Coronation Street’s former Ryan Connor stars now including disappearance from spotlight

As Coronation Street ’s Ryan Connor takes centre stage this week with a heartbreaking escalation of his OnlyVidz work, many fans have been quick to express their concerns for the character and the lengths he is going to in order to earn money and help boost his self esteem.

Over the past few months, viewers have seen Ryan suffer a downward spiral with his mental health since falling victim to a horrific acid attack earlier this year, however he appeared to have turned his life around by becoming an online fitness influencer.

But while this was the cover story he used to fool his loved ones, Ryan had actually been injecting steroids in order to bulk up, while also selling saucy videos and selfies to anonymous buyers online.

With his secret set to be unveiled to his closest friends and family in the coming days, Ryan’s foray into the dark world of sex work is definitely a far cry from his innocent beginnings on the show.

So what happened to the stars that previously played Ryan before current star Ryan Prescott and where are they now?

Ben Thompson (2006–2010)

When Ryan first made his debut on the Coronation Street cobbles in 2006, he was played by teenage actor Ben Thompson, who was just 14 years old at the time!

Having attended the Carol Goby Theatre Workshop alongside Chesney Brown actor Sam Aston, Ben had initially auditioned for the role of Cameron McIntyre, with the hope of starring alongside his acting pal.

However, bosses at the soap were so impressed by his audition they asked Ben to take part in a second screen test, this time for a completely different role – Ryan Connor.

Originally contracted for six months, Ben’s acting skills soon secured him an extension to 2009 and then to 2012, although he decided to quit the soap in 2010 while still in contract.

After leaving the soap, Ben did briefly continue to act, when he briefly appeared in the 2015 movie Fungus The Bogeyman as Bogey Sentry.

However, despite his successful soap career, Ben later decided to turn his back on acting altogether and pursue a career in music instead, with his band Rusholme Ruffians.

Sol Heras (2012-2013)

The next star to play Ryan, was Sol Heras, who stepped into Ben’s shoes to continue the role after his predecessors departure.

First appearing in 2012, Sol’s time on the soap was sadly short-lived, as the character was later written out completely in July 2013, just over a year since he first joined the cast.

Since leaving the soap Sol has continued to act, with a number of credits under his belt, including the lead role in the film Viking – The Berserkers, and in BAFTA-winning game Late Shift.

Away from the spotlight, Sol enjoys leading a pretty relaxed life, with the star documenting his day to day adventures with his two dogs a bulldog and a golden retriever.

Ryan Prescott (2018–present)

The most notable star to have played Ryan, is of course the current holder of the role Ryan Prescott, who has been playing the popular character for over 5 years now.

Ryan joined Coronation Street in 2018 when new producer Kate Oates decided to bring the character back and chose to recast the role.

No stranger to soaps, Ryan had previously starred in a number of memorable rival productions, including as Liam Slade in Doctors and Flynn Buchanan in Emmerdale.

Outside of his appearances on screen, Ryan is a keen lover of all things outdoors and regularly goes on hikes in the Lake District to help raise awareness of mental health.

Coronation Street continues Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 8pm on ITV and ITVX

Source: Read Full Article