Ryan Thomas got candid about his emotional return to Coronation Street during an appearance on Friday’s This Morning, sharing that he was moved to tears by a heartfelt comment from a staff member.
Earlier this year, it was announced that Ryan would be reprising his role as Jason Grimshaw for a brief stint, tied to the exit storyline of his on-screen mum, Eileen Grimshaw. Joining his brother Adam on This Morning to chat about their new show 99 to Beat, Ryan revealed that his first day back on set was just yesterday. Speaking with hosts Josie Gibson and Dermot O’Leary, Ryan shared: “For the first time in almost 10 years, I stepped back on those cobbles and I was in the Rovers all day yesterday.
“It was a real moment. 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. It’s home, it was so lovely,” he gushed, before revealing that he’ll be back on set for a few more days next week, reports the Mirror.
Sue Cleaver, who has portrayed Eileen Grimshaw for 25 years, announced her departure from the soap at the end of last year. In a statement, she reassured fans that the door “is still firmly open” for her potential return, but she’s currently looking forward to “new adventures”.
“I’m leaving now – I’m 61 and this is what my new book is all about. I think we get to an age where society wants us just to shuffle off quietly and I really want to encourage other women that we have so much more to give,” she expressed during a chat on This Morning.
It was Sue who insisted Ryan return for her departure storyline via a phone call. “When mother says you’ve got to do something, you do it!” he quipped.
Ryan portrayed the character of Jason Grimshaw on the ITV soap from 2000 to 2016, when his character bid farewell to Weatherfield to embark on a new life in Thailand.
The acting gene runs in the family, with his 14 year old daughter Scarlett Thomas featuring in the BBC reboot of Waterloo Road as Izzy, alongside her uncle, Adam Thomas.
Ryan and Adam’s show 99 to Beat is set to debut on ITV this Saturday. The programme sees 100 contestants compete against each other in a series of wild and unpredictable challenges, with one simple rule: Don’t come last.
In another reveal during their This Morning interview, the brothers announced that their sibling, Love Island star Scott Thomas, would also be making a cameo in the show.