After his suspension from the ITV soap, Chris’ career came to a grinding halt with the star describing his work life as ‘bleak’ back in 2022 as he suspected the scandal was still having detrimental effects almost 10 years on.
As well as the scandal, Chris also experienced a terrifying health scare after suffering a mini stroke when he was just 35-years-old.
Attempting to turn his life around, Chris is now pursuing music as we take a look back at his rise to fame and his tragic downfall.
Chris first rose to fame as Justin Burton in Channel 4’s Hollyoaks when he joined the soap in 2003.
Winning Best Storyline at the British Soap Awards for his affair with Becca in 2006, he went on to win Best Actor at the ceremony in 2008.
He also received the award that year for Most Spectacular Scene of the Year for the ‘Car Over Cliff’ scene.
Leaving the soap in 2009, the star then transitioned to Coronation Street where he took on the role of Tommy Duckworth.
Starring alongside his on-screen girlfriend Michelle Keegan (who played Tina McIntyre) the pair featured in a prominent storyline when she became a surrogate in order to pay the couples debts.
During his time in Corrie he was also nominated for Best Newcomer as well as Sexiest Male in 2012.
Aside from acting Chris also took part in the third series of Dancing On Ice where he came runner up to Hear’Say singer Suzanne Shaw.
However since he was axed in Coronation Street the star has struggled to secure further acting roles.
He joined the touring cast of The Full Monty in 2016 as well as taking to the stage for the Aladdin pantomime at the Manchester Opera House in 2009 and 2010.
His last job saw him play Ryan in the BBC drama Girlfriends in 2018.
Chris was axed from Coronation Street after the offensive videos – posted on YouTube under the name of his rap alter-ego The Phantom – came to light.
ITV confirmed that the actor had been sacked from the soap, stating: ‘Chris Fountain’s contract with ITV has been terminated as a result of the unacceptable comments he made in a number of online clips.’
‘Mortified’ Chris issued an apology at the time and said he was ‘deeply ashamed’ of the YouTube videos, which show the actor spouting lyrics about raping women, bombing houses and stabbing people in the face with syringes.
In one distasteful clip, he raps about dragging a girl upstairs, adding: ‘I will **** anybody up in the worst way, rape a b***h on her birthday.’
In another the actor performs a stabbing action while he raps: ‘I’m a nasty ****, I will punch you in the face and you look like you’ve been having some acupuncture ’cos my fist is lethal.
‘I’m a ******* hero, you’ve got ******* zero. I’m a mother******* demon, I’ll stab you in the face with a needle.’
The actor has said the explicit lyrics were ‘blurted out in a moment of madness’.
He said in a statement: ‘I would like to sincerely apologise for any offence I have caused. I am deeply ashamed by the lyrics and very much regret my behaviour.
‘The videos were made over a year ago when I was experimenting with music and I’ve not done anything like it since and nor will I,’ said the actor, who said he accepted ITV had ‘no choice’ but to end his contract.
A spokesman for support service Rape Crisis said at the time: ‘This is yet another shocking example of the hatred directed towards women by some men.
‘To dignify this with the name “music” does music an injustice, but the far greater injustice is that our young people are subjected to lyrics which encourage sexual violence against women.
‘If these violent and hate-filled lyrics were directed against other groups in society, they would be counted as incitement to violence and treated as a crime.’
