Coronation Street star Ryan Thomas has opened up about the emotional motivation behind his return as Jason Grimshaw, nearly a decade after his exit from the ITV soap. The actor revealed that the decision to come back after nine years was deeply personal—and admitted he felt a wave of nerves stepping back onto the iconic cobbles.

This return marks a poignant moment both for Ryan and for long-time fans of the show who have missed Jason’s presence on-screen.

Coronation Street actor Ryan Thomas has explained the emotional reasoning for his return as Jason Grimshaw(Image: ITV)
Ryan Thomas felt like “the new kid at school” when it came to stepping back onto the Coronation Street cobbles nine years after he departed the soap as fan favourite Jason Grimshaw.

But actor Ryan, 40, told us “it felt right” to head back to the show, something he never thought he would do, for co-star and close friend Sue Cleaver’s emotional exit. Sue will bow out as Jason’s mother Eileen Grimshaw after more than 20 years in the role in upcoming episodes, ready for new adventures.

As for Eileen, who’s currently assessing her future, she’ll be left stunned when son Jason shows up at her door, while it soon appears there’s more to his abrupt return than meets the eye. “He’s struggling for money, his girlfriend left him, and he needs his mum,” Ryan shared. “He says he’s come back for Eileen, but he really needs a cuddle and his safety net.”

But while Jason finds it very easy to rush back to Weatherfield, Ryan confessed it was all a bit nerve-wracking to step back into his character’s shoes after so long. He explained: “I couldn’t sleep the night before. Even though I’d been there half my life, I felt like the new kid at school.

“It took me half a day to get rid of the nerves. It was a bit of a shock to the system at first. I even went on YouTube to rewatch old scenes and got nervous.” Ryan quickly got back into the swing of things though, while fans can expect to see a very different Jason this time around.

Ryan Thomas felt like “the new kid at school” when it came to stepping back onto the Coronation Street cobbles (Image: ITV)

“He’s embraced the Thai way of life. I really wanted to come back in the builder’s outfit, but it made sense that he’s in a different phase of his life now. He is all linen trousers and bracelets and beads. It gives you a feel of this older Jason whose life is now away from the cobbles.”

Jason had quite the turbulent time on the street from rocky marriages, to flings and heartbreak, and the odd scheme or too. He also suffered the devastating loss of his father Tony suffered a fatal heart attack.

Tony was later framed for the murder of Callum Logan, and it was the stress of this, believing his dad was a killer, that led to him fleeing Weatherfield for good. Jason has remained in Thailand ever since, until his big comeback airing very soon ahead of Eileen’s departure.

He’s still the same old Jason Grimshaw though, with Ryan spilling: “Jason is still that happy-go-lucky, lovable guy. He makes it up as he goes along, has a loving heart, and is all about family. And he certainly hasn’t changed when it comes to women, straight away he is taking someone back home with him and getting himself into hot water with his brother!”

Ryan Thomas left the ITV soap in 2016(Image: Press Association)
As for Ryan, he’s excited for his kids to see him back on the soap that started it all. Ryan’s eldest child Scarlett, 16, will have seen him as Jason in the past. Now his youngest children Roman, five, and Lilah, two, who he shares with fiancée Lucy Mecklenburgh, may finally get to see their dad at work, and he’s excited for them to watch him in action one day. Ryan he shared: “I’ll have to explain it to my son.

“Even if they don’t understand it now, there will come a time when we can sit down and show them. Coronation Street will always be a reminder of who I am and where I came from.” Ryan remains grateful to the soap for kicking off his career, and he has “no regrets” about his latest stint on the famous street.

As for Ryan, he’s excited for his kids to see him back on the soap that started it all(Image: Instagram)
On his reasons for returning, he said: “It was a mix of nostalgia and gratitude for what the show has done for me. When they told me Eileen was leaving, it felt right to be a part of that storyline for her and revisit where it all started.” Sue recently confessed in an interview that she’d called close friend Ryan, begging him to come back for her final storyline – an offer he could not refuse.

The pair acted together on the soap as mother and son for more than a decade, developing a strong offscreen bond along the way. He said filming as Jason again after nearly 10 years “became the norm” while he was on set, and he’ll “cherish” it just like his previous stints on the soap.

He revealed: “I have no regrets. It’s been the perfect storyline and a real memory I can cherish. It felt like the old days, we’ve all been in the canteen, having lunch together and I had real fun.”