Coronation Street star Peter Adamson died in 2002 after playing Len Fairclough in the ITV soap for 23 years but he was forced to live on benefits after his career collapsed
Peter Adamson, famed as Len Fairclough in Coronation Street, passed away at 72 in his Bury home in 2002.
With a career spanning over two decades on Corrie from 1961 to 1983, Adamson’s life took a turn towards tragedy in his final years, as he died reliant on benefits and became a “virtual recluse” following a downfall in the eighties.
Adamson’s notable stint on Corrie saw him featured in 1,730 episodes until scandal rocked his world in 1983. Serving as a swimming instructor at Haslingden Baths, he faced allegations of indecently assaulting two eight year old girls.
Though later acquitted at Burnley Crown Court, Adamson made a fateful decision that incensed ITV executives.
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In a drunken state, the actor sold a shocking story to The Sun, with statements that seemed to self-incriminate: “I am totally guilty of everything the police said. But what I hope you will print – there was no sexual intent.”
His interview, which earned him £110,000, spelled disaster for his acting prospects, reports the Express.
Following this tumultuous period, Adamson found himself dismissed by ITV with his character expunged from the show.
In an attempt to escape his troubles, he briefly moved to Canada only to return to Britain, face bankruptcy in 1991, and end up in a modest rented flat, struggling to survive on government assistance after years of commanding an impressive £10,000 annual salary from his time on Coronation Street, a sum now worth around £190,000.
Adamson passed away whilst on benefits, marking another chapter in his history of financial difficulties.
The actor was known for his heavy drinking during work hours and by the late 1960s, he had accumulated a debt of tens of thousands to Inland Revenue, leading to his suspension from Corrie in 1969 due to his alcoholism.
His legal expenses from the trial further exacerbated his financial troubles, and the situation deteriorated even more when his wife Jean passed away shortly after the trial.
Adamson’s final professional engagements included radio acting roles and a West End performance in Dial M for Murder, as well as a role in Vanburgh’s The Relapse in 1988. When he passed away in 2002, he left behind two sons.
Coronation Street is on ITV at 8pm Monday, Wednesday and Friday and available to stream from 7am on ITVX
