Coronation Street star Colson Smith has been on quite the weight loss journey over this past year, and his new documentary is set to shed some light on it all.
Smith – a regular on Manchester’s most famous cobbles since 2011 playing Craig Tinker – has regularly shared updates of his fitness journey on social media since the start of 2020 and most-notably received an outpouring of support from stunned fans after taking to Instagram to share a post-run picture back in May.
While he largely chose to keep to himself, has made the decision not to share the amount of weight lost, and wanted to hide his progress from the public, now 18-months down the line, the 22-year-old actor is set to release a documentary on his journey.
‘Bored Of Being The Fat Kid’ will be released in full on Colson’s YouTube channel next Wednesday 2nd June.
Colson shared a teaser post for the documentary on Instagram this morning.
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The documentary will see him tell the story of his weight loss journey in his own words, but instead of focusing on a number on the scale or the amount he has lost, it will give a real look into his thoughts and feelings as he found his love of running and went from “the 10-year-old being best mates with the dinner lady so he got more food to being the 22-year-old who is now putting himself first and wants to get the most out of his life.”
Colson said he grew up being “the fat kid”.
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He told a selection of the media that being called the “fat kid” was something he experienced within all walks of life, and that it was “kind of the identity I ended up with”.
After joining the soap in August 2011 when he was just 11-years-old, Colson found himself seeing comments about his weight online, adding: “You search your name [and] you search ‘Craig Corrie’ to see what people are saying about your character, your acting and all they’re saying is about your weight and the way you look.
“I was exposed to just being branded the fat kid, the this, the that from day one”.
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Instagram – @colsonjsmith
It wasn’t until Colson turned 21 that he realised he wanted to “mix it up” and change the identity he had lived with for much of his life.
He decided to live his life with “no regrets”.
The documentary will also touch upon the “difficult” challenge he faced with people congratulating him on his weight loss, adding: “When people started to realise and I started to get the attention and be congratulated, I found that difficult because I was being congratulated for not looking the way I looked”.
Colson admits that we should “expect nothing” from the documentary after originally setting out to just film it for himself as a way of looking back on his progress, but it becomes clear to audiences that he his transformation is not just physical, but also mental – and one worth sharing.
“I go from this kid who clearly doesn’t like himself, to growing in confidence”, Colson adds.
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“I learned who Colson is. I’ve learnt to like myself, to trust myself, to believe in myself and I now enjoy life.”
You can watch the trailer for the documentary here.
‘Bored Of Being The Fat Kid’ will be released in full on Colson’s YouTube channel next Wednesday 2nd June.
Bury actress Kate O’Flynn wins big at 2026 Emmys with record-breaking comedy show
Emily Sergeant
Did you know that one of the big winners at the 2026 Emmy Awards last night was actually an actress from Bury?
In case it wasn’t on your radar, American television‘s biggest night, the Emmys, took place yesterday evening over in Los Angeles, and several records were broken in the process – including Apple TV’s comedy horror Widow’s Bay taking home the most Emmys ever for a single series of a comedy show, with 14 of them.
Widow’s Bay tells the story of mayor Tom Loftis, played by Welsh actor Matthew Rhys, who is trying to boost tourism on his rugged New England island, but must navigate several strange events that suggest it might be cursed.
Created by Katie Dippold, and executive produced and directed by Hiro Murai, Widow’s Bay was released in late April to widespread critical acclaim.
At the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards last night, the show scooped a record 14 awards, including for Outstanding Comedy Series, several acting wins, and wins for directing and writing too.
One of those acting wins was Kate O’Flynn for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series – an actress who hails from the Greater Manchester town of Bury.
Kate stars as Patricia Moyer, mayor Tom’s eccentric assistant in the show.
She grew up in Holcombe Brook near Ramsbottom, and was educated at Bury Grammar School, before she went on to train at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Acting in 2006.
Taking to the stage to accept her award last night, Kate said in her speech: “I want to thank our mayor [Matthew Rhys] and all the residents of Widow’s Bay, in front and behind the camera – you’re amazing. This is the role of a lifetime, thank you Katie and Hiro for trusting a Lancashire lass to play a sassy broad like Patricia. And thank you Apple [TV] for saying yes.
“Thank you Nicky and Tony for looking after me, my family back home, my mum and dad, and the loves of my life, my husband and our darling daughter – another sassy broad in the making.
“This is for all the Patricias out there, see you at Sunset Cocktails to celebrate. Thank you.”
Featured Image – The Television Academy (via YouTube)
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M&S launches new Too Good To Go partnership – with NINE Greater Manchester stores signed up
Emily Sergeant
M&S has finally decided to partner with food waste charity, Too Good To Go.
As of yesterday, a total of 350 M&S stores across the UK – including nine major sites in Greater Manchester – now offer new Too Good To Go ‘Surprise Bags’ that are made up of surplus bakery goodies, giving customers the chance to collect quality food at a reduced price at the end of the day directly from in-store bakeries.
The launch follows a trial in a select number of UK stores, and the Surprise Bags will include bakery treats such as pastries, cookies, and fresh bread.
The partnership with Too Good To Go is the latest move in M&S Food’s work to reduce surplus food and ensure good food doesn’t go to waste.
Greater Manchester stores that will be taking part in the new Too Good To Go partnership include Manchester Market Street, Trafford Centre, Stockport, Spinningfields, Prestwich, Wigan Robin, Bolton Middlebrook, Bury The Rock, and Ashton Moss.
Each of the Surprise Bags will include three to four bakery products to a minimum retail price of £10.20 for just £3.80.
Available Monday to Saturday, customers can order their Surprise Bags through the Too Good To Go app, and collect them one hour before their local store closes.
“It’s great to be involved in this new launch with Too Good To Go to help reduce food waste,” commented Chris Parker, who is the Store Manager at M&S Bolton Middlebrook.
“Our in-store bakeries are incredibly popular with customers, and at the end of the day, customers will now be able to order and collect surprise bags offering fantastic surplus bakery products at great value.
“By finding new ways to re-purpose surplus products, we’re helping ensure more food is enjoyed rather than wasted. This partnership is another positive step towards reaching our goal of halving food waste by 2030.”
Emily Sergeant -
24th May 2021 
