s funerals, Michelle and Robert’s (abandoned) wedding, and Jenny and Johnny’s hospital bedside wedding. Billy conducts each one with grace and poise, which I’m sure is mostly down to Dan's nuances as an actor, and it culminates into something warm and inviting, which just feels like Corrie.

Before I finally end this blog, I must also say that the casting director got it spot on when casting Dan Brocklebank as Billy. He brings so much life to the character and plays every single scene, every emotion, every story, with such heart, passion, and conviction. 

That’s it! I could’ve rambled for a lot longer, but I hope you’ve enjoyed reliving Billy’s highlights from his time on the street so far. As for Billy’s future, there’s a lot I want, so I hope the Corrie gods are listening. I want to know where Billy’s religious epiphany came from that made him want to be a vicar. I want to see him gain a friend or two, nothing too crazy. Or maybe, his mum could come and find him? I also want to see him back in a bring and buy sale, back in the community. It’s what drew me to the character in the first place and I’d like to see a bit more of it, please. 

Billy’s done a heck of a lot of stuff over the last seven years, and I’m looking forward to seeing what the future holds for Weatherfield’s very own Archdeacon. 

Sophie Williams

Find me on Twitter @sophie_writer1

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All original work on Coronation Street Blog is covered by a Creative Commons License

Dan Brocklebank interview: Is Billy's world about to come crashing down?

Billy Mayhew's love life has been far from easy going in recent years, but it looks like he's finally settled down with Todd Grimshaw. We chatted to Dan Brocklebank to find out how Billy reacts when Todd pops the question, and how Billy will cope after learning the truth about Todd. 

"The relationship from Billy's perspective is going well, because obviously he has no idea how devious Todd had been," said Dan. "I really do think Todd is absolutely the love of Billy's life. I think the two characters work really well together, they're absolute opposites, so I think they balance each other out."

Todd recently suggested he moved back into the flat, but Billy wanted to put the brakes on until they found out what was troubling Summer. After her diabetes diagnosis, Billy had a change of heart and agreed that Todd should move in. "He's always got to put Summer first, and because of Todd leaving all those years ago, and then just showing back up, I think he's reluctant to bring any more disruption into Summer's existence, so he wants to tread carefully. But also, for himself. He's got to protect his heart as well because he is soft. He does throw himself in, so I think he's got to make sure he's protecting [his heart], as well as Summer.

"I think sometimes in life when something quite dramatic happens, it does make you re-evaluate the situation. Obviously, they've lived together before, they took on Summer together, so if you've got your partner telling you: 'I'm here to stay, I'm not going to mess you around like I did the first time,' then you've got to believe that. Otherwise, what's the point of being in a relationship if you don't trust the person you're with?"

With things going swimmingly for the couple, Todd is keen to solidify their relationship. Wanting to prove to Billy that he's going nowhere, Todd gets down on one knee and asks Billy to marry him. However, Billy is hesitant to give an answer straight away. "It's very unexpected," Dan told us. "I don't think he really knows what to say, he's just a bit lost for words.

"I'm not sure that it's because he doesn't want to marry him. I think probably it's more the religious aspect of it, of not being able to have that ceremony, that union, in a religious setting. It does come out of the blue, and he says: 'We've only been back together for five minutes.' Todd's only just come back into their lives, so then to solidify that with marriage, it's a big step, and I don't think Billy takes that sort of commitment lightly."

When Billy hesitates in giving Todd an answer, Todd panics and disappears, afraid he's misjudged the situation. In this pause, Paul approaches Billy and tells him marrying Todd would be a huge mistake. However, Billy puts this down to jealously, and soon Billy and Todd announce their engagement. 

"Poor Paul all the way through this," said Dan. "Billy has just assumed he's jealous. Todd's done such a good job hiding all this from Billy. Billy can't see it. I've had to play dumb for the last few months, really, just not noticing things that are going on."

During this storyline, Coronation Street will also be able to highlight how people in the LGBTQ+ community still can't get married in a church. "We've covered this lots of times [since] Billy's been in the show, but religion and homosexuality do not really go hand-in-hand. It has been lovely to be able to highlight that people of the LGBT community can be of faith, as well.

"It's interesting. [Billy would] have to get married in a registry office, but I'm imagining that he would then probably get one of his little churchy friends to do a non-official blessing in a church, even though it's not recognised necessarily by the church."

