Coronation Street star Daniel Brocklebank revealed all on the tears on set, as the cast play out a difficult storyline following Paul Foreman's motor neurone disease diagnosis.
Paul, played by Peter Ash, 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.
But on Friday night, fans saw devastated Billy learn the truth about Paul's condition as he appeared in court for car theft.
While Paul was handed a suspended sentence, the judge announced Paul's condition as a medical reason for him not to be sent to prison.
This was the moment Billy found out the truth, and he soon confronted Paul in heartbreaking scenes.
Billy actor Daniel recently spoke to The Mirror and other press about the tough storyline and the moment Billy's world comes crashing down around him.
Daniel discussed the storyline and his personal link to MND, while he also revealed the "brutal" scenes had led to tears on set both in filming and outside of filming.
He said of the scenes where Billy finds out: "They were brutal. Absolutely. I was exhausted after that day. Pete and I had done some filming that day with Rob Burrow as well, which I think added to the intensity of filming them.
"Obviously, having spent the afternoon with somebody with advanced MND and you know such a hero like Rob as well. He's made such a huge impact on the MND community and the MND Association, I think it added to the filming that day. They are heartbreaking scenes.
"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."
Sharing his link to the charities involved, Daniel went on: "I've been working with the MND Association for a very long time and from the people that have contacted me personally through the MND Association and on Twitter, things like that they are thrilled that we are sort of telling this story, obviously it's very sad to see Peter leave but we're thrilled that we are highlighting MND and showing somebody's journey through the illness. So it's been very positive."
On the storyline being close to his heart, he admitted it will be a tough watch and that the scenes have triggered real tears after a tragic loss in his family to the same condition.
He explained: "It has been 21 years since my grandfather died. So we've sort of put all of that to bed in some respects, but I think it is dredging it up.
"It was a scene we filmed a couple of weeks ago and obviously Paul's physical debilitation is you know, very visible. [It was us] telling the whole family what's going on. And I very much remember that in our family.
"In the scene, Paul gets up and walks out of the room and I remember my grandfather doing the same thing and all of us just sat together, not being able to really comprehend what it was we were gonna have to face as a family.
"When Paul got up and left, I just burst into tears. I mean, it totally worked in the scene. There are definitely going to be points where it's triggering and I think when when I did the thing on BBC Breakfast a couple of weeks ago, I spoke to my mum afterwards.
"She was like, 'this is gonna be really hard to watch and not just watch because it's Corrie, but watching you having to go through what we've already been through'.
"So in some respects, it may be cathartic but yeah, I mean, it's gonna be hard for them to watch it. I think they're pleased that it's me. It's very strange that this storyline has landed on my lap. It's gonna be a hard watch, for sure."
Coronation Street airs Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm on ITV1 and ITV X.
