Who is Chris Fountain? Ryan Hutchinson actor in Girlfriends who was also Tommy Duckworth in Coronation Street
The disgraced soap star has struggled to rebuild his career after his extreme rap video was revealed
FORMER Coronation Street star Chris Fountain suffered a fall from grace in 2013 after his rape rap videos were unearthed.
The soap star is making his way back to the limelight and landed a new role on ITV show Girlfriends. Here's all you need to know...
Who is Chris Fountain?
Chris Fountain is a British actor who was born in Bradford, West Yorkshire on September 3, 1987.
He had minor roles in films and TV dramas before playing part of Justin Burton in Hollyoaks from 2003 to 2009.
The actor went on to play Tommy Duckworth in Coronation Street from 2011 until he was fired in 2013.
Why was Chris Fountain fired from Corrie?
Chris was axed from Coronation Street after The Sun exposed him as a masked rapper who had boasted of raping a woman in a sickening YouTube video under the guise of his alter-ego The Phantom.
Chris shocked his fans with crude and offensive lyrics including “I’ll rape a b***h on her birthday” and”I’ll stab you in the face with a diseased needle”.
He said the videos had been made a year before when he had been “experimenting” with music.
At the time, Chris issued a grovelling apology saying he was “deeply ashamed by the lyrics” and “regretted” his behaviour.
Chris returned to the limelight in 2016 when he landed a role in a touring production of The Full Monty musical alongside his old Hollyoaks co-star Gary Lucy.
What is Chris Foundation doing now?
Chris said he is “incredibly grateful” to be back in the fold as he began filming new drama - Girlfriends last year.
Posting a photo to Instagram showing him dressed in a smart black suit, white shirt and tie, the 29-year-old revealed his gratitude at returning to the small screen.
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!”
Six-part drama series Girlfriends, penned by BAFTA-winning screenwriter, stars Miranda Richardson, Phyllis Logan and Zoe Wanamaker, and revolves around the enduring friendship between three women “as they struggle with the responsibilities and inevitable changes that come with being a modern woman of a certain age.”
Chris plays Ryan Hutchinson, the son of Phyliss' character, who works as head of entertainment on a cruise ship.
MOST READ IN TV & SHOWBIZ
