Ryan Thomas

Ryan James Thomas (born 10 June 1984) is an English former actor. He is best known for playing the role of Jason Grimshaw on ITV soap opera Coronation Street from 2000 until 2016. In 2018, he played Rafael Humphreys in Australian soap opera Neighbours, and won the twenty-second and final series of Celebrity Big Brother. Thomas announced his retirement from acting in 2021, however has continued his work in television and is set to appear as a contestant on the sixteenth series of Dancing on Ice in 2024. Career Thomas was 16 when he made his on-screen debut as Jason Grimshaw in Coronation Street on 25 December 2000. In 2012, Thomas took part in a documentary called Corrie Goes to Kenya, along with his co-stars Brooke Vincent (Sophie Webster), Sue Cleaver (who plays his on-screen mother Eileen Grimshaw) and Ben Price (Nick Tilsley). Thomas said that his time in Kenya changed him as a person and made him realise how much he has in life. Thomas left Coronation Street in June 2016, after nearly sixteen years in the role. He told Daniel Kilkelly of Digital Spy that he wanted "a different experience" and the chance to pursue other roles. His co-star Terence Maynard, who played his on-screen father Tony Stewart, was also a big factor in his decision to leave the soap. He added "It could be stage, it could be TV, or I could disappear and start learning my craft – start from the bottom and do some acting classes again. These are all things that I need to do because I feel like I haven't done them yet."