EXCLUSIVE - From Cas to the famous cobbles ...

Colson Smith and Ellie Leach in Coronation Street. Picture courtesy of ITV Pictures

The former Castleford High School pupil was plucked from his after-school drama club at the age of 12 to take on the role of Craig Tinker.

Three-and-a-half years on, he has just starred at the centre of one of the soap’s biggest storylines with Craig helping his 13-year-old classmate Faye Windass keep her pregnancy a secret and even help deliver her baby.

Colson, 16, of Ferrybridge Road, said: “It has all been a little bit surreal to be honest. During my first year I only did 17 screenings and was mainly in the background.

“Then I went from that to being at the centre of the storylines on the show.

“I think I grew up a lot during that time and then the storyline between Craig and Faye has been crazy.

“The producers started the friendship between Craig and Faye about a year-and-a-half ago and then we got told the storyline which was obviously going to be controversial.

“I was quite nervous about it because of the perception it got from the public when it got out.

“Then over the last eight months we have been working on trying to get the best result and do the storyline justice which I think we did.

“We had some really nice comments from it and both me and Ellie (Ellie Leach, who plays Faye) are really happy with it.

“It was a really brave story for the producers to take on because it has already been done on soaps and it was such an emotive topic but it does happen, I’ve known people be in similar situations to Faye, so it needed to be done.”

Colson combines filming for the show with full-time study at Pontefract NEW College.

He is almost half-way through his BTEC Performing Arts course.

Colson added: “It is really hard work to combine full-time study with full-time work but it’s really rewarding.

“I like going to college. It allows me to just be a teenager with my friends and the course is more about theatre shows so it is widening me as an actor.”