Apollo "Paul" Foreman (previously Winter) was the husband of Billy Mayhew, son of Bernie Winter and twin brother of Gemma Winter-Brown.
Like Gemma, Paul had a rough start in life, growing up in poverty on the Paul Robeson Estate in Wythenshawe. As a child, he was groomed by Bernie's partner Kel Hinchley, a fact which he did not reveal to his family until many years later. As a result of the abuse, Paul had behavioural problems which led to him leaving home at fourteen. He kept in touch with Gemma though and in 2018 he was doing time at Highfield Prison after taking the blame for her manslaughter of an elderly woman she had burgled.
In 2019, Paul was released from prison and made a new life for himself in Coronation Street, gaining employment at Underworld, romancing vicar Billy Mayhew and becoming a father figure to his teenage ward Summer Spellman. He lost his new family in 2020 after Billy fell victim to the machinations of ex-boyfriend Todd Grimshaw, blaming Paul for a number of events which were actually Todd's doing. By 2023, Summer's three dads had put the past behind them and Paul had reconciled with Billy, moving back into 19a Rosamund Street with him and Summer.
Remaining in the street, Paul worked as a builder for Ed Bailey for a while but had to give it up after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease. In an attempt to alleviate his economic woes caused by his inability to work, Paul stole Rufus Donahue's car, for which he was charged and received a suspended sentence. He then shared his diagnosis with his family and friends as he tried to come to terms with his condition. As his condition deteriorated, he married Billy and was confined to the flat.
Biography
1990-2019: Childhood and sexual grooming
2005: Paul is sexually groomed by his mother's boyfriend Kel Hinchley
Born in 1990 to Bernie Winter and Denny Foreman, Paul was the twin brother of Gemma and was raised alongside her on the Paul Robeson Estate in Wythenshawe. His parents split when he was still a baby and Bernie's one-night-stand with another man resulted in the birth of a son, Zodiac, in 1993 who she subsequently gave up for adoption. Paul moved back to live with his father at the age of 14, after being sexually groomed by Bernie's boyfriend Kel Hinchley, and took his surname.
Despite his departure, Paul kept in contact with Gemma and he was the person that she turned to when she accidentally caused the death of an elderly woman she had burgled. Paul took the blame and was sent to prison for a lengthy period, but was disgusted to learn that Gemma had wasted the second chance he had given her by falling in with dodgy individuals such as Callum Logan and Cormac Hibbs.
2018-2019: Prison and arrival in the street
In 2018, Paul was introduced to his new cellmate David Platt, who was serving a custodial sentence for missing court after viciously beating up Gary Windass. David had protested that he didn't want to share and warned Paul to stay away from him. Later, David lashed out and pinned Paul to a wall - after he gently tried to wake him up. David eventually apologised to Paul and admitted that he could do with a mate inside, but Paul informed him that there were no 'mates' in prison and that he would have to learn to fend for himself.
Having been released in January 2019, Paul showed up in Coronation Street looking for his sister. It didn't take long for him to start causing trouble, when Billy Mayhew accused him of attempting to steal Eileen Grimshaw's money in the cafe. Later that day Paul visited David, in order to ask for a job at his salon. Although he was unable to help him, David put Paul in touch with the local vicar Billy, which horrified Paul due to their earlier argument. Billy reluctantly agreed to help, and persuaded Carla Connor to take Paul on at Underworld.
During this time, Paul began to stalk Gemma, vengeful that she had turned her back on him after he had taken the blame for her, and this resulted in him being tackled by Chesney Brown. Gemma was horrified to discover Paul had returned, fearing that he would expose her secret to her friend Rita Tanner and attempted to get Carla to sack him by destroying some of the factory's stock. Fortunately for him, Paul found out before Gemma could sabotage the material and was able to stop her. Later in the Rovers Return, Paul openly flirted with Billy, grateful for him having secured his job, and the pair arranged a date. However, when Billy discovered Paul with another man, he realised that Paul was a philanderer and had no intentions of making a faithful commitment.
In February 2019, Paul moved into 10a Coronation Street with Gemma and Rita Tanner.
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He was rushed into hospital in September 2024 and died due to pulmonary emboli, a complication of MND. Bernie, Gemma and Summer were by his side and his husband Billy on a phone call.
Personality
Having a parade of hardships thrown at him from an early age, Paul was initially a delinquent, though in recent years has been portrayed as more reserved and private. This greatly intensified after his MND diagnosis, where his pessimistic nature erupted into apathy and self-loathing, having Paul often be the first to blame himself in situations. While he used to take risks, he now holds no desire to endanger others, and is constantly afraid of being seen as a burden.
Relationships
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Background information
Character creation and role
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Diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease
2023: Promotional image for Paul's long-running MND storyline
On 23rd March 2023, ITV officially confirmed that the show would be exploring the subject of living with Motor Neurone Disease with Paul receiving a diagnosis for the life shortening illness the following month. The show had already hinted at Paul's illness in the weeks preceding the announcement as he was shown struggling to recover from injuries that he had sustained from a road accident which led to him being signed off work for due to potential muscle and nerve damage.
Reception
Peter Ash was awarded the 'Best Newcomer' award at the National Television Awards in 2020 for his portrayal of Paul.
First and last lines
"Alright, chill. Could be in with a lot worse. I don't even snore! I'm Paul by the way." (First line, to cellmate David Platt)
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"Billy." (Final line)
Appendices
List of addresses
| Address | Duration |
|---|---|
| Paul Robeson Estate, Wythenshawe | Unknown |
| 10a Coronation Street | February 2019 to 20th November 2019 |
| 19a Rosamund Street | 20th November 2019 to February 2021 |
| 5 Coronation Street | February 2021 to 3rd March 2021 |
| 15a Coronation Street | 3rd March 2021 to 3rd April 2023 |
| 19a Rosamund Street | 3rd April 2023 to 9th September 2024 |
Employment history
| Role | Institution | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Packer | Underworld | 4th January 2019 to 17th February 2021 |
| Apprentice | EGB Construction | 19th February 2021 to July 2021 |
| Unknown | Trim Up North | July 2021 to September 2021 |
| Builder | EGB Construction | 22nd September 2021 to 27th February 2023 |
| Filing clerk | Barlow Legal Services | 29th March 2023 to unknown |
| Kitchen porter | Viaduct Bistro | 5th April 2023 to unknown |