Ryan Thomas has shared a wholesome moment as he returned to the place where he first worked on Coronation Street more than 20 years ago, this time taking his young children with him.
The Manchester-born actor, who retired from acting in 2021 but has since moved into presenting, shot to fame in the ITV soap, which is filmed in Salford, after Jason Grimshaw arrived on-screen in 2000.
Return to the Original Set
In his 16 years in Weatherfield, the character's storylines mostly revolved around his failed relationships with various women, from Sarah Platt and Rosie Webster to Becky McDonald and Eva Price.
But it wasn't anything to do with the ladies in his life that led to Jason's departure from Weatherfield in 2016, as he left after being manipulated by his mother's new boyfriend and later husband, Pat Phelan.
The door, however, was also left open for a possible return as he emigrated to Thailand, and last year, Ryan reprised the role of Jason for a brief period after almost a decade, which came after he was asked back as part of Sue Cleaver's exit storyline as she bowed out of playing Eileen after 25 years.
Reminiscing on Instagram
Despite his second departure from the cobbles, it seems Corrie is still very close to Ryan's heart and over the weekend, the former soap star was seen enjoying some time at the soap's former set. "Still finding it crazy I'm staying here in the same building where I auditioned for Coronation Street," he wrote across a picture of a rooftop pool and seating, with the Manchester skyline poking through the low clouds in the background.
The old Corrie outdoor set at Granada Studios was largely demolished around 2017 and 2018 to make way for the St John's Development urban regeneration project, and some of the old infrastructure and surrounding studio buildings have been repurposed as part of Versa Manchester Studios.
Showing the Kids Where Daddy Worked
Seen with his children, Roman and Lilah, outside Studio 1, Ryan wrote alongside another photo on his Instagram Story: "Came here when I was 16 years old – first job out of school. Nothing will ever compare to that feeling, being in this building. It was a magical time. So grateful @coronationstreet."
Ryan's partner, Lucy Mecklenburgh, also shared a video of Ryan reminiscing with his children as they checked out what the former Corrie set, which is now based at MediaCityUK in Salford, is like now, which she captioned: "Showing the kids where daddy worked for 16 years!"
Earlier this year, Ryan was reminded of when he first appeared on-screen in Corrie as Jason. In the scene, he was seen heading to No.5 Coronation Street, then the home of the Battersbys, looking for his mum, who was surprised to see him as he was supposed to be at his dad's. Resharing a post about his first appearance on the cobbles to his Instagram Story, Ryan wrote: "First day on Corrie. Christmas Day, never forget it [praying hands and heart emojis]."
