Sean Wilson was due to reprise his role as Martin Platt for a major storyline which would have incorporated the exit of Helen Worth’s Gail – only for ‘unfounded claims’ against him to ruin everything

Sean Wilson has explained that his plan to return to Coronation Street was destroyed in on eight minute call with soap bosses.

The 59-year-old actor played Martin Platt on the ITV soap from 1985 until 2005 and again returned briefly in 2018. He was due to reprise his role this year in a huge storyline which would have seen his on-screen wife Gail, played by Helen Worth, exit the show after her own 50 year stint on the show.

But plans to include Sean in the storyline were ruined when an unfounded historic sex complaint emerged – forcing soap bosses to pivot on their plan. Sean was cleared of any wrongdoing, but the soap had to move on with storylines and Martin’s return was cut out and John Thomson returned in his role of Jesse Chadwick instead.

Now Sean has opened up about the devastating impact the investigation into his past has had on his life – and claims his Coronation Street return was nixed in one eight minute call with bosses. He also detailed how that there was no evidence against him and he was devastated to think how the allegation could impact his relationship with his children.

Speaking to The Sun on Sunday, he said: “My reputation was ruined in just eight minutes — my whole world blown apart. I had no idea who had made this complaint or anything about it but I lost my job. It’s been hell. I’ve been low all the way through.”

Sean explained that he got a call in February regarding his return to Coronation Street and he agreed to a four-month, ten-episode contract. He “jumped at the chance” to return and even filmed ten scenes in July before he received a summons from show bosses on 1 August that left him floored. He recounts an email beginning: “I am writing to request a meeting with you at the Coronation Street studios.

The notice continued: “This is to discuss a historical allegation of a sexual nature which has been made about you in the past few days. We will realise this will come out of the blue for you as it has for us.” Sean voluntarily spoke to police in October this year – where the allegations against him quickly collapsed.

The star said: “The detective said there were no witnesses and the person complaining hadn’t told anyone about it, and they couldn’t say when it happened in 1997. I was also shocked to hear the allegation was entirely different from what ITV had said. The police said it was a touch on the backside over the individual’s jeans, on one occasion, and not a hand up a woman’s skirt.”

He went on to explain that he was “relieved beyond belief” when, on November 21 police, said there would be no further action. He recalled: “When I got that call that was the first time I cried in four months. I just let out all the pent-up emotions.” He added: “How do you tell your children that you’ve been wrongly accused of this? But they’ll have to be okay about it won’t they? Because their dad’s innocent.”