Coronation Street star Simon Gregson is hit with £40,000 bill while facing probe over company collapse & £165k tax debt

CORRIE star Simon Gregson has been clobbered with a £40,000 bill to pay accountants liquidating his production firm.

The Steve McDonald actor has been charged more than £500-an-hour by the finance chiefs.

The soap favourite already faces losing his house over the closure of his company, which owes the tax office and a bank £165,000.

And his conduct in transferring £252,000 from Simon Gregson Productions Ltd into a private account is being probed by the government as part of the process of any bankruptcy.

Now a report from accountants Begbies Traynor reveals: "At a meeting held on 9 November 2023 by reference to the time properly given by us (as liquidators) and the various grades of our staff calculated at the prevailing hourly charge out rates of Begbies Traynor (London) LLP in attending to matters arising in the winding up as set out in the fee estimate dated 31 October 2023.

"We are also authorised to draw expenses for services provided by our firm and/or entities within the Begbies Traynor group, in accordance with our firm's policy, which is attached at Appendix 2 of this report.

"Our time costs for the period from 9 November 2023 to 8 November 2024 amount to £38,732.20 which represents 73 hours at an average rate of E530.58 per hour."

The actor has been told he must sell his house if the missing £252,000 isn't repaid to the company so his debts can be cleared.

The liquidators said the star – who sparked a riddle he'd split from wife of 14 years Emma after he wrongly described her as "estranged" in correspondence with the accountants – has been told to repay the missing cash at £1,500 per month.

He's been advised that after 36 months the balance must be paid from the sale of his house.

Documents said that to date £9,000 had been repaid.

The star thrilled fans on I'm A Celebrity in 2021 but reports of a £250,000 pay day were "grossly over exaggerated", sources said.

It is believed he was paid just over six figures by ITV to star in the Aussie jungle.

The Sun approached Simon Gregson for comment.