Now that Billy and Todd are engaged, the stakes are higher than ever, and it's only a matter of time until the truth about Todd's schemes all come tumbling out. "Obviously, within soapland, you've got to build it up to knock it down. I'm looking forward to all of that unravelling and airing. It's been fun to shoot. I love Gareth [Pierce, who plays Todd], we get on like a house on fire. We were talking about this the other day. [Todd]'s come back into the show, we got back together, have a whole relationship, got engaged, all at a bloody two metre distance! We're now so good at eye sex, it's unreal. There's things I didn't even know I could do with these, but now I've got skills. I'm looking forward to the audience's reaction of when it all does come out."

Once everything is out in the open, Billy is going to be inevitably heartbroken, but could he ever forgive Todd? Dan said: "[Billy] always tries to do the right thing, and never really quite manages it. He always messes it up somewhere, but because of his job, it's all about forgiveness.

"From a professional point of view, he would have to forgive Todd, but it's easier said than done when you've had your heart broken. But, I think for Summer's sake, Billy would probably be more, at least on the surface, try to find a middle ground, at least to try and keep that co-parenting stable for Summer, because Todd is a good dad, despite all of his misgivings."

Who Billy should be with has been dividing social media for months, but Dan recognises that there are people out there who are rooting for Billy and Todd to make it work. "Todd and Billy's relationship has always felt very real. It was always very hot, passionate, and fun, and I think those sorts of elements bring those two characters together brilliantly. I never really felt that Billy and Paul were that well suited; it felt like quite a parental relationship. 

"Billy always seemed to be trying to fix Paul, whereas Todd and Billy fix each other. There definitely are people out there that are still rooting for Todd. There's also people just saying, don't bother with either of them, just lay off all the boys of Weatherfield, please, for five minutes."

In the midst of being an archdeacon and fighting off men left, right and centre, Billy's priority is always Summer. "I think it's a part of his life he adores, and I think he adores her. The older she's getting, there's a maturity now with her performance. A lot of the time it almost feels like she knows more about life than Billy does. She parents him quite a bit, which I love.

"When my whole family had to have their heads replaced, I was nervous because it's difficult to recreate those established connections that you've got with the previous actors, but again, absolutely landed on our bloody feet with Harriet [Bibby]. She's a legend, and because she's 23, it means I can swear on set and not have to worry about it."

Billy's engagement celebrations are short-lived as he is cruelly dragged from cloud nine with the truth about Todd. Will Billy be able to forgive him, and what does the future look like for Billy and Todd? 

Sophie Williams

I'm on Twitter @sophie_writer1

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All original work on Coronation Street Blog is covered by a Creative Commons License

Dan Brocklebank interview: Billy and Paul split as Summer's life is put in danger?

Billy Mayhew has been wary of Todd Grimshaw since his return, and with very good reason. However, it looks as though Todd's warped attempts to split Billy from Paul Foreman might succeed in upcoming episodes. After Summer Spellman catches teen Will trashing the flat on Todd's instruction, she panics and runs into the path of an oncoming car. With Summer's life in danger, actor Dan Brocklebank told us how Billy feels about Paul after Summer's accident, and if their relationship is in serious trouble. 

On Friday's episode, Todd has yet again manipulated the situation so that Billy has no choice but to take in the piano that Ajay was giving away. Dan said: "I think maybe on some level Billy is kind of aware that Todd is trying to stir things a little bit and when Todd arrives and Billy's stood at the piano, Billy almost plays down how annoyed he is because he knows that's what Todd wanted out of the situation." 

A major strain currently on Billy and Paul's relationship is Paul's upcoming court case. While they are relieved to find out that he has been given a suspended sentence, could the couple have survived an alternative outcome? "I've said this before about Billy and Paul. There is always a parental element to Billy and Paul's relationship, and again it's Billy being the stoic, sort of, 'Okay, it's alright, whatever the outcome we'll deal with it'," Dan said. 

After the good news at court, Billy and Paul's good spirits soon turn to devastation. Dan said: "They come round the corner in a sort of celebratory mode to find Summer in the middle of the road, and I think with any parent really, your primary objective is to make sure there's an ambulance on its way and that she's being looked after." 

