Coronation Street star is worlds away from cobbles character as they reunite with co-star – months after tragic exit
CORONATION Street alum, Peter Ash, looked unrecognisable as he caught up with one of his former co-stars.
Peter played Paul Foreman on Coronation Street until last year when his character was killed off after a motor neurone disease (MND) diagnosis.
He looked worlds away from his cobbles character over the Easter weekend as he reunited with Billy Mayhew actor, Daniel Brocklebank.
The actors’ characters were husbands on Corrie.
Daniel shared a photo of the pair catching up for some drinks at a bar on Monday.
“Lovely Easter Monday! Look who I found!” Daniel captioned the photo which was posted to his X, formerly Twitter, account.
Peter looked completely different from his former character on the ITV soap, complete with glasses and a big beard.
Corrie fans loved the reunion selfie and reacted to it in the replies of Daniel’s post.
“Great picture,” wrote one person.
“Another added: “Reunited! And what a beautiful photo of you both. Hope you had a good Easter Monday.”Another added: “Reunited! And what a beautiful photo of you both. Hope you had a good Easter Monday.
And a third commented: “Happy Monday. Hugs to you both. Enjoy!!”
Paul first appeared on the Corrie cobbles back in 2018 and has lived a life full of drama for the six years he starred on the show.
His first introduction to fans was as the cellmate to David Platt, who was in prison for his attack on Gary Windass.
Months later upon his release, it transpired that he was Gemma Winter’s twin (Dolly-Rose Campbell) and she lived on the same street as David.
In 2023, Paul was given the heartbreaking diagnosis of MND – a rare condition which affects the brain and nerves.
Paul eventually died from the condition and in heartbreaking scenes, he stopped breathing before his husband Billy could reach him.
The performance won a National Television Award for Serial Drama Performance. Peter accepted the award, saying, “I feel really honoured to have been part of the MND storyline. Thank you very much.”
History of the Coronation Street set
By Jake Penkethman, TV Reporter
1960-1968 – Whilst the Coronation Street set remained on Quay Street for 53 years, it actually had three separate studio sites. The first was an entirely indoor wooden set which was used for the first eight years of filming. This encompassed a replica of the Street built entirely indoors. The set was known to be awkward for actors to use and the houses brought to three quarter scale.
1968-1982 – In 1968, the addition of an outdoor set was created to adjoin the existing indoor set which was still used for filming right up until 1982. The set was used only when required with many of the show’s cast reportedly hating it and describing it as ‘the coldest place on Earth’.
1982-2013 – A brand new set was officially constructed in 1982 and was almost built fully to scale but still only permitted for one car to drive down the cobbled street. The house were purpose-built using reclaimed Salford brick in order to give it the most authentic feel possible. During these years, some of the show’s buildings were adapted to allow for both interior and exterior filming at the same time. These locations included Elliott’s Butchers, Barlow’s Buys, Prima Doner and Webster’s Autos. The final scenes to be recorded on this site occurred in December 2013. By early 2014, it began operating as a tourist attraction for around two years before ultimately being demolished and re-purposed in 2017.
2014-present – In early 2014, the show’s set moved to the TV hub of the North – MediaCityUK in nearby Salford Quays. It is now located a stone’s throw from major TV studio Dock 10 as well as the BBC’s base in the North – home to Blue Peter, Newsround, BBC Breakfast and BBC Sport. The new set was even bigger and built to 9/10 the scale of a real street and allowed for two card to be travelling down the road at opposite sides for the very first time. The site has even undergone major expansions during its 10 years. Just four years after opening in 2018, a brand new set extension was unveiled which introduced viewers to Victoria Gardens for the first time in its history. The Weatherfield North tram stop also became visible as did a series of shops which became used as part of product placement advertising deals. Brands to have been seen on the Street so far include a Co-Op, a Costa Coffee and a branch of Hay’s Travel. Four years later in 2022, another brand new set was unveiled, this time being the heavily mentioned Weatherfield Precinct. It became the first time in 62 years that the area had ever been seen on screens. It fearued a variety of shop fronts, a playground and a number of small flats which have begun to house more and more residents on the street in recent months.
Coronation Street Spoilers: News & Cast Updates
The beloved British soap has been captivating audiences for decades.
The show follows the lives of the residents as they navigate love, loss, family drama, and community struggles.
Here’s the latest on:
- Coronation Street spoilers
- Up-to-date news on our soap spoiler live blog
- New, leaving and returning cast members
- Where is Coronation Street filmed and can you visit the set?
- The history of Coronation Street’s iconic pub Rovers Return Inn