Coronation Street star reveals ‘hell’ after comeback axed due to assault accusation

Coronation Street star Sean Wilson has revealed his soap comeback was cancelled due to a since-cleared alleged assault.

The 59-year-old actor was set to reprise his role as Martin Platt (whom he played in the ITV soap from 1985 to 2005) as part of ex-wife Gail Platt’s (Helen Worth) exit storyline.

However, his 10-episode return was mysteriously pulled over the summer, leaving fans confused over why his highly-anticipated reprisal wouldn’t be going ahead after all.

Now the British actor has claimed that he lost the gig while he was pending a police inquiry into an alleged indecent assault from 1997.

He has since been cleared of the claim made by a woman with connections to the long-running series.

He told The Sun: ‘My whole world was blown apart. My reputation was ruined in just eight minutes.

‘I had no idea who had made this complaint or anything about it, but I lost my job. It’s been hell. I’ve been low all the way through.’

Wilson had been signed onto a four-month contract with plans for the grand return to the cobblestones over Christmas as Worth says goodbye to the show after 50 years.

The screen star explained that he ‘jumped at the chance’ to go back to the show and was keen to be ‘the person Helen left with’, believing these were also the viewers’ wishes.

After filming 10 scenes across July, he received an email on August 1, which ‘truly stunned’ him.

It requested a meeting to discuss ‘a historical allegation of a sexual nature that has been made about [him] in the past few days’.

The email continued: ‘[It is] relating to when you were previously under contract to the programme. We will realise this will come out of the blue for you as it has for us.’

He described his state as ‘confused’ with no time to prepare as he entered the meeting with his partner Carol Hammond and agent Katherine Stonehouse.

The accusation, laid out to him by three executives, claimed he ‘put [his] hands up a woman’s skirt’ and had been referred to the Crown Prosecution Services (CPS).

He explained: ‘I was in bewilderment. They said they had to cut the contract and protect their cast.

‘I told them I knew it hadn’t happened and I deserved a chance to convince them. But they said once it had become a police matter they couldn’t do anything.’

The actor defended his behaviour on set during his previous stint on the show, saying it was ‘professional’ and he believed the allegations to be ‘preposterous’.

He added: ‘I was in total shock. I was being thrown out the door after 21 years of a glittering career.’

The soap star shared that he tried to start an ‘informal voluntary interview’ with the police officer who contacted ITV but wasn’t provided with the information.

Wilson sought legal help after speculation over his sudden departure (ITV released a statement saying he had stepped back due to personal reasons).

He claimed he ‘had no way to clear my name and save my reputation.’

After finally getting through to an officer assigned to the case, he attended a voluntary interview with a detective constable at Longsight police ­station on October 25, per The Sun.

The actor said he was told there was little evidence corroborating the claim, and it was also detailed differently, this time described as ‘a touch on the backside over the individual’s jeans’.

He went on to add he ‘didn’t recognise’ the name of the person when told.

On November 21, he was told there would be no further action, leaving him ‘relieved beyond belief’ and it was ‘the first time I cried in four months’.

‘The entire time I felt submerged in water, but I didn’t want to sink into depression,’ he said.

He also discussed the toll it took to share the ordeal with his children (Callum, 26, and Maisie, 24), the financial impact, and the implications on his future career for which he feels his plans have been derailed.

Wilson accused ITV of getting their facts ‘completely wrong’ and attributed the outcome to his own ‘investigative’ work.

‘This whole entire thing has been unbelievable. No matter who you are or where you work, you are just one call away from ruin.’

Gail’s exit from the show is still planned to go ahead next month, and she recently returned to the show to gear up for the big finale.

Worth’s character recently revealed she had found love with Jesse Chadwick (John Thomson) as she makes plans to put the Platt family home up for sale.

In her departure announcement in June, she said: ‘This year felt like the perfect time to leave the show after celebrating 50 years in the most wonderful job on the most wonderful street in the world.

‘I made the decision at the start of the year and spoke to the producers, who were very kind and understanding.’