This is the tweet which has just reached us from @LauraTVBiz at The Sun.
Chris has been suspended from work since Friday last week after being found rapping on YouTube about rape and violence.
He met with Corrie bosses today, and it appears, has now had his contract terminated. I think that's a polite way of saying he's been sacked.
An ITV spokesman 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."
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35 comments:
Shame that Chris has been terminated was getting used to his Tommy Duckworth - hope they find another decent looking bloke to fill the role that's not a red-head. Apologizes to my ginger family members
What a waste. Acting career is over and he will end up a rapper. That may be ok for him, but its too bad, actually.
A salutatory lesson in standards of behaviour for those in the public eye. Especially in these extra-sensitive times.
Big mistake Granada, you're treating your viewers like children.
I am not surprised that this has happened. What was Chris thinking? Idiot.
By the way, when trying to post,these numbers and letters are getting pretty hard to figure out at times aren't they.
I think that's a bit of an over reaction.
I think Granada is overreacting due to PR pressure, but I also think that Chris F's behaviour was unacceptable.
A suspension would have been more appropriate IMHO.
yes I guess the comments were just about the treatment of women- no biggie it's not like it's about groups of people who "matter"-
I think this is an overreaction - Craig Charles and Jimi Harkinson were actually filmed taking illegal substances and they weren't fired. Unfortunately for Chris Fountain he's a fairly peripheral character who has no family, no home and a girlfriend who's just left.
It does mean that poor Tyrone is left running the garage on his own.
I guess this was likely after all the Savile and Hall stuff. Wonder what will happen to scenes already in the can.
hAs a BBC fan, I am glad it's not THEM in the spotlight dere, but I daresay the right-win media will give ITV less of a kicking than they would the BBC!
HUGE over-reaction. Suspension - sure, that would've been good.
But there are other cast members (who we all know) facing pretty friggin' serious repeat charges - and they're still not fired.
I assume they took the easy way out by firing him, considering that Tina is leaving; so they'll conveniently change the storyline that they both leave.
~JB in Canada
Has anyone actually listened to his video? It is absolute crap. He is a premier league moron. No wonder he was canned.
I don't think it was an overreaction. It was violence against women. How is that ever OK?
Hmmm. So Chris Fountain sings about rape and is instantly dismissed. Meanwhile, Bill Roache and Michael Le Vell are both charged with ACTUAL, real life sexual assault, and remain so far unsacked.
Not that I'm condoning Fountain's idiotic behaviour, but he might just be forgiven for feeling a little harshly treated here.
Billy - the difference is that they have been charged but not convicted. Innocent until proven guilty.
Craig and Jimi though actually broke the law by using Class A drugs it is irrelevant whether they hurt anyone else or not they still broke the law.
Is singing about rape and violence illegal in England if so he should have been charged by the appropriate authorities along with every other rapper that uses the same common themes in their raps.
The radio and TV shows that play their records and have them perform their raps on the music shows should also be charged because they are condoning and encouraging violence and rape.
I must say that I don't see why taking class A drugs brings Corrie into disrepute less than singing about rape.
I don't have much sympathy for him though. If he doesn't really believe what he was singing, he was stupid. If he does, he is a piece of scum.
The jungle awaits.
Rapping about rape showed a serious flaw in his character. He had to go. Drugs are recreational, immaterial of the legality. Advocating violence against women is not. It's misogynistic bullsh*t, and those who think they can do this and keep their jobs in family shows are deeply mistaken. I would expect the same of any actor who expressed serious racist or facist opinions. If you're lucky enough to be cast in the nations top soap.... BEHAVE... it's not difficult, surely?!
Dubcek, the difference is that addiction is an illness. Misogyny is not. I don't recall what happened to Jimi but Craig was suspended (appropriately so) and given help to recover (also appropriately). The fact that his behaviour was wrong was not overlooked but TPTB also did the right thing by recognising that being an addict does not make you a bad person. By your logic they'd sack everyone who got a parking ticket. Glorifying hatred and violence towards women is a very different matter (and SHOULD be illegal even if it's not). Fountain has no excuse, other than stupidity.
CF's contract was up in Feb 2014 which is a long way off. If it had been in a couple of months' time, maybe he would have been 'let go' at the end of his contract.
The video was made a year ago when CF was in Corrie but doing very little. Perhaps he got bored and, sadly, channelled his energies the wrong way. He was eye candy and tptb hoped he would attract young viewers. However, they can't keep a babe magnet on the show when that same person is singing about violence towards babes. CF had to go.
I don't think his acting career is over but it won't be a quick recovery.
