The 26 year old actor was informed several months ago about the decision to write his character off the show, with his departure scenes expected to air in early summer
The 26 year old actor was informed several months ago about the decision to write his character off the show, with his departure scenes expected to air in early summer
Coronation Street’s Colson Smith, known for his longtime role as Craig Tinker on the iconic soap, is set to leave this summer after an impressive 14 years. A source close to the show shared that the 26 year old actor was informed several months ago about the decision to write his character off the show, with his departure scenes expected to air in early summer.
The insider commented: “Colson was told last autumn about Craig being written out of the show, he will be on screen until early summer. He is hugely grateful to have had 14 years working on the show and is excited about what promises to be a brilliant exit storyline. He is very positive about what the future holds for the next part of his career.”
Confirming his departure plans to The Mirror, Colson Smith expressed gratitude for his tenure on Coronation Street: “Autumn last year I was told that Craig Tinker’s time on the Cobbles is to come to an end in 2025. I’ve LOVED every single second of my 14 year stay as a resident on the greatest street in the world.”
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Having undergone an impressive personal transformation, losing 10 stone, Colson remains optimistic about his career trajectory post-Corrie: “I feel incredibly lucky to have grown up in, on and around Coronation Street,” he declared. “I’ve learnt pretty much everything about life from the people who call it home. I’m excited to play out the exit story for Our Craigy.”
Enthusiastic for what the future has in store, Colson sees his departure not as an ending, but as a transition to new beginnings: “For me, this is the end of the beginning. I genuinely can’t wait to see what chapter two has in store for me,” reports the Mirror.
He also extended his well-wishes to the series and its new boss Kate Brooks, concluding with a cheerful salute: “Long live the cobbles!” Brooks hinted at some dramatic Corrie departures to come in 2025, stating: “There are a few exits this year, and some unexpected ones that will send shockwaves.”
Colson Smith, best known as Craig Tinker in the show since he was 11, has bravely shared his past struggles with weight issues. In a candid interview with the Mirror in 2021, he explained that food became unhealthy comfort to the point of self-harm, saying: “When everyone else was at uni, I’m sat on bloody Deliveroo every night. So I kind of had got myself into a really unhealthy position where food was a self-harm to me. It was my comfort and I didn’t realise how much damage I was doing to myself with it.”
However, having turned his life around, Colson documented his incredible transformation from 22 stone down to around 12 through a YouTube documentary, ‘Bored of Being the Fat Kid’, where he worked alongside a life coach.
He’s also been catching the eye with appearances on ITV reality series such as Celebrity Big Brother and the jungle’s companion programme ‘I’m a Celebrity: Unpacked’.
The Weatherfield soap has seen multiple leavers recently, with other familiar faces like Beth Tinker, played by actress Lisa George, leaving in summer and Helen Worth’s departure after 50 years as Gail Platt in Christmas. The latest news reveals that Sue Cleaver, Eileen Grimshaw for 25 years, is poised to exit next.
