kids encyclopedia robot

Ryan Thomas facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Ryan Thomas
Ryan Thomas 2.jpg
Thomas in 2009
Born
Ryan James Thomas

(1984-06-10) 10 June 1984 (age 41)
Manchester, England
Occupation Actor
Years active 2000–present
Television Coronation Street (2000–2016, 2025)
Neighbours (2018)
Celebrity Big Brother (2018)
Partner(s) Tina O'Brien (2003–2009)
Lucy Mecklenburgh (2017–present; engaged)
Children 3
Relatives Adam Thomas (brother)
Scott Thomas (brother)

Ryan James Thomas (born 10 June 1984) is a British actor. He is famous for playing Jason Grimshaw in the TV show Coronation Street from 2000 to 2016. In 2018, he acted as Rafael Humphreys in the Australian TV show Neighbours. He also won the twenty-second series of Celebrity Big Brother in 2018.

Ryan Thomas announced he was stepping back from acting in 2021. However, he has continued to appear on television. In 2024, he won the sixteenth series of Dancing on Ice.

Ryan's Acting Journey

Ryan Thomas started his acting career at 16 years old. His first appearance was as Jason Grimshaw in Coronation Street on 25 December 2000. In 2012, he took part in a special documentary called Corrie Goes to Kenya. He joined his co-stars Brooke Vincent, Sue Cleaver, and Ben Price on this trip. Ryan shared that his time in Kenya changed him a lot. It made him appreciate his life more.

Leaving Coronation Street

Ryan Thomas left Coronation Street in June 2016. He had been on the show for almost sixteen years. He told Digital Spy that he wanted to try new things. He also wanted to explore different acting roles. His co-star Terence Maynard, who played his TV dad, also influenced his choice. Ryan said he might try stage acting or even take more acting classes. He felt he still had more to learn.

Stage Roles

After leaving Coronation Street, Ryan tried acting on stage. In late 2016, he played Prince Charming in Cinderella at the Wyvern Theatre. The next year, he starred as Captain Hook in Peter Pan at Venue Cymru. In 2018, he played Captain Hook again at the Beck Theatre. In 2019, he took on the role of Dick Whittington at the Grand Theatre in Wolverhampton.

Acting in Australia

In October 2017, Ryan Thomas joined the cast of the Australian TV show Neighbours. He played the character Rafael Humphreys. His first episode aired on 12 February 2018. It was part of a special 60-minute episode called "Hit & Run".

Reality TV Appearances

In August 2018, Ryan Thomas became a contestant on the 22nd series of Celebrity Big Brother. He won the series on 10 September 2018.

Ryan also appeared on Celebrity Masterchef in 2022. In December 2022, he won Celebrity Antiques Road Trip. In March 2024, he won Dancing on Ice with his dance partner Amani Fancy.

Ryan's Family Life

Ryan Thomas has two brothers who are also well-known. His brother Adam Thomas is an actor, known for Waterloo Road and Emmerdale. His other brother, Scott Thomas, was on Love Island.

Ryan has a diverse family background. His grandfather on his father's side was from Mumbai, India. He moved to Manchester, England, in 1947. His great-grandmother on his father's side had Caribbean ancestry.

Ryan dated his Coronation Street co-star Tina O'Brien from 2003 to 2009. They have a daughter together. Since 2017, Ryan has been in a relationship with Lucy Mecklenburgh. They met while filming Celebrity Island with Bear Grylls. They got engaged in June 2019 and have a son and a daughter together.

TV Shows and Roles

Year Show Name Role Notes
2000 Hollyoaks Student Small background role; 1 episode
2000–2016, 2025 Coronation Street Jason Grimshaw Main role; 1509 episodes
2017 The Celebrity Island with Bear Grylls Participant Series 2
2018 Neighbours Rafael Humphreys Recurring role; 17 episodes
2018 Celebrity Big Brother Housemate Winner; series 22
2020 Absolutely India: Mancs in Mumbai Himself Main cast; 6 episodes
2022 Celebrity MasterChef Himself Contestant; series 17
2024 Dancing on Ice Himself Winner; series 16
2025 99 To Beat Co-host With Adam Thomas

Awards and Nominations

Year Award Category Result Ref.
2007 British Soap Awards Best On-Screen Partnership (shared with Sue Cleaver) Nominated
2007 Inside Soap Awards Best Couple (shared with Tina O'Brien) Nominated
2015 Inside Soap Awards Best Affair (shared with Sair Khan) Nominated
2016 TV Choice Awards Best Soap Actor Nominated

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Ryan Thomas para niños

  • List of Celebrity Big Brother (British TV series) housemates
kids search engine
Ryan Thomas Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.