Coronation Street actor Jacob Roberts has unveiled a dramatically different look with a shaved head as part of a devastating cancer storyline for his character Kit Green.
Roberts, who joined the cobbles in 2024 as police officer Kit Green, arrived as Bernie Winter's (Jane Hazlegrove) son and quickly found himself at the centre of major drama. Recent months have seen his former partner, Sarah Platt (Tina O'Brien), imprisoned for the murder of Theo Silverton (James Cartwright) in April.
Earlier this week, Kit received the shattering diagnosis of stage 3 breast cancer, leaving him reeling. Medical professionals informed him he would require treatment, including a mastectomy and possibly chemotherapy.
Appearance on Lorraine
On Tuesday (September 8), Roberts made an appearance on ITV's Lorraine to discuss the storyline, sporting a dramatically altered look with his newly shaved head, reports the Daily Star.
"We have to say first of all, you do look completely different," presenter Lorraine Kelly remarked to Roberts. She continued, "Because obviously you're filming scenes now where your character is going through chemo."
Roberts responded: "This happened yesterday!" A surprised Kelly asked: "Did it? ! Are you still getting used to it?" Roberts clarified: "Yeah, we went down to a number two and shaved it completely."
Fan reactions
The transformation certainly caught the attention of viewers at home. On X, one person wrote, "Jacob looks so different!" Another commented: "I didn't recognise him at all." A third remarked: "He looks better shaved."
When quizzed about his reaction to learning about Kit's cancer storyline, Roberts revealed he felt "very grateful". He went on to say: "Kit's been a part of police stuff for a while so it's something more personal and I wanted to take the opportunity to hopefully do a good job."
Despite Kit having upset quite a few people along the way, Roberts relishes portraying him. He explained: "I think this [the cancer storyline] will show a different side of Kit, so hopefully people will see more of a vulnerable side and his different layers."
Storyline collaboration
Coronation Street Producer Kate Brooks had previously commented on the storyline: "This diagnosis absolutely shakes the foundations of Kit's life as he struggles to digest what this means not only for him, but also for his family and loved ones."
"Kit's a complex character, and he struggles as he navigates this new world he's been thrust into. His vulnerabilities become all too apparent as he wrestles with what this means to his sense of identity. Whilst male breast cancer is rare, it's important that we show it can happen to anyone. We must normalize conversations around this to encourage people to consult their GP at the earliest opportunity if any changes arise."
The Coronation Street production team are collaborating closely with Macmillan Cancer Support and Breast Cancer Now to authentically depict Kit's cancer journey while raising awareness of the very real dangers of the disease amongst men. Coronation Street airs Monday to Friday at 8:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
