In a “frantic rewrite,” Coronation Street executives allegedly replaced fired star Sean Wilson with former star John Thomson.
Though John’s character Jesse Chadwick will now be courting her, the 59-year-old actor was originally scheduled to return to the role of Martin Platt in October as part of his ex-wife Gail’s happy-ever-after plotline as actress Helen Worth, 73, gets ready to retire.
John appeared on the cobbles as the hapless children’s entertainer between 2008 and 2010, during which time he dated Gail’s rival Eileen Grimshaw (Sue Cleaver) suggesting the new storyline could see a rematch between the two women.
A source told: ‘It’s been an absolutely frantic, incredibly stressful past couple of weeks for Corrie bosses and scriptwriters.
‘So many new departure storylines for Gail were mooted but they were set on a love interest one – which proved tricky as she buried five of her six ex-husbands. And the remaining living one, Martin, was obviously axed in real life.
‘They wanted a recognisable name and plumped for John as his character was popular with viewers and a real blast from the past.’
It comes after John said he would never return to the cobbles saying: ‘I don’t want to be known as Jesse Chadwick, children’s entertainer, for the rest of my life’
Telling Metro in 2012: ‘I’ve been fortunate. I’ve had a varied career and like popping in and out of things. I was in it for ten months and felt I’d run my course’.
It comes after Sean was reportedly axed from the show two weeks before the news broke with lawyers becoming involved, as the mystery on the cobbles deepens.
But reports suggest he suddenly departed the show after being ‘summoned to head office’ before quitting for ‘personal reasons’ forcing Gail’s entire exit storyline to be frantically rewritten.
Sean had returned to Corrie in July to film his first scenes, and had already recorded episodes with a large number of stars in the soap.
After The Sun first reported the news on Friday a source has now revealed he secretly left weeks ago, leaving cast and crew shocked and bosses barred from discuss the matter.
Jesse dated Gail’s rival Eileen Grimshaw (Sue Cleaver, pictured) suggesting the new storyline could see a rematch between the two women
Earlier this year, Sean said soap storylines were now ‘issue-centric’ and trying and failing to solve world issues, in comparison to his own time on the show, between 1985 and 2005, when audiences watched in their droves and were left both ‘laughing and crying’.
Telling that: ‘I think the world of soaps is a different vehicle nowadays. I think I was part of the British soap industry at the best time, the halcyon years when there were 18 or 21 million people watching it’
‘You could walk down the street on a Wednesday or a Friday and you could hear people laughing with their windows open because of the great writing and the great acting was really speaking to the nation. I don’t think it does that so much nowadays’.
He continued: ‘People don’t have to watch it anymore. They were all segwayed together; you were five minutes from laughing and five minutes from crying. Nowadays it seems very much issue-centric, they’re trying to solve the world’s issues, which they’re not going to do.’
As reported by The Sun, Sean was called in for a meeting with bosses and left with ‘no explanation offered’ to his co-stars.
An ITV spokesperson told: ‘Sean Wilson has stepped down from filming for personal reasons.’
Sean’s agent told the publication: ‘Neither he nor I will be making any further comment or statement.’
Sean played Martin for 20 years before he and his family emigrated to New Zealand in 2018 and he paid one final visit to Weatherfield before his departure to make his peace with David, who was upset that his dad was leaving the country.
After the news was first reported the news on Friday a source has now revealed he secretly left weeks ago, leaving cast and crew shocked and bosses barred from discuss the matter (Pictured with co-star Helen Worth and Tina O’Brien)
Although the pair’s ten-year union ended when Sean’s character Martin had an affair, he is considered the most successful relationship in Gail’s previous five marriages.
In July, it was confirmed that Sean would be reprising his role as Martin, as part of Gail’s exit after 50 years on the cobbles.
As Sean picked up his first scripts to start shooting, he said: ‘It was great to be invited back to Coronation Street again, to contribute to Helen’s exit story.’
He added: ‘We’ll have a few months to catch up with Martin and Gail again, following the ebbs and flows of the unfolding storyline.
‘Playing Martin has been a joy since day one and in a way, I’ll be slipping back to where I left off, which no doubt will throw a spanner into the heart of the Platt family.
‘It’s just like slipping on an old and comfortable jumper from the back of the wardrobe… I’m looking forward to reuniting with my TV family.’
However, this week a representative for the soap stated that the actor left ‘for personal reasons,’ and none of Sean’s scenes will be aired, with Gail’s entire exit storyline now being frantically rewritten by bosses.
