Simon Gregson "hated" his early 'Coronation Street' fame after he was beaten up and spat at.
Simon Gregson hated his early fame
The 'Corrie' legend - who has played Steve McDonald in the ITV soap since 1989 - admitted he couldn't stand being in the spotlight when he first landed the role in the late 80s, because he was attacked and some of his property was damaged.
He said: "It was difficult for a while to adjust. 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.
"It was really negative feedback, getting beaten up, spat at, property being damaged. It was shocking."
Simon admitted he didn't intend to go into acting when he was a child, because he wanted to join the military or race cars, but he landed a part in 'Corrie' following a chance opportunity at his school.
He said: "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.
"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, which in 1989 was like, 'Oh my God! No way!' I was like, ‘I’m going to check this out'."
While his early fame was tough to deal with, Simon admitted his career has "turned out nice in the end".
Speaking on Tuesday night's (30.11.21) 'I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!', he added: "I was never a fan of the limelight, but it turned out nice in the end."
And he joked: "I'm here in a castle eating rice and beans!"
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