Emmerdale’s William Ash also starred in Corrie before his cousin became a regular (Picture: ITV)
Emmerdale star William Ash is currently keeping us gripped with his role in the soap, while his cousin Peter Ash (Paul Foreman) has been a Coronation Street regular for six years – but there’s more to their connection that just family relations.
The Caleb Milligan actor, 47, made his Dales debut in Christmas 2022 and he came with a secret agenda – to take Home Farm and everything else Kim Tate (Claire King) owns away from her as revenge for her part in his father Frank Tate’s death.
Since then Caleb has also embarked on a steamy affair with his nephew’s wife, Tracy Metcalfe (Amy Walsh).
But did you know that he appeared on another rival soap when he was just 10 years old?
William starred as Spike who attended the charity fete held in the street in August 1987. Then he returned in 2002, playing Johnny James, a criminal who attempted to hijack Rita Sullivan’s (Barbara Knox) car.
And now his real-life cousin Peter is currently at the centre of a heartbreaking and emotional storyline following Paul’s motor neurone disease diagnosis.
William’s cousin is Peter Ash who plays Paul on Corrie (Picture: ITV)
So far, the narrative has looked at Paul’s friends and family coming to terms with the illness, with everyone determined to embrace every single minute they have left with Paul, given the MND will shorten his life.
One way they did this recently was by attending Paul and Billy Mayhew’s (Daniel Brocklebank) wedding.
Recently, Paul asked Abi (Sally Carman) to source some drugs that he could use as part of his assisted dying plan. Abi helped Paul but when Billy (Daniel Brocklebank) learnt of his husband’s decision, he was horrified.
Billy tried to talk Paul out of it but he wasn’t successful. Eventually, after listening to Paul talk about how he wanted to have a choice, and not feel trapped in his own body, Billy swore on the Bible and agreed to help him end his life when the time comes.
And William is full of praise for his relative’s emotional performances, telling Metro.co.uk: ‘I saw a bit of it and he’s brilliant, isn’t he? It’s so good, what he’s doing. He was just fantastic.
‘I saw the episode where he got the wheelchair and he was just brilliant. That scene in the pub. I don’t watch much telly but I was round at my mum’s and we watched it together.
‘He’s been fantastic. It’s a shame, actually, that he’s going to have to eventually leave because he’s been brilliant in it. And he’s a top lad.’
