Coronation Street actor Colson Smith has opened up about his struggle with food bingeing.
The Craig Tinker actor took to TikTok to answer a question from one of his followers, who wanted to know what had been the turning point in him deciding to get fit.
‘I had to. I was on dodgy grounds,’ the 26-year-old said. ‘I didn’t realise how big I was, and I don’t think you do. But I was like 24 stone before Covid. I was so unhealthy.
‘I had this relationship with food where I would do this restrictive eating cycle. I would eat s*** loads of food and hate myself for it so I would then punish myself by not eating.
‘Then I would get so hungry and emotional about how I hadn’t eaten that I would then go and binge again.’
He explained how this cycle lasted ‘for the best part of a year’, until he saw the opportunity for an ‘important’ Coronation Street storyline.
![FROM ITV STRICT EMBARGO - No Use Before Tuesday 11th April 2023 Coronation Street - Ep 1093435 Friday 21st April 2023 Craig Tinker [COLSON SMITH] gets down on one knee declaring his undying love for Faye Windass [ELLIE LEACH] and asks her to marry him. What will she do? Picture contact - David.crook@itv.com This photograph is (C) ITV and can only be reproduced for editorial purposes directly in connection with the programme or event mentioned above, or ITV plc. This photograph must not be manipulated [excluding basic cropping] in a manner which alters the visual appearance of the person photographed deemed detrimental or inappropriate by ITV plc Picture Desk. This photograph must not be syndicated to any other company, publication or website, or permanently archived, without the express written permission of ITV Picture Desk. Full Terms and conditions are available on the website www.itv.com/presscentre/itvpictures/terms](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/SEI_150387868-d627.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
‘I had a thought that there might be a way we could play a story with Craig where he had an eating disorder with his OCD.
‘Obviously, slightly close to home, but I thought it would make for a really good story, and I think it’s important that stuff like that is told on TV.’
He went on to reveal that Corrie bosses were ‘all for it’, but Covid led to a change of plans.
The actor has previously opened up about undergoing a hair transplant after noticing hair loss at the age of 22.
‘Losing my hair at such a young age has been a tough thing for me to come to terms with, I instantly feel SOOO much better and more confident that I’ve taken a step to getting back my luscious strawberry blonde locks,’ he wrote alongside an Instagram post.
The actor, who has been on Corrie since 2011, came in 3rd place behind Strictly star Nikita Kuzmin and Ibiza Weekender rep David Potts in ITV’s revival of Celebrity Big Brother earlier this year.
During his time on the show he came to blows with Reggae Reggae Sauce inventor Levi Roots who branded his behaviour as ‘boring’.
His Coronation Street alter-ego is set to find himself in trouble with colleague DC Kit Green (Jacob Roberts) this week, when he starts looking into the theft of Debbie Webster’s (Sue Devaney) car.
Viewers will know that Daniel Osbourne (Rob Mallard) stole and crashed the car, with Daisy Midgeley (Charlotte Jordan) disposing of the evidence – something that Kit discovered through CCTV.
In upcoming scenes, Kit catches Craig double checking the CCTV footage, and asserts that he is in charge of the case. Is Kit up to no good, and will Craig figure it out?
