Street life: Ryan Thomas talks about his move from Coronation Street to Neighbours.

Former Coronation Street star Ryan Thomas takes up residence in Ramsay Street for a role in Australian soap Neighbours. He talks to James Rampton about his character’s dark secret.

Ryan Thomas could scarcely believe his luck when he was asked to join the cast of Neighbours.

“I’ve always been a huge fan of the show,” the British actor tells TV Guide. “So imagine getting a call and being offered a part in Neighbours. It was a no-brainer to accept it. It’s something to tell your grandkids.”

Thirty-three-year-old Thomas, who played Jason Grimshaw in Coronation Street for 16 years until he left the soap in 2016, explains why Neighbours is so popular in Britain.

“It’s something we have always adored in the UK. We love the sunny atmosphere of the show. We want a piece of that because we don’t have it in our country. Neighbours offers a real feel-good factor.”

Thomas appears in the Australian soap as English tourist Rafael Humphreys.

He is an enigmatic figure who arrives in Erinsborough with revenge on his mind.

A loner with mysterious scars on his back, Rafael has arrived in Ramsay Street to settle past scores. However, his plan flounders when he forms an unexpected bond with a resident.

Thomas was immediately drawn to playing Rafael.

“I thought it was an amazing

“I hope people will be a bit disturbed by him. That’s what the part is there for.”

– Ryan Thomas on his role in Neighbours.

opportunity to play something far away from my last role as Jason,” he says. “It’s a really meaty part to get your teeth into.” Thomas, whose brother Adam is in Emmerdale, gives an insight into his Neighbours character. “Rafael carries a dark secret and has a troubled past. He has these scars because he was burnt in a factory fire with his mother. That’s why he comes to Ramsay Street. He is looking for revenge. All these emotions have been tearing him up for years and years.” Rafael is unsettled, however, when he finds himself growing close to a Ramsay Street resident. “It’s very difficult for him because he’s not there to make any attachments. This is the first time it’s happened to him and it has caught him off-guard. “Rafael finds it hard to deal with emotions and that’s why he hasn’t previously had any attachments. When he arrives in Erinsborough, there is a lot for him to cope with.” The actor hopes that audiences will be unsettled by Rafael. “I hope people will be a bit disturbed by him. That’s what the part is there for. At the end of every episode, viewers will be left in limbo about what will happen next. There are constant cliffhangers. I think it’s really exciting.” After leaving Coronation Street, Thomas appeared on a very different type of show – Celebrity Island With Bear Grylls, where he and a group of fellow British celebs were marooned on a desert island for several weeks in aid of charity.

The actor describes the experience of having to fend for himself on a remote tropical island as, “Absolutely horrendous. It was the hardest challenge I’ve ever had in my life. It’s not faked in the slightest. There is no hiding place out there. It’s as raw as it gets.

“But I completed it and, by the end, I felt like I had really achieved something.”

Thomas still remains most celebrated, though, for his stint on Coronation Street. Moving to Australia to film Neighbours did nothing to reduce the number of Coronation Street fans who would stop him in the street.

“I didn’t realise that Coronation Street is so massive in Australia,” he laughs. “I’ll be reminded of it every day because the fans won’t let me forget about it. I will never get away from that show but, there again, it’s not something I want to get away from. I’m very proud of it.”

Thomas clearly had a ball filming Neighbours in Australia.

“The cast were wonderful – they welcomed me with open arms. The cast was also smaller than on Coronation Street, which made it easier for me to remember people’s names. After work on Neighbours, we would go and watch the sunset. That’s not something you can do so often in Manchester.”

So after enjoying himself so much on Neighbours, would Thomas go back to Ramsay Street?

“The part was not ever intended to be something permanent. At the moment, I’m excited to be home in England, looking for my next adventure.

“But who knows what’s around the corner? Is a return to Neighbours possible? It’s like I always say about Coronation Street – Never say never.”