I agree 100% with Flaming Nora, and I, too, am pleased he has been sacked. And I think the thing I find most upsetting is that the video clips were only removed, and apologies only forthcoming, after they had been 'outed'. That's approximately 12 months when CF didn't cotton on to the fact that his behaviour was totally unacceptable.
And to say that it's an over-reaction is totally wrong too. Finally there are some people out there who understand that misogynism is unacceptable at any level.
the lad has to go - I for one liked him tremendously until he did this video - what in the world was he thinking???? Now he has to go, I'm sorry but I no longer want to see him on screen, I have lost all respect for the young lad and he should have known better since Michelle Keegan was leaving and he really didn't have any storylines to keep him there, apart from being a friend to Tyrone. Stupid mistake, but it was his mistake.
Will he just exit suddenly? If so this is going to be really hard for the writers. I do understand the sacking but the writers must be a bag of nerves at the moment having to suddenly make reasons for sudden departures!- Micky
For all those that think it has been an over reaction to sack Chris Fountain because he was 'only rapping' about vile acts, would it still be 'only rapping' if the subject matter was about blowing up soldiers or gassing Jews?? - no, I don't think so either. So why is it acceptable to rap about rape? - not so nice if it was applied to one of your own female relatives is it? The producers made the right decision.
I wonder how they're going to explain his sudden departure on the show? Kevin is in Germany, Ken in Canada....will Tommy have a long-lost relative who falls ill in Australia?
But it's alright for Coronation Street to use rape on the show for ratings what a bunch of hypocrites
Not going to miss him in the least. Writers failed this character. Great potential with Tyrone...but they overlooked it. Now he is just a wimpy yes man to Rita and Tina.
I can't find it in me to feel sorry for a 24 year old who rapped about "rap[ing] a b*tch on her birthday." He knew the risk he was taking, which was why he wore the mask.
When people take drugs, the risk they take is limited to themselves. When people trivialise or glamourise rape, the impact hits all of society. In this year in particular, Corrie couldn't be seen to be condoning that. There are few employers who would accept that kind of behaviour from an employee and I'm sure he would have been warned in advance that his actions outside work would impact on his future with the soap.
I have to agree with others who've posted on here that they're glad he's gotten the sack; completely unacceptable behaviour from a public personality who's reputation directly impacts that of the show that employs him.
I would say from a legal perspective that the PTW were limited in their ability to react until these images/words became a public spectacle measurably damaging to the show's reputation.
Anyone who believes that this behaviour is "no big deal" particularly because it was meant "as a joke" and he deliberately concealed his identity (further demonstrating that he well knew this behaviour was unacceptable)is contributing to the perpetuation of violence against women and children with their apathetic view.
It'll be interesting to see how they explain Tommy's sudden departure.
Actions have consequences. Chris deserved to be sacked. A rather bland character anyway that just existed as Tina's yes boy, wont be missed there are thousands of young handsome actors out there that could easily replace him. Good riddance.
I'm sorry but no, I think this is the wrong decision. Those videos were made over a year ago and it seems CF is very sorry for what's happened. I think the suspension was punishment enough; they didn't need to go that far.
Understand that I'm not condoning what he's done - because making those videos was obviously wrong - I just have issue with how they chose to punish him.
Okay cool. Now when is Bill Roache being axed for his comments about sex abuse victims deserving it? Oh wait sorry, he is one of Corrie's "greats". Yeah, he can do what he wants.
Bill would probably just sue the producers like his failed attempt at a sueing a newspaper for calling him boring years ago.
And everyone is like a bunch of Daily mail readers getting on their high horse. Most people don't give a toss, but they would rather get all high and mighty.
I hope he sues. Sauce for the goose and all that. The guy needs to hire a lawyer and start spilling the beans about what goes on behind the scenes. Now - wouldn't that make for good tabloid fodder?
I'm sorry but I do think it's an overreaction. We've all said stupid, offensive things in our time and deserved censure for it, so let's not be holier than thou. A suspension and a damned good bollocking would have sufficed. Lord knows the stupid lad is getting a public bollocking right now. Let us hope that the current trend of witch-hunting deters any guy who thinks it's all right to treat ladies and children in such a vile manner.
And I do agree with someone up above, here, who finds the security text incomprehensible.
Yada yada yada - he has gone END OFF, stop rabbiting on about it - that the poor thing didnt mean it, reinstate the vile cretin - bla bla. I wonder where peoples heads are in this Country if they think someone who condones rape is an innocent victim. Rant over
I've been thinking about this a lot because I apparently have nothing better to do with my day and it seems to me that if they're going to sack Chris Fountain, they may as well go the whole hog and sack Bill Roache and Michael le Vell. I know at this stage what they did is just alleged but BR has said and done some questionable things in the past and both the characters of Kevin and Ken don't bring much to the canvas anymore.
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