CORRIE actor Peter Ash was stunned that his character was to be diagnosed with motor neurone disease but is determined to give the illness a powerful TV depiction.
MND kills a third of patients within a year so the actor realised his days on the ITV soap were numbered.
Awareness of the disease has increased thanks to rugby league star Kevin Sinfield's £7million fundraising exploits. His friend and former teammate Rob Burrow, 40, has the condition.
Scottish rugby union player Doddie Weir, who died last year at 52 after a battle with MND, also raised awareness and £8m for research into the condition.
Coronation Street viewers have recently seen Peter's character, builder Paul Foreman, struggle with injuries suffered in a road accident. In scenes to be aired next month, he gets the devastating news that he's likely to have MND.
Peter, 38, said: "I was called into the producer's office late last year.
This story is from the March 24, 2023 edition of Daily Mirror UK.
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This story is from the March 24, 2023 edition of Daily Mirror UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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