Coronation Street exec producer Ian MacLeod has confirmed that this Christmas will be a "bittersweet" one for the Winter family as Paul (Peter Ash) battles his terminal illness.
Earlier this year Paul received the devastating news that he was suffering from Motor Neurone Disease, for which there is currently no cure, and his condition has gradually worsened since.
In scenes airing next week, Paul is informed that he has just six to 12 months to live, meaning that this Christmas will be his final one.
"The challenge with the storyline we're doing with Paul is, obviously there's this inevitable, medical progression; and we're taking great care to show that in as much detail as we can," MacLeod told press recently, in quotes reported by the Radio Times.
"As a soap, we're in a position to do that, we're not a drama where you have 90 minutes to tell a two-year decline. You can show the day-to-day progression of illnesses like that with Paul."
Paul could be without his mother Bernie (Jane Hazlegrove) over the festive period, however, as she finds herself facing prison for selling on some dodgy laptops.
"Like we all have to do when we're ill, have to contend with catastrophes that have nothing to do with the illness at all," MacLeod continued.
"This Christmas, the catastrophe arises from Bernie and her historical involvement with Shelly's slightly dubious online scamming and it puts her in a massive amount of legal hot water to the extent that there's every likelihood that she's not gonna be present for what will be Paul's last Christmas.
"There's a really fascinating exploration of their history as well... So what we've tried to do is make it bittersweet and realistic as far as we could, and kind of fitting, funny, but fairly poignant last Christmas for Paul, with that fantastic family at the centre of it all."
Coronation Street continues Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
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