Coronation Street’s Peter Barlow will turn on dad Ken as he dies of liver failure

CORONATION Street’s Peter Barlow is going to turn on dad Ken as he lays dying of liver cancer.

The alcoholic – who is played by actor Chris Gascoyne in the ITV soap – has been told his liver is failing and he needs a transplant to survive.

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However he has refused to have any treatment, insisting he deserves to die.

And when Ken tries to change his mind, Peter lashes out at him and blames him for all his issues.

Ken actor Bill Roache explained: “Ken is the person that Peter lashes out at. 

“The person that is closest to them, that is trying to help them, is seen as the enemy as they are stopping them doing what they want to do. 

“We will see more of this as the story develops.”

Bill added: “It is really important to show the devastating effect of alcoholism on the whole family. Families can be torn apart by it, alcoholism just as devastating for the people around the alcoholic. 

“They have the distress of trying to help and feeling helpless. 

“The storylines and writers are handling it very well and showing how it can cause dissent amongst families, people around the alcoholic may have different views on how to handle the situation and that can cause problems. 

“Coronation Street has family at its heart so to explore a story like this with a family that people have invested in for so long is a great way to educate people about the effects of this sort of addiction. 

“Hopefully it might help people realise that they are not alone, that there are a lot of people going through this.”

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He added: “It is so distressing for Ken to see that they had been warned this might happen but nothing could prepare Ken for witnessing that. 

“It really does bring it home to them and Peter that weaning him off it gradually is the only way forward, however strange and difficult that might feel for the family to actually let him drink. 

“Ken is in despair and he knows Peter is heading towards killing himself and he feels desperate and helpless.”