ITV Coronation Street’s original Ryan Connor’s very different life after quitting cobbles

Ryan Connor has been a part of the ITV soap since 2006, but has been played by three different actors, including Ben Thompson who played the role originally

Ben played Ryan Connor on Coronation Street (Image: PA Archive/PA Images)

Ben Thompson, who once played Ryan Connor in iconic soap Coronation Street, has undergone quite the transformation since his days on the cobbles.

Making a dramatic entry onto the scene back in 2006, Ryan was introduced as the child mistakenly taken home by Michelle Connor and Dean due to a hospital blunder. The truth about Nick and Wendy Neeson being his biological parents erupted later, leading Ryan to battle feelings of resentment towards both Michelle and his real son Alex Neeson, while also struggling to connect with Nick and Wendy.

Despite the rocky start, Ryan has now found his place on the street, entertaining viewers with his romance with the bubbly barmaid Daisy Midgeley.

Ben brought the character to life from 2006 up until 2010 before handing over the baton to Sol Heras who took over the role for a year in 2012. The character saw yet another reincarnation when Ryan Prescott assumed the mantle in 2018, making the character his own ever since.

Ben is now a singer (Image: Sophie Roberts/Twitter)

Ryan Prescott plays Ryan Connor on Corrie now (Image: ITV)

Ben’s focus shifted away from acting as he pursued his passion for music. With a crooner’s flair, he delights audiences with a Frank Sinatra tribute act and spreads the joy at weddings and holiday camps alike, reports the Mirror. As well as this, he also sings BritPop and acoustic tracks.

Ryan Prescott now documents Ryan Connor’s journey in Weatherfield, most recently including a chilling acid assault at the hands of villainous Justin.

Reflecting on the harrowing experience his character endured, Prescott shared: “By this point, he’s starting to see that his life is never going to be the same again. He’s trying to reach out and clutch onto whatever he can within his life that will allow him to deny the reality.

“He sees things like his relationship with Alya and the chance to go to Ibiza slipping away from him and naturally tries to reach out in desperation. I think he knows there are stages of acceptance and denial. Slowly, he understands the gravity of what’s happened. It’ll change his life forever. It will change the way he interacts with the world and the recovery. The difficulty within the parameters of soap is to show some kind of reality that comes with the longevity of what it means to be an acid attack survivor.”