Trying to take in the scene, Billy spots a teenager across the street, but is oblivious to the fact that it's Will, until Paul confesses what he knows. Speaking about Billy's reaction to Paul's revelation, Dan said: "He's angry and disappointed, the worst combination of all reactions. Billy blames Paul entirely because it's Paul, as far as Billy's concerned, that has brought this Will not only into their lives, but now into their home and has endangered the life of Billy's daughter who is his number one. She has to be put first above and beyond anyone else and I do think this is the final straw, I think Billy's had enough."

Billy and Paul's relationship is seemingly in tatters after Summer's accident, and viewers will know that the real culprit behind Will trashing the flat is Todd. However, it becomes apparent that Todd has an attack of conscience after surveying the damage he has caused. "I think Todd feels a huge amount of guilt, actually, for what has happened. He realises that he's gone too far because Summer is ultimately his daughter as well and therefore, he's endangered the life of her," said Dan. "I think he starts to see the ramifications of his actions. This isn't a celebration for Todd."

While it's clear that Todd is desperate to win the vicar back, Billy's feelings for his ex remain unclear. "As time's gone on, Billy's suspicions have lessened a little," said Dan. "I think he's very much trying to lay his past feelings to rest, to allow Summer and Todd to continue to have a decent sort of parental/child relationship."

"It's a difficult one," Dan added. "I don't think Billy's ever really dealt with those feelings because he didn't know where [Todd] had gone or why he'd gone, and therefore it's difficult to lay those feelings to rest, even though he's in a relationship with Paul, so I think he's struggled with that. I think Billy at this point is relatively confident that he's got those emotions under control."

Billy has some tough decisions to make, and Dan says he would advise Billy to think carefully about any future relationship with Todd. He said: "I'd be wary about going back to a relationship that was so explosively ending and so damaging at the other end. Having said that, when you look at their relationship on balance, actually their relationship was pretty brilliant when they were together. You can't eradicate all the good times but therefore you also must focus on the bad ones just to make sure you're not looking back on it with rose-tinted glasses."

After months of scheming, Todd finally manages to drive a wedge between Billy and Paul, but surprisingly, Todd now takes a back seat. "Because of the guilt Todd feels, I think he kind of backs off a little bit," said Dan. "Todd and Billy's relationship was always so genuine, and I think this manipulative side of Todd, which we've seen a lot of times before, we never saw it where Billy was concerned. I think Todd will need time to let that guilt settle a little bit before he makes a move on Billy." 

As Todd tries to deal with his conscience, we could see his softer, more genuine side reappear. Could this be what wins Billy round? "[This] is what Billy fell in love with in the first place. I think Billy very much saw beyond the Machiavellian kind of villain and saw [Todd] for what he really is, but we just haven't seen much of that Todd since he's been back. We saw it in the first few episodes when they first met, but it would be nice to have genuine Todd back."

Billy's had a varied love-life during his time on the cobbles, but would Billy be prepared to walk down the aisle in the future? "It would be lovely as a gay man myself to be part of the first gay wedding on Corrie that actually happens, that would be amazing," said Dan. "From Billy's perspective, I think he would be torn by the fact that we still can't have a religious ceremony and I think that would be important to him."

The church would certainly be an obstacle for Billy if he did wish to get married, and Billy has already made attempts to leave the church in the past. Dan said: "Once he quit the church for Sean, and then he did quit the church for Todd as well, and he's gone back both times, and now that he's Archdeacon, I think it would be even harder for him to walk out. It would have to be a pretty special man I think to make him get married at a registry office." 

A big part of Dan's personal life are his two dogs, Colin and Jean. During our chat, Dan told us about working with the Dog's Trust, who are urging people to think long-term before adopting a dog during lockdown. Dan said: "It is a big responsibility and as I was dealing with the Dog's Trust just before Christmas, there was a massive influx of dogs that were given back to the Dog's Trust around Christmas time that had been adopted during the first lockdown, then of course once they get out of the cute puppy stage and they're in their adolescence and they start chewing stuff and they've got energy, people don't realise what they're getting into.

"People are going to get dogs during lockdown, they're great company and I wouldn't have been without them during this time... they've got to think beyond lockdown, and they might have to go back to work."

With Billy vowing to put Summer first, will he give Paul his marching orders, and will his eye be caught by Todd once more?

Sophie Williams

I'm on Twitter @soph_writer

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