Ben Thompson was the original actor to portray Ryan Prescott on Coronation Street. He joined the long-running ITV soap in 2006 as Ryan, Michelle Connor's son, and soon became embroiled in dramatic storylines. Ben continued in the role until 2010. When Ryan returned to the cobbles in 2012, Sol Heras took over for a year, and Ryan Prescott has played the character since 2018.
Departure and reaction
Ben revealed he felt "sad" after leaving. Speaking to The Bolton News in 2010, as reported by Digital Spy, he said: "It wasn't my choice to leave Coronation Street, but a new producer came in and wanted to shake things up. I am one of the characters that sadly wasn't part of the plan." He added: "I am sad, because it has been the biggest part of my life for the past four years. It has given me the freedom to work on my music, though. Writing music is something I have always done, but I've never been able to focus on it before because I had to do Coronation Street. It's nice to be able to do something completely different to acting."
In a 2013 interview with The People, according to The Mirror, he disclosed: "When I said I couldn't see any lines for Ryan, he just said, 'We're sending Ryan off to university in Glasgow, and we won't be renewing your contract'. It was absolutely terrible. I felt like my whole world was crumbling around me. Even talking about it is hard."
Life after Corrie
After leaving, Ben shifted focus to a different career path and stepped away from acting. His final role came in 2015's Fungus the Bogeyman, playing Bogey Sentry. He now works as a Frank Sinatra-style tribute act, performing at weddings, parties, and holiday camps. His musical range also includes BritPop and acoustic performances. He was formerly a member of the Rusholme Ruffians, an indie band influenced by Manchester acts. Before Corrie, Ben appeared in the 2002 film Re-Inventing Eddie and the BBC children's comedy series Stupid! between 2004 and 2007.
