As a soap fan it's hard not to become invested in the lives of your favourite characters as they navigate new storylines on screen.
But it's easy to forget what many of them used to look like when they first started out in the spotlight.
Over the years some child soap stars have left acting to focus on their studies or try their hand at a different career, but others have remained in our favourite soaps each week.
From Coronation Street to Emmerdale and EastEnders, here we take a look at how some of the child soap stars have changed and what they're up to today.
Sam Aston as Chesney Brown in Coronation Street
Sam Aston has played Corrie's Chesney Brown since 2003, starting the show when he was 10 years old.
He has grown up on the show and has had a series of intense storylines - including being held hostage, constantly getting dumped and becoming a single dad.
Sam now has a son of his own after marrying yoga teacher Briony Gardner in a lavish ceremony at Stock Farm, attended by his Corrie co-stars, in 2019.
The pair welcomed their baby boy Sonny James Aston into the world back in August last year.
Sam, who is now 27, is still a regular on Corrie.
Charlie Jones as Ben Mitchell in EastEnders
Charlie Jones was one of a few actors to play Phil Mitchell’s son in EastEnders, and he was the longest serving of all of them.
He first came to Albert Square back in 2006 after the “death” of his mum Kathy Beale, who later was found out to be alive.
Charlie was 13 at the time of leaving the soap and since 2014 the part of Ben Mitchell has been played by Harry Reid.
But Charlie, now 24, hasn't left the acting world all together and appeared last year in BBC's adaptation of Malorie Blackman's novel Noughts + Crosses.
Eden Taylor-Draper - Belle Dingle Emmerdale
Eden Taylor-Draper plays Belle Dingle in ITV's Emmerdale, a role she took over from Emily Mather in 2005.
Eden first joined the soap when she was just seven years old and has literally grown up on screen.
Now aged 23, Eden continues her role as Belle on the show and has been given some hard hitting storylines over the years.
Colson Smith
Craig Tinker, played by Colson Smith, made his first screen appearance on the cobbles on 5 August 2011.
He joined the soap as a fresh-faced 12-year-old as the son of Beth Sutherland.
He is currently still part of the show and last year stunned fans with his impressive weight loss.
The 22-year-old has recently released a documentary about his weight loss journey and the reasons why he decided to change his life.
Speaking in a previous interview, Colson said: "I got myself into a really unhealthy position where, I say in the documentary, 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. Now I’ve changed all of that without realising that I’ve changed.
“I respect myself. I had no respect for myself and now I do."
Maisie Smith as Tiffany Butcher in EastEnders
Maisy Smith was six years old when she began playing Tiffany Butcher in EastEnders in 2008.
She has made a name for herself on the hit TV show in her role as the daughter of established characters Bianca Jackson (Patsy Palmer) and Ricky Butcher (Sid Owen).
Maisy temporarily left the soap temporarily in 2016 but she is now back in the role, aged 19.
She is popular with her followers on TikTok and reached the final of Strictly Come Dancing last year.
Emily and Amy Walton - Bethany Platt in Coronation Street
Most people will know the character Bethany Platt in Corrie as being played by actress Lucy Fallon who left the soap last year.
But long before Lucy took the role, Bethany was first played by twins - Emily and Amy Walton.
Between 2000 and 2007 the sisters took it in turns to play Bethany, before Sarah, played by Tina O’Brien, left the cobbles with Bethany to live in Italy.
Now Emily and Amy, from Lancashire, are 21, and have left acting behind to focus on their studies.
Helen Flannagan - Rosie Webster Coronation Street
Helen Flannagan is best known for her role playing Rosie Webster in the ITV soap Coronation Street from 2000–2012.
She was just 10 years old when she first arrived on the cobbles and later returned to her role in 2017 before going on maternity leave in 2018.
Helen and her partner Scott Sinclair welcomed their son Charlie into the world at the end of March.
The couple already share two daughters - Matilda, who was born in 2015, and Delilah, who was born in 2018.
Helen recently discussed her 'changed' body six weeks after the birth of her son.
She shared an honest post on social media about her post-partum body, sharing a montage of clips with her Instagram followers, showing her body during pregnancy and after giving birth to Charlie.
Helen also said: "As a mummy of girls I want to show them to be confident in their own skin and to love themselves. I do affirmations with them on the school run such as 'I am amazing,' ' I can do anything.'"
