Coronation Street star Ryan Thomas will return to our screens tonight for a brand new show, 99 To Beat. The Dancing On Ice winner will host the new show alongside his brother, Adam Thomas.
The brand new game show premieres tonight at 6pm and will see 100 ordinary people compete in a series of simple games to win a cash prize. It has been a very big week for Ryan as he also revealed he returned to filming on the Cobbles this week.
The 40-year-old has reprised as Jason Grimshaw for the first time in a decade to play a part in Sue Cleaver’s exit storyline. He lifted the lid on his return on yesterday’s This Morning.
He said: “It was my first day yesterday. For the first time in nearly ten years I stepped back on them Cobbles and I was in the Rovers all day. It was a real moment…”
Ryan was overcome with emotion to return to the Weatherfield set. He said: “As they opened the gates, the security man said to me, ‘Welcome home!’ and I nearly started crying. I was 16 when I started there and I wouldn’t be where I am now if it wasn’t for that show.
“The people is what I missed and I get to see all the same makeup artists, the same crew, cast and it’s home. It was so lovely. I’ve got a few more days next week and I’m looking forward to it.”
Sue is renowned for her role as Eileen Grimshaw on the Cobbles and Ryan said he returned on his onscreen mum’s orders. He said: “Sue rang me and said, ‘Can you come back for my exit storyline?’ and when mother says you’ve got to do something, you do it!”
Away from the screen, Ryan regularly shares updates from his happy life in showbiz. He is in a relationship with reality star Lucy Mecklenburgh and they share two children named Roman and Lilah.
Ryan also shares his daughter Scarlett with former partner, Tina O’Brien who plays Sarah Platt. The soap stars dated for six years and Tina once claimed they separated a week before Scarlett’s first birthday because she “didn’t do it for him anymore.”
Speaking to New! magazine, she admitted they struggled with the new dynamic of parenthood, saying: “He said he didn’t love me any more.
“He said I didn’t do it for him any more. Those were his words. I was absolutely devastated. He said he didn’t want the responsibility of a relationship with me.”
Tina has since moved on from Ryan and is now married to Adam Crofts. Ryan and Lucy’s relationship blossomed in 2017 when they met on Bear Grylls Celebrity Island.
Their relationship has gone from strength to strength since as they are now engaged and share two children. The whole family moved back up north in 2021 when they purchased a Cheshire mansion.
They regularly share updates from their happy lives together on social media. It was a big year for Ryan in 2024 as he celebrated his 40th birthday with a luxury party in Portugal. He thanked Lucy for arranging the celebrations as he said: “You made my 40th unforgettable. Love you my angel.”
Ryan announced 99 to Beat on the same day as his thank you message to Lucy. Ryan and Adam said it was a dream come true to host a primetime Saturday show together.
They said: “This is a dream come true for both of us and we cannot wait to get started!! Moments like this don’t come often and we’re going to enjoy every BEAT of it!!!! It literally is the perfect family game show and the fact we get to host it as brothers-doesn’t get any better!