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ACTOR COLSON SMITH JOINED THE ITV SOAP IN 2011 AND HAS UNDERGONE A DRAMATIC CHANGE IN FRONT OF VIEWERS' EYES OVER THE YEARS 06:02, 21 May 2025 Coronation Street star Colson Smith is

saying a sad goodbye to the Cobbles after almost 14 years - but he originally only signed up for a two-episode stint as a youngster. The actor, who was born in Dorchester, Dorset, but later

moved to Castleford, West Yorkshire, was cast as Craig Tinker in the ITV soap, the son of Beth Tinker, in 2011. But things were almost very different as Colson previously revealed that

he'd only signed up to Corrie for a couple of episodes. Back in 2022, he told the Metro: "Craig initially came in for just two episodes with his mum, Beth Tinker. The audience

reacted to them and they were brought back. "To start with, Craig didn’t speak. It was probably the best part of three months before he said his first words. But he’s developed into a

character and he’s found his feet now." But now, in more than a decade on-screen, the character's storylines have included a battle with OCD and becoming a police officer. For his

role of Craig, Colson was also nominated for Best Young Actor at the 2015 Inside Soap Awards. However, as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end and during Wednesday's

(May 21) Corrie, Colson was seen bowing out of the role of PC Tinker. It's been no secret that Colson was leaving the show, having confirmed the news himself in a social media statement

back in January. At the time, he posted a picture of himself in his alter-ego's police uniform on the cobbles and said: "Autumn last year I was told that Craig Tinker's time

on the Cobbles is to come to end in 2025. "I've loved every single second of my 14-year stay as a resident on the greatest street in the world. I feel incredibly lucky to have

grown up in, on and around Coronation Street. I've learned pretty much everything about life from the people who call it home. I'm excited to play out the exit story for Our

Craigy." The 26-year-old added: "For Me, this is just the end of the beginning. I genuinely can’t wait to see what chapter 2 has in store for me. LONG LIVE THE COBBLES!"

Colson later explained that Corrie's newest producer Kate Brooks informed him of the decision during a late-night meeting at the soap's Trafford-based set, with her confirming that

it was time to write the character out of the long-running show, ahead of marking 14 years in Weatherfield this summer. Colson's exit then officially took place on Friday (March 21)

and with Corrie filming anywhere from six to ten weeks in advance, it left Colson falling short of marking 14 years in the role of Craig this summer. Following his last day on the Street,

Colson took to Instagram with a snap in which he could be sitting above the Rovers Return sign. Alongside the post, the Celebrity Big Brother star said: "CORONATION STREET I LOVE YOU,

THANK YOU." Outside of Coronation Street, Colson has appeared as Adam Concus in several short films, the first being Platform2C in 2011, followed by Hollows Wood and Jailhouse Dog in

2014. He also appeared as Jack in Reverie. But his biggest move was in 2020, when Colson took up running and released his own YouTube documentary, Bored of Being the Fat Kid, which

documented his huge transformation. Colson, who has never revealed the amount of weight he has lost but said he used to weigh 140kg, previously told how he would drink around five pints of

fizzy drinks a day before his lifestyle overhaul. But it didn't come without its challenges. In a 2021 interview with Runner's World the actor revealed he would often run in

disguise at night with a 'snoop and a cap on' because he did not want to be seen. But he later shared that once he saw others in the same position as him, his

'inhibitions' began to wear off and his confidence grew. "You're not doing it for anyone else, and no one else is going to do it for you. Once you have that idea in your

head, you're on to a winner," he said. More recently, Colson, who now documents him gym trips and running achievements on social media, gave an insight into his healthier lifestyle

during a chat about Hartshead Moor Service Station in Brighouse, Yorkshire, on the podcast he co-hosts, On the Sofa, with former Corrie co-stars Ben Price and Jack P Shepherd. Article

continues below The conversation came about as Ben mentioned an encounter with a man who informed him he was at the wrong place for KFC when at the services, to which Colson clarified it was

"over the bridge" across the M62. Ben, who plays Corrie's Nick Tilsley, then asked: "How many times have you got there and just gone over the bridge for the KFC?"

to which Colson replied: "I've not had a KFC for five years now. Five years clean of binge eating, but I've just had some fizzy sweets."