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HOUNDED BY SICKOS
I lived in fear as trolls said I was Jimmy Savile & called for vigilante attacks after bogus sex claim, says Sean Wilson
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CORRIE legend Sean Wilson has told how he was supported by fellow soap stars including his on-screen wife Helen Worth as he battled a bogus historical sex claim.
The actor, 59, who played Martin Platt, had been signed up for Helen’s character Gail’s dramatic exit from the ITV soap — but was axed after a complaint from a person linked to the show.
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But as he endured the nightmare — over an alleged 1997 assault — Sean revealed Helen told him he had nothing to be sorry for.
Before being cleared by cops, Sean was also backed by fellow Coronation Street star Sally Dynevor, 61, who plays Sally Metcalfe — who his character also had a romance with.
He said: “One of the first things I did when I found myself in a position of more coherence, I decided that I’d text Helen.
"We both said we couldn’t see this coming from a million miles away, so she said, ‘I’m very sorry, this is the situation and forget everything.’
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“I apologised to her too. She said, ‘Don’t even apologise to me, you’ve had a lot to go through.’
“I’ve heard lots from Sally too. There have been lots of people — and fans too.”
SAFETY FEARS
When the allegation emerged, Sean was fearful for his safety in public after seeing multiple vigilante TikTok stories threatening him.
He found several social media users had made videos on how they needed to take the law into their own hands — putting his life at risk — and comparing him to sex offenders Jimmy Savile and Huw Edwards.
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Sean confessed: “I was worried about all the vigilante talk on TikTok, so I decided to email my lawyer to tell her what was going on.
“She was unaware. I was very concerned, because anything could happen at any moment.
“She said, ‘Alright, OK, I’ve emailed the police, and the police have said they will try to facilitate by working quicker.’
“And then, a week later, I got the good news they were dropping the investigation.
“I don’t think people realise what can happen to a celebrity’s world, because it’s difficult unless you are one. But certain people on TikTok have been really getting things wrong. So much so that it’s been vigilante talk.”
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Sean revealed he and his partner Carol Hammond often felt vulnerable and exposed when out in public.
He revealed: “I’ve had to watch when we go out, that I don’t stand in the middle of a room, because someone can come at me from behind, some vigilante who just wants to take it out on me, for whatever reason.
“It’s like being in a train station, where you don’t want to be anywhere but just near a wall, so you can see what’s happening in front of you. Everywhere you go.
“I’ve feared for my safety. It gets very, very, very dangerous. Paranoia would also set in.
“It only takes one person, you know, that sees these things going out, that the trolls are putting out, to say, I can sort this out.
“To them, I am a Jimmy Savile or a Huw Edwards. Something could have happened at any moment.”
To them, I am a Jimmy Savile or a Huw Edwards. Something could have happened at any moment
Sean Wilson
Sean left Corrie in 2005, but made a brief return in 2018.
His latest comeback was due to air in October, but the ten scenes filmed in a two-week period in July ended up being shelved.
He said of the filming: “I just wanted to be there for Helen. And I guess she would have felt a great comfort knowing that it was me coming back, because she knows I can do the job very well.
“So it would have been a real lovely exit for her. And so I only did it for that reason, really.”
Sean told the Sun on Sunday how his “reputation was ruined in just eight minutes” after being summoned by TV bosses and told he was out of the show over the allegations against him.
During his agonising wait to hear from the police, Sean found solace in his art, painting several pieces depicting how he felt suffocated.
He explained: “I was sleeping badly throughout the wait, so I threw myself into art. I’ve done a series of pictures with three people underwater. That’s exactly how I felt.
“I would wake at five o’clock in the morning and just start painting.
“It really saved me. That and cooking, like curries and soups, wholesome food. I may auction my prints off for charity.”
WRONGLY ACCUSED
Sean says he wants to raise awareness for those who are wrongly accused.
He said: “I want to speak out about this because there are lots of things covered in the press about people who have been found guilty of being called predators.
“But I don’t know if it has ever been covered about people who aren’t guilty.
"They have to go through the same process and it’s a disjointed process. It feels like a broken system.
“I think people should be innocent until proven guilty. My contract was completely severed instantly.”
Now his name is in the clear, he and Carol are looking forward to going away on a break.
He said: “We’re going overseas for a well-earned holiday. I need to put this nightmare behind me.”
Asked if there is anything he would like to say to the complainant, Sean added: “It makes you question things quite a lot.
“It makes you question people and how people can do this.
“The fabric of life has changed over the years. Most of us are honest, hard-working people, but some of us aren’t. At least I’ve had this shroud of truth around me.”
Despite his ordeal, Sean has insisted he will always make time for Corrie fans, who have supported him over the decades.
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He said: “No one else has done me any injustice, other than the person who made the allegation.
“I’ll always pose for selfies and sign autographs. I always like to leave a smile behind me wherever I go — and that will continue.”
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