Coronation Street star Ryan Prescott has been winning praise for his portrayal of Ryan Connor after the character was caught up in a horrific attack. Viewers of the ITV soap were left gobsmacked when DJ Ryan stepped in to help Daisy Mideley when her stalker arrived at the pub on her wedding day.
Justin Rutherford returned to the cobbles in order to unleash a horrific acid attack on the bride-to-be. After months of torment from Justin, Daisy was finally ready for happy ever after with Daniel Osbourne. But, after a series of hiccups tried to ruin her big day, things only got worse.
The barmaid's stalker was lurking in the shadows at the Rovers Return as she and Ryan Connor, who was drafted in as chauffeur as well as DJ, locked up the pub. After suggesting things were too perfect for her, Justin hurled acid in Daisy's direction, but Ryan jumped in front of her and was left writhing and screaming as the substance burned through his face and arm.
Viewers have since been left in tears as they watch Ryan struggle to comes to terms with what has happened and his life-changing injuries while Daisy watches on, consumed by guilt.
Speaking about his reaction to the storyline at a recent press event, actor Ryan told the Manchester Evening News and other media that he was on holiday when he found out from producer Iain MacLeod. "Iain first called me when I was sitting on sunbed by the pool in Crete," he recalled.
"So I didn't really know what to expect. He said there was something big in the pipeline for Ryan and I had no idea it would be that gritty. Ryan usually slides into more of the humorous elements on the show so to have something that serious, I was just excited to be honest and it woke me up from being subdued watching the ocean to being full of excitement."
He added: "It's something gritty to get into for Ryan and to explore different things for him and it's something of real substance, so as an actor you can get stuck in a little bit more."
The 34-year-old star, from Stockport, has played Ryan in Corrie since 2018. However, the character was first brought into Weatherfield in 2006, and played by Ben Thompson until 2010 when Ryan accepted a university placement in Glasgow. Two years later, however, he was kicked off his course and returned home, hooked on cocaine.
Sol Heras then took on the role from 2012 to 2013, when Ryan went to Ibiza to work as a DJ. Five years later there was another change as Ryan Prescott was recast in the role in 2018 - when his character's job in Ibiza fell through and he moved back in with his mum, Michelle, played by Kym Marsh.
But it wasn't Ryan's first stint in a soap. His first major role was as Flynn Buchanan in Emmerdale in 2011, who was introduced as a love interest for Aaron Dingle. After enjoying a 12 episode stint on the Yorkshire-based soap, Ryan went on to bag roles in Holby City, The Syndicate, Doctors and Casualty before finally landing the job on Corrie.
Away from Corrie, while the actor has become known for his signature short locks, which he regularly styles into a sleek quiff when starring on the long-running show, the soap star hasn’t always looked this way - as he proved when he shared a throwback snap on his Instagram earlier this year of how he looked before he joined the programme.
In the black and white snap, Ryan can be seen sporting shoulder-length locks that fell in loose waves. He also ditched his classic clean-shaven look for a full moustache and a goatee as he looked towards the camera.
Ryan is also a keen gym user and previously shocked fans when he posted a gym selfie showing off his incredible physique. He also appears to be well-travelled and regularly posts snaps on Instagram from his holidays including trips to Thailand, Amsterdam, Monaco and the USA.
It also appears that Ryan resides in a large house tucked away in the countryside as, unlike his DJing alter-ego, Ryan actually prefers a far calmer life. While he prefers to keep his private life away from the spotlight, the star has shared a handful of videos and photos in the past which have offered a fleeting glimpse into his life beyond Corrie.
For example, Ryan appears to live in a dreamy red-bricked house surrounded by plenty of stunning country views and, in one snap shared by the star, Ryan could be seen sitting outside in his garden doing a bit of painting as he tried to capture the views with his impressive artistry.
He is also a big fan of the outdoors and recently shared snaps from a trek to Blencathra, Sharp Edge, in the Lake District before taking a brutal plunge into icy water for a cold swim. But not only does he care about his own love of hiking, Ryan is also an ambassador for LETS (Living Beyond Emotional Trauma and Stress), a charity which brings people together through hiking retreats to help improve their physical and mental health, OK! Magazine reports.
He previously said about his work: "I know, all too well, the difficulty of managing the labyrinth that is psychological wellness and the endless barriers of thought that hold us all back from clarity and freedom… Charities like LETS have such an important role to play, for anyone at all in need of finding a way through the darkest chapters of their lives."
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