EXCLUSIVE:

Peter Ash FINALLY SPEAKS OUT After Co-Star’s SH0CKING EXIT – Coronation Street Reunion Turns EMOTIONAL Following TRAGIC D3ATH That Left Cast SHATTERED

Coronation Street star Peter Ash has paid tribute to his co-star Daniel Brocklebank after it was revealed he will be leaving the soap.

The pair worked closely on the ITV soap as part of Peter’s emotional exit last year, when his character Paul Foreman, lost his battle with motor neurone disease.

Last month, it was then revealed that Daniel, who plays Billy Mayhew will be leaving Corrie after 11 years, with his partner quick to launch a stinging attack on the soap.

Speaking to MailOnline on the red carpet at Saturday’s Soap Awards, Peter spoke about his close bond with Daniel.

He said: ‘Dan’s great we are such good mates, and we really bonded in our time together on the show, and it was sad to film the last bits, and then obviously Dan is leaving now himself, it’s part of the job when you’re on the soap.’

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Coronation Street star Peter Ash has paid tribute to his co-star Daniel Brocklebank after it was revealed he will be leaving the soap

Viewers were left in tears when Paul lost his battle with motor neurone disease in November, after a long-running storyline that was praised by fans.

Peter himself also earned praise, and alongside Soap Award nominations for Best Dramatic Performance and Best Storyline,  he also won a National Television Award for Serial Drama Performance in September.

Reflecting on viewers’ reaction to the storyline, he added: ‘It was incredible, I think it was beyond anything we could have hoped or wished for, the whole repsionse to that storyline was amazing.

‘I really thank the fans and everyone for taking it to heart.’

The best and brightest in serial drama were in attendance for the ceremony, which will be broadcast on ITV on June 5.

It was the BBC‘s EastEnders that cleaned up on the night with eight awards while Hollyoaks received three, Emmerdale two and Coronation Street only one.

They kicked off their wins with Best Episode which went to Phil’s Psychosis: The Mitchells In 1985.

EastEnders also won Scene of the Year for Angie Watts’ Shock Return while Navin Chowdhry won Best Villain for his role of Nish Panesar.

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Last month, it was then revealed that Daniel, who plays Billy Mayhew will be leaving Corrie after 11 years, with his partner quick to launch a stinging attack on the soap

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Peter was reunited with his co-stars at Saturday’s Soap Awards after his character’s heartbreaking exit in November

Steve McFadden, who plays fan favourite Phil Mitchell, won the Best Dramatic Performance award while Patsy Palmer won Best Comedic Performance for her role as Bianca Jackson.

Rudolph Walker & Angela Wynter (Patrick & Yolande Trueman) delivered another win for EastEnders as they won Best On-Screen Partnership.

Lacey Turner, who plays Stacey Slater, won the Best Leading Performer Award and EastEnders also won the most coveted award of all: Best British Soap.

Hollyoaks’ three awards started with Isabelle Smith who won Best Newcomer for her role as Frankie Osborne.

The Osbornes then won the Best Family award while Hollyoaks’ sibling sexual abuse storyline received the Best Storyline award.

Emmerdale’s Amelia Flanagan won Best Young Performer for playing April Windsor while camera operator Mike Plant took home the Tony Warren Award which is given to employees working behind the scenes.

Coronation Street’s sole gong of the night was the Outstanding Achievement Award which went to David Neilson who has played Roy Cropper for 30 years.

The British Soap Awards will air on Thursday, June 5 at 8pm on ITV1 and ITVX.