Ryan Thomas confirms he's QUIT acting as he's 'lost the bug for it'

He appeared on Coronation Street for 16 years

Author: Alex RossPublished 5th Mar 2021

He's one of the most popular faces in the world of soaps, having appeared on Coronation Street between 2000-2016 as the legendary Jason Grimshaw, but it doesn't sound like we will be seeing Ryan Thomas on our screens any time soon.

Ryan, who was crowned the winner of Celebrity Big Brother back in 2018, has announced he's made the decision to quit acting after simply 'losing the bug for it'.

Speaking alongside his brothers, former Emmerdale star Adam Thomas, and former Love Island contestant Scott Thomas on their podcast, Ryan spoke candidly about his career, admitting he's fed up of being rejected for roles.

He said, "It's so hard for me. I started off acting, I started off in that game and I really lost the bug for it.

"I feel the reason for losing the bug is rejection and going to auditions and not getting them."

The trio also spoke about online trolls and how negative comments have helped Ryan make his mind up about his future career prospects.

He said, "I've never had that before because social media wasn't around. I never got it in Corrie because I never had social media when I was in Corrie. If I did, it was at the end but I was so established there that people saw me as fixtures and fittings, so I never really got that sort of negative criticism.

"It happens in all aspects but I just found it really, really hard to deal with at first. I always think, 'Oh, it'll come back at some point and maybe it will, and it's still something that I have in my locker if I want to explore it again. Right now I'm really happy with the direction I'm going."

Check out all of the TV stars you didn't know were related:

Rita Simons and Lord Alan Sugar

Former EastEnders and I'm A Celeb star Rita Simons is the niece of the one and only Lord Alan Sugar.

Phoebe, Hattie and Sally Dynevor

Phoebe Dynevor who plays the role of Daphne in Netflix show Bridgerton, is the daughter of Coronation Street actress Sally Dynevor, who plays the iconic character Sally Webster.


Sally's other daughter Hattie Dynevor now appears in Waterloo Road as student Libby Guthrie.

Jamie Lomax and Charley Webb

Former Hollyoaks actor Jamie Lomas, who played bad boy Warren Fox in the soap, is the brother of Emmerdale star Charley Webb.

Ryan, Adam and Scott Thomas

Former Coronation Street actor Ryan Thomas is the older brother of Emmerdale actor Adam Thomas and Love Island star Scott Thomas.

Kimberley and Amy Walsh

Girls Aloud singer and TV presenter Kimberley Walsh is the older sister of Emmerdale's Amy Walsh, who plays the role of Tracy Metcalfe.

Brooke Vincent and Ellie Leach

Coronation Street actresses Brooke Vincent and Ellie Leach play half sisters in the ITV soap, but in real life they are cousins.

Jill and Chelsea Halfpenny

Actress Jill Halfpenny is former Casualty actress Chelsea Halfpenny's auntie.

Nick and John Pickard

Hollyoaks actors Nick and John Pickard played half brothers in the Channel 4 soap, but they are also brothers in real life.

Lacey and Daisy Turner

EastEnders actress Lacey Turner is the older sister of former Hollyoaks actress Daisy Turner.

Hannah and Kara Tointon

Former EastEnders actress Kara Tointon is the older sister of Hannah Tointon, who has starred in TV shows such as The Inbetweeners and Call The Midwife.

Joe and Shana Swash

Joe Swash is the older brother of former EastEnders actress Shana Swash. The pair appeared on the soap together.

Mark and Jess Wright

Siblings Mark and Jess Wright appeared on The Only Way Is Essex together.

Laila Morse and Gary Oldman

EastEnders star Laila Morse is the older sister to Oscar winner Gary Oldman.

Greg Wood and Matt Milburn

The Coronation Street actors are actually brothers! Greg plays loan shark Rick Neelan and Matt plays Weatherfield County footballer, Tommy Orpington. They have also both appeared in Hollyoaks and Emmerdale!

Anthony and Emily Head

Emmerdale actress Emily Head is the daughter of actor Anthony Head, who is famous for his roles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Stranger and Little Britain.

Sophie and Pete Sandiford and Paul Chuckle

Gogglebox star Sophie and Pete Sandiford are the niece and nephew of The Chuckle Brothers - Paul Chuckle and the late Barry Chuckle.

Ryan was just 16-years-old when he first joined the cast of Coronation Street, making his debut as Jason Grimshaw in December 2000.

Following a hugely-successful 16 years on the Cobbles, Ryan made the decision to leave Corrie and later went on to appear on Australian soap Neighbours in 2017 as Rafael Humphreys.

Then, after winning the final ever series of Celebrity Big Brother, Ryan became a dad for the second time when his fiancée Lucy Mecklenburgh gave birth to a baby boy called Roman.

Most recently, Ryan has been working as a delivery driver for his brother Adam's restaurant The Spinn Cafe Bar and Lounge.

Now read:

Take our ultimate Coronation Street quiz

Phoebe Dynevor from Bridgerton's mum is Sally from Corrie

All of the TV shows we can’t wait to return in 2021

How to listen to MFR:

For great music and incredible competitions tune into MFR on FM and DAB across the North of Scotland, online, on our app, or say ‘Play MFR’ on your Smart Speaker. We play you the biggest hits from the world’s hottest artists. You’ll find new favourites every day and hear the songs you've missed from the last few years. MFR is the home of Jodie at Breakfast, to Garry and Steven getting you home after work.