The 40-year-old actor is returning to the ITV soap as Jason Grimshaw after nine years away, while Carole Anne Ford has also made her Doctor Who after 32 years – but they are not the only stars who reprised their roles after a long time away
Ryan Thomas will be back on our screens in Corrie tonight as he returns to play Jason Grimshaw for the first time in nine years tonight. But that’s nothing compared to the time some other stars have spent away from iconic roles – before getting back into character once more.
On Saturday, Carole Ann Ford returned to Doctor Who 32 years after she was last seen on screen as the Time Lord’s granddaughter, Susan Foreman.
Ryan, 40, said he thought he’d never return to the soap but that “it felt right” for co-star and close friend Sue Cleaver’s emotional exit. Sue will bow out as Jason’s mother Eileen Grimshaw after more than 20 years in the role in upcoming episodes.
Meanwhile Carole, AKA Susan Foreman, was the Doctor’s very first companion, boarding the TARDIS alongside Hartnell’s First Doctor, before departing the show in 1964. She claims was “fan power” that brought her back, saying: “I think fans have been saying, ‘Where is she? What’s happening other than her? Are we going to see her again?’
On how the Doctor Who set compares to the rather more quaint version back in the 1960s, she adds, “This is like a universe of its own. It’s stunning. I feel very honoured to be here.”
But they’re not the only stars of TV and films who reprised their roles after a very long time away. Here are some of the others…
David Tennant (The Doctor in Doctor Who) – 13 YEARS
Tennant’s run as the 10th Doctor from 2005 to 2010 is the stuff of sci-fi legend. With his skinny suits, wild hair, and “Allons-y!” catchphrase, he quickly became a fan favourite – so much so, that his departure in a tear-streaked Christmas special left the nation heartbroken.
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Fast forward to 2023, and Tennant – by then a huge star of stage and screen – stunned audiences by returning – not just for a cameo, but as the 14th Doctor, alongside Catherine Tate. It was a fan-pleasing twist for the 60th anniversary, mixing nostalgia with fresh Time Lord chaos.
READ MORE: Coronation Street fans will see ‘different’ Jason Grimshaw with shock romance teased
Tony Adams (Adam Chance in Crossroads) – 21 YEARS
Tony Adams was a fan favourite in Crossroads as smooth-talking businessman Adam Chance, first appearing in the original run of the motel-set soap back in 1978. Known for his charm, affairs, and ever-changing fortunes, he stayed with the series until its 1981 cancellation, leaving behind a legacy of big collars and bigger drama.
In a move that delighted loyal viewers, Adams returned to Crossroads in 2002 when ITV revived the show after more than two decades off air. Picking up where he left off, Adam Chance was once again stirring the pot in King’s Oak, but was later killed off in a fire. Tony, now aged 84, went on to star in the West End stage version of Chitty Chatty Bang Bang as Grandpa Potts.
Paul Bradley (Nigel Bates in EastEnders) – 26 YEARS
Back in the ‘90s, Paul Bradley’s Nigel Bates was the lovable oddball of Albert Square—soft-spoken, cardigan-clad, and endlessly unlucky in love. A single dad with a heart of gold, Nigel brought warmth and awkward charm to even the grittiest EastEnders storylines. When he left Walford in 1998 to start a new life with girlfriend Julie, fans were sad but glad to see the gentle soul get a happy ending.
Paul went on to firmly establish another much-loved character, playing heart surgeon Elliot Hope in Holly City from 2005 to 2015. Then, in 2024, and after 26 years away, Nigel made an emotional return for Dot Cotton’s funeral, thrilling fans with his brief return.
David Hasselhoff (Michael Knight in Knight Rider) – 22 YEARS
In the 1980s, David Hasselhoff was the epitome of cool as Michael Knight – the leather-jacketed crime fighter with a talking car. Knight Rider became a cult classic and turned The Hoff into a global icon.
After the series ended in 1986, his career soared: he patrolled the beaches as Mitch Buchanan in Baywatch, starred in films like Dodgeball and The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, and even became a chart-topping pop star in Germany.
Hasselhoff returned to the driver’s seat in 1991 for Knight Rider 2000, a futuristic TV movie sequel. Then, in 2008, he delighted fans once more with a cameo in NBC’s short-lived Knight Rider reboot, which pulled in over 10 million viewers. He also lent his voice to KITT again for a video game.
David Jason (Granville in Open All Hours) – 29 YEARS
David Jason was the shy, long-suffering shop assistant Granville in Open All Hours, working under the tight-fisted Arkwright, played by Ronnie Barker. The show became a British sitcom classic during its original run from 1973 to 1985, with Jason’s quiet charm and comic timing helping it win generations of fans.
Nearly 30 years later, Jason returned to the corner shop in Still Open All Hours, this time as the owner – older, grumpier, and very much following in his uncle’s penny-pinching footsteps. The reboot aired in 2014 and ran for six series.
Sir Patrick Stewart (Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek) – 26 YEARS
Sir Patrick played Jean-Luc Picard, the commanding officer of the Federation starship USS Enterprise, in 178 episodes of the sci-fi television series between 1987 and 1994, and in four feature films. He went on to star in countless movies, TV dramas and stage shows, including Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men franchise.
But in 2020 the veteran actor boldly went back to where he had been before, reprising the role of Picard in Star Trek: Picard. Delighting fans with the news, he said: “When we wrapped that final movie in the spring of 2002, I truly felt my time with Star Trek had run its natural course.
“It is an unexpected but delightful surprise to find myself excited and invigorated to be returning to Jean-Luc Picard and to explore new dimensions with him.”
Bonnie Langford (Mel Bush in Doctor Who) – 36 YEARS
Bonnie Langford first joined Doctor Who in 1986 as Mel Bush, the bright and bubbly companion to the 6th and 7th Doctors. Known for her upbeat energy and iconic scream, she left the TARDIS in 1987, going on to forge a hugely successful stage and TV career, including a memorable stint in EastEnders and acclaimed turns in the West End.
Three decades later, Bonnie surprised fans by stepping back into Mel’s shoes for The Power of the Doctor in 2022, later explaining she was sent a script “out of the blue” by Russell T Davies with an offer to return. And this year she made a second comeback, and is currently playing Mel again alongside Ncuti Gatwa’s 15th Doctor in the new series.
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