Former Corrie star Chris Fountain has revealed he’s landed a job back at ITV for the first time since he was caught up in a sickening rap scandal which ended with him being sacked from the ITV soap.
The actor was fired after being exposed as a masked rapper called The Phantom in a YouTube video which showed him boasting about assaulting a woman and glorifying violence.
But now the star has returned to ITV as he starts filming for his new role in the upcoming drama Girlfriends.
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According to The Sun, Chris has posted a selfie on Instagram wearing a black suit with a white shirt and tie. Alongside it he wrote: “Today marks a very special day for me.
“After being off the screen for a long, long time, I now have the opportunity to be back doing one of the things I love and I’m incredibly grateful.
“Today is my first day filming ITV’s new drama, ‘Girlfriends’ by Kay Mellor.
“Time to get back in the saddle, as they say.”
Chris, who played Tommy Duckworth in the soap, has been trying to turn his life around ever since the video was released on the internet.
Shortly after the video appeared on social media Chris apologised for his behaviour and admitted he was “deeply ashamed by the lyrics”.
He said at the time: “There is absolutely no excuse – I take complete responsibility for my actions – but they were in no way thought out or represent at all my attitude towards women, rape and violence.
“I just want to apologise from the bottom of my heart to everyone who I have offended or upset.
“I am also mortified to have put my mother, grandad and girlfriend through the last few days which they are hurt and bewildered by and so do not deserve.
“I am so sorry. Once again to everyone who I have let down and hurt. I am deeply sorry.
“I completely understand that ITV had no choice but to terminate my contract.”
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In a candid interview with This Morning last year Chris opened up to hosts Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford about the effect the video had on him, his career and his family.
He revealed: “I’ve constantly worked since I was 16 and then this happened and it put my family through hell, I let a lot of people down.
“I was really depressed and really ashamed.
“It was tough. To have this taken away for me over something I bought on myself.”
Talking about why he went ahead and took part in the rap he added: “Stupidly when I was quite a bit younger I got involved with a group of people and just decided I would try and impress these people and ended up doing stupid stuff I regret.”
“The stuff that went online no way reflects the ways I feel about women.
“I just wanted to impress these people.”