Coronation Street star Gareth Pierce addresses Todd’s absence in Paul’s exit episode
"It was the right way."
Coronation Street star Gareth Pierce has explained why his character Todd Grimshaw wasn’t present for Paul Foreman’s final episode this week.
The ITV soap aired emotional scenes on Monday (September 9) as Paul passed away in hospital with family members Bernie, Gemma and Summer by his side.
Tragically, Paul’s husband Billy missed his chance for a final moment with him as he wasn’t able to get to the hospital in time.
Meanwhile, although Todd had become a close confidant for Paul during the Motor Neurone Disease (MND) storyline, he wasn’t part of the final episode.
Speaking exclusively to Digital Spy on the red carpet at the National Television Awards, Gareth explained: “In the most recent episode where Paul died, Todd wasn’t there. Initially I was like: ‘I’m not sure about that’.
“But as far as Todd and Paul are concerned, they said their goodbye in the special episode a month or so ago.
“It might have undercut that slightly if we’d had a repeat of that moment, so actually I think it was the right way. For all intents and purposes in that moment a while back, Todd thought that he was saying goodbye to his mate.
“Pete [Ash, who played Paul] has done such an amazing job. His commitment to the role – and the truth that he’s played it with – has just been amazing for all of us who have been supporting the storyline.”
Todd will continue to feature in the storyline over the coming weeks, as he supports Billy and Summer following Paul’s death.
This is partly in a professional capacity, due to Todd’s job at the local undertakers.
Gareth continued: “We’re definitely going to be playing a lot of the aftermath of Paul’s death.
“From a personal perspective for Todd, that’s about the hierarchy of grief. Obviously Billy’s grief takes precedence. So does Bernie’s as a mother – the thought of losing your son or daughter is unfathomable, really.
“Gemma has lost not just a brother but a twin brother, while Summer has lost a father figure.
“So I think you’ll see Todd slightly hiding behind his role as an undertaker, because he’s dealing with death day in, day out. I think that there are small windows for Todd to accept and deal with his own grief. He’s more thinking ‘I’ve got a job to do here’. That’s interesting to explore.”
