Coronation Street star Daniel Brocklebank's ‘legs went weak’ over tragic storyline

Daniel Brocklebank admitted his “legs went weak” after learning of his heartbreaking ‘Coronation Street’ storyline.

The 44-year-old actor, who plays Billy Mayhew in the ITV soap, revealed he was moved after reading that his character would be involved in a motor neurone disease (MND) story, after his grandfather passed away from the disease 22 years ago.

During an appearance on ITV's ‘Good Morning Britain’, he said: “I was out walking the dogs, the phone rang, we don't often get cold calls from our bosses, so when I answered the phone, Verity, who is our assistant producer, said, 'We'd just like to tell you about what's going to be going on with the storyline. Billy and Paul [Foreman] are going to get married.’

"I was like, 'Oh, this is really lovely!' but she said Paul is going to be diagnosed with motor neurone disease and my legs went a bit weak because it's been such a big subject in my life for the last two decades.”

Daniel admitted that the planned storyline was “quite a surprise” considering the producers didn’t know he had lost his grandfather to the disease, but the soap star added that his relative could have been “sat on a cloud somewhere orchestrating it”.

He explained: "I can't help but think that my grandad had something to do with it, he's sat on a cloud somewhere orchestrating it, it feels strangely beautiful in a way to commemorate him and the many other people I've known with MND over the years, telling their stories so publicly.”

Previously, Daniel had opened up to the Daily Mirror newspaper about MND, and called it “one of the cruelest diseases”.

He said: "It’s one of the cruellest diseases I’ve ever seen and watching my Grandad literally disintegrate physically in front of us was one of the worst things I’ve ever endured.

"This is one of the most important things I’ve ever had to play in my whole 30 year career – never, ever have I done something so close to home. There are already similarities within scenes that are bringing back sad memories, so when Billy cries, my tears are very easy to find."