Coronation Street star Daniel Brocklebank has shared the cast's "grief" over the upcoming exit of co-star Peter Ash, who plays Paul Foreman on the ITV soap.
It comes following Peter's character being diagnosed with motor neurone disease, leaving him reeling.
Paul and his family had believed he had suffered a nerve injury in his hand following a crash, but his condition did not get better.
Paul learned last month that he had the condition and that he might only have three years to live, while he decided not to confide in his family or his partner Billy Mayhew.
On Friday night, fans saw devastated Billy learn the truth about Paul's condition as he appeared in court for car theft.
Speaking about the scenes where Billy confronts Paul about his secret diagnosis, actor Daniel told The Mirror and other press: "They're absolutely heartbreaking. And even during the read through Pete and I were welling up. They were very emotional and Pete and I get on like a house on fire anyway, we enjoy working with each other very much.
"Of course we know it's not real, but also knowing that his time at the show is now coming to an end... I mean Jane Hazlegrove who plays Bernie, she can't keep her eyes dry at all.
"She sees Pete limping onto the set and she's welling up. We're grieving Peter leaving, the emotions are genuine. Absolutely."
Daniel also told us what's ahead for the couple following the sad news about Paul, while his family are yet to find out.
He explained: "Well, I think it's going to be a really lovely blend. I think there's going to be some really nice moments, you know, with Billy and ticking things off bucket lists, so adventures together and sort of trying to find the happiness in every moment that they can.
"Obviously, inevitably there will be difficulties along the way. But I think I think there's going to be some really fun moments as well. So it's not all going to be you know, doom and gloom."
On getting the balance right amid the tough storyline, he said: "It's about balance. And even in the bleakest sort of moments, there is a huge amount of humour to be had, and I'm sure we'll find it. I think we've tried to find it even when it's not in there.
"It's bloody exhausting crying for 12 hours a day. It's knackering. And then you've got to come home and look at your lines for the next day, which is again in 12 hours of crying... we have such a giggle at work anyway, like it's a joyous place to work.
"When you get these really heavy storylines, there are moments obviously in between where we're filming where you're laughing with the crew, or we're laughing together and there's you know, somebody chips in with an idea and all of a sudden it might spin the seed into a different sort of energy."
Coronation Street airs Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm on ITV1 and ITV X.
