I’m A Celebrity star Simon Gregson has detailed the torrent of horrific abuse he was subjected to after he joined Coronation Street.
The 47-year-old — who started playing Steve McDonald on the popular ITV soap in 1989 when he was just 15 years old — opened up to campmates about some of the shocking behaviour he has endured from the public in a candid conversation on the show last night.
He described being spat at, shouted at, and even beaten up by strangers after joining the show’s cast, adding that this made him “hate” life away from the set for the first few years of his career.
Simon also told his fellow contestants that it took him a long time to get used to some of the newfound pressures.
(Image: Kieron McCarron/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
“It was difficult for a while to adjust. It’s like, ‘This isn’t what I planned for myself and I do not like it’.”
“I hated it! The fame side of it, I hated. It was really negative feedback, getting beaten up, spat at, property being damaged.”
Questioned by Frankie Bridge on his soap career and if he ever fancied playing any other characters, Coronation Street legend Simon said: “No. I’ve never done anything but play Steve. It’s the only thing I’ve ever done. I wanted to join the military or race cars.”
(Image: ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
Simon continued to his campmates: “I was 15 when I started filming, 14 when I got the job.
“They went round loads of different schools in Manchester looking for two young lads to play the McDonald twins. And we were sat in assembly and they said there were people here from TV.
The bookies’ favourite confessed to the Telegraph earlier this year that he did not aspire to be an actor when he was younger, and instead wanted to join the army or become a race car driver.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
