Former Coronation Street actor Chris Fountain has spoken of his "bleak" prospects almost 10 years on from being axed from the soap.
Chris played Tommy Duckworth in the long-running ITV drama from 2011 to 2013. He took over the role of iconic couple Jack and Vera's grandson 11 years after Joseph Aston had a brief spell in the role.
It was announced in 2011 that Chris, who is also recognised for his time in Channel 4's Hollyoaks, would be reprising the character with his return coinciding with the departure of actor William Tarmey as Jack, reports the Manchester Evening News. However, in August 2013, the actor was quickly dropped from the show.
READ MORE: Coronation Street fans ask where 'missing' episode has gone
His dismissal came after videos surfaced, showing Chris making rap videos about rape and violence under the alias of "The Phantom". When he left the soap he said he had "only happy memories of my time on Coronation Street".
He continued: "My biggest regret however is not to do with losing my job, but that I have hurt and let down so many people including those in a vulnerable situation and I am so very deeply ashamed of this." After his axing, the character's remaining scenes were aired before the character departed off-screen with Tommy splitting from Tina McIntyre, played by Michelle Keegan, and choosing a fresh start in the Canary Islands.
At the time, an ITV spokesperson said: "Chris Fountain’s contract with ITV has been terminated as a result of the unacceptable comments he made in a number of online clips."
Speaking to Ryan, Adam and Scott Thomas on their podcast Mancs on the Mic, the actor has now admitted to ending up in "dark places" which caused him to realise he needed to change the way he was thinking. He said: "I realised I needed to start changing the way I was thinking – otherwise I might not have been here."
Discussing the aftermath of being sacked from Corrie, he recalled: "I was meant to go on This Morning and then got cancelled because they didn’t want me on there. After a while, I was like 'I think I’m going through depression here.'"
As for an update on how things are now, Chris says things are still 'bleak' in terms of his career. "Work wise at the moment, it’s bleak," the 34-year-old said. "Am I not getting jobs because of that, or am I not getting jobs because I’m not as good an actor as I once thought I was? I don’t know if I’ll ever find that answer. Just because that happened, I can’t just go, 'right I need to stop being an actor now', because I’ve been an actor since I was ten years old."
But on how he feels about the videos now, Chris added: "I can’t condone anything that I said. I’m ashamed of it, I’m embarrassed of it, but at the time, I wasn’t thinking. I’ve got more respect for women probably than men, because the way that I was brought up and the passion and care and protection I’ve had from women has been incredible throughout my life."
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