Coronation Street actor explains why he was mysteriously dropped from soap
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Sean Wilson has revealed the explanation behind his unexpected departure from Coronation Street, just after it was confirmed that he would be returning.
In July, ITV announced that Wilson would reprise his role as Martin Platt in the storyline marking the departure of veteran actress Helen Worth, who portrays his ex-wife Gail.
Worth, 73, announced earlier this year that she had left the soap opera where she had been a cast member since 1974. Her exit reportedly came after a significant plot arc involving the Platt family.
Wilson, a familiar face on the soap back in 2005, was prepared to make his comeback to the show for the first time since 2018. He had even begun shooting his scenes when unexpectedly, his return was halted for what ITV described as “personal reasons.”
The actor has revealed that he was let go from the soap opera because of an ongoing police investigation into a claim of indecent assault that dates back to 1997.
Wilson has now been exonerated, and there will be no additional steps taken against him. Nevertheless, the actor mentioned in a recent interview that the accusation completely shattered his life, stating it “destroyed” everything in just “eight minutes.”
He told The Sun: “I had no clue who filed the complaint or any details surrounding it, but I ended up losing my job. It has been a nightmare. I've felt really down throughout this whole experience.”
Wilson was scheduled to come back for 10 episodes, but just two weeks after filming began, he got an email from the show's executives requesting a meeting.
The actor mentioned that part of the email stated: "We are reaching out to address a recent claim of a sexual nature that has emerged concerning you, linked to your time when you were under contract with the show. We understand this may be unexpected for you, just as it has been for us."
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Wilson mentioned that he wasn't aware of any specifics regarding the accusation, except for the fact that it was brought forward by a woman associated with the soap opera and that it supposedly took place in 1997. However, after having a conversation with a detective constable in October, Wilson asserts that he received different information about the nature of the allegation compared to what ITV had communicated to him.
He also stated that the police informed him they had never reached out to ITV regarding the accusation, which he described as having shattered his career.
Wilson's scenes, originally scheduled to be broadcast starting in October, have all been cancelled.
The Independent has reached out to ITV for their response.
When Wilson left unexpectedly, a source shared with MailOnline: "It's really strange because they had already begun filming many of the scenes, with other cast members and a large crew present on set. Everyone thought they would be filming additional scenes with Sean before he took off again."
The report mentioned that ITV's choice to keep Wilson's coworkers in the dark about the situation really sparked rumors on set and described it as an "incredibly rare" decision.
