'Coronation Street' star Qasim Akhtar receives damages over false claims

Former Coronation Street actor Qasim Akhtar will receive substantial damages after settling a High Court libel claim against The Sun's publisher over false allegations published about him.

The report published by The Sun in November 2025 wrongly claimed the actor had "backed" and "teamed up with" Islamic cleric Uthman ibn Farooq, was associated with radicalisation and violence and had moved to Pakistan to undergo firearms training.

During High Court proceedings Akhtar's lawyer Daniel Taylor confirmed that NGN had agreed to pay "substantial damages" along with the actor's legal costs.

"The defendant has accepted that the publication of the article caused serious harm to Mr Akhtar's reputation and also caused him great distress," Taylor said adding that the allegations affected the actor's family life and business forcing him to put work on hold while the matter was resolved.

The statement also noted that the newspaper failed to seek Akhtar's response before publishing the serious allegations.

Representing NGN Andrew Wheelhouse acknowledged the error telling the court that the article "should never have been published" and confirming the publisher had undertaken never to repeat the claims.

Earlier this year The Sun issued an unreserved public apology admitting the allegations were entirely false and recognising the serious harm and distress caused to Akhtar.

The publication also accepted that the actor has never supported extremist views, condemns all forms of extremism and violence and has never been involved in radicalisation or undertaken firearms training in Pakistan.

Speaking on Instagram in June Akhtar described the previous six months as "very tough" saying the false claims had deeply affected his reputation, family, personal safety and peace of mind.