[Jords]

Coronation Street actor Chris Fountain has been fired from the ITV soap after he was exposed as a masked rapper posting violent and threatening videos on YouTube.

Last week (August) it was reported that Fountain used his rap alter-ego The Phantom to post the videos online, which included lyrics about committing acts of violence and raping women.

Lyrics in the videos, which have since been removed from the site, include the lines "I'm a mother****ing demon, I'll stab you in the face with a diseased needle", "I'll bench press a house, I'll bench press a house, I'll bench press your wife, yeah, your spouse," and – most controversially – "I will **** anybody up in the worst way, rape a bitch on her birthday."

An ITV spokesman confirmed the disciplinary action, saying: "Chris Fountain's contract with ITV has been terminated as a result of the unacceptable comments he made in a number of online clips."

The actor, who played Tommy Duckworth on the show, released a statement apologsing for the videos but was officially sacked from the soap opera on Monday (August 19). "I am deeply ashamed by the lyrics and very much regret my behaviour," he said. "The videos were made over a year ago when I was experimenting with music and I've not done anything like it since, nor will I."

Fountain previously had a stint in Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks, in which he played the character of Justin Burton. He joined the cast of Coronation Street in 2011.

Well... what a tool.