Corrie's Colson Smith admits he would 'self-harm' himself with food
‘I was always the fat kid!’ Corrie’s Colson Smith admits he would ‘self-harm’ himself with food… before taking control and shedding weight
Coronation Street actor Colson Smith has described his relationship with food as ‘self harm’ after soaring to soap stardom at the tender age of 11.
The 22-year-old – who portrays Craig Tinker on the cobbles – has opened up about being branded ‘the fat kid’ as a child star.
Having since shed an impressive amount of weight and becoming a fitness enthusiast, Colson examines his past struggles in documentary Bored Of Being The Fat Kid.
Honest: Coronation Street actor Colson Smith has described his relationship with food as ‘self harm’ after soaring to soap stardom at the tender age of 11
He told The Sun: ‘At 11 years old I had a Twitter account. You log in, you search your name, you search ‘Craig Corrie’ and you’re looking to see what people are saying about your character or your acting, and all they’re saying is about your weight and the way you look.
‘I was being branded as just the fat kid from day one. Even at school I was always the fat kid, I was always the odd one out.’
He grew up on the stalwart ITV soap and, at age 17, moved into his own place in Manchester, away from his family.
It was this point he let his relationship with food get the better of him, he says.
Transformed: Having shed an impressive amount of weight and becoming a fitness enthusiast, Colson examines his past struggles in documentary Bored Of Being The Fat Kid [pictured, L, in 2018, and, R, in 2020]
‘I’m sat on Deliveroo every night. I got myself into a really unhealthy position. Food was a self harm to me like that, it was my comfort, and I didn’t realise how much damage I was doing to myself with it,’ he added. ‘I had a very bad relationship with food. It was negative, it was bingey. It was probably a disorder, you know, it was self harm.’
His documentary has been shot over 18 months – and looks at how he had to check with those at Corrie that he was allowed to drastically change the way he looked.
He went ahead and charted the journey over lockdown with co-star Ben Price, who plays Nick Tilsley on the soap. Ben – who is Colson’s flatmate too – will interview him.
Starting out: The 22-year-old – who portrays Craig Tinker on the cobbles – has opened up about being branded ‘the fat kid’ as a child star
Tim Royle – one of the Corrie directors – helmed the project. The documentary will also follow Colson as he develops a love for running.
He has insisted, ahead of the release next month, that the purpose of the project is not to preach or advocate a certain diet or exercise regimen.
Instead, Colson hopes to demonstrate that losing weight is important to self-worth, rather than figures on a scale or aesthetics.
Last year Colson spoke about how his staggering weight loss would cause continuity issues on Coronation Street during filming.
Joking that he’d lost 10 stone in the few months filming was halted, he quipped he’d have to wear a fat suit for his scenes.
The star’s character Craig had been trying to trim down on the ITV soap, and Colson admitted the fitness plot was his brainchild and he has been keeping it going during the coronavirus lockdown.
Goals: Colson hopes to demonstrate that losing weight is important to self-worth, rather than figures on a scale or aesthetics
He said on Good Morning Britain last year: ‘When you go up and suggest a storyline where your character goes on a bit of a transformation the one thing in the back of my head is, “Oh, I’ve got to do that as well”.
‘While we’re not seeing the Street at the moment, I’ve kept Craig Tinker’s fitness journey going behind closed doors.
‘So when we’re back we’ll be ready to see what Craig has been up to.’
Bored Of Being The Fat Kid is slated for release on June 2 on Colson’s YouTube channel.
Sporty: The documentary will also follow Colson as he develops a love for running
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