Adam Thomas first came to our screens in 2006 as a fresh faced young actor playing a heartthrob in BBC series Waterloo Road.
The actor, 34, who is the brother of ex-Corrie star Ryan Thomas, made his own way in acting as well as appearing on ITV shows like Emmerdale and I’m A Celebrity.
Opening a restaurant chain with best pal Scott Graham, Adam took steps into the world of entrepreneurship and previously boasted about "making a fortune".
However Adam announced on Wednesday he has been forced to close his restaurant The Spinn in Gatley, Cheshire.
Here we take a look at his time on the soaps and his surprising career change.
Acting career from Waterloo Road to Emmerdale
Adam made his name in acting, known for his roles as Donte Charles in BBC’s Waterloo Road from 2006 to 2009. From that he went on to play Adam Barton in Emmerdale from 2009 to 2019.
After appearing on a celebrity episode of The Chase, Adam told host Bradley Walsh that he doesn’t know why he ever left the popular soap. He said: “[I was on there for] Eight, nine years - the best years of my life. I don't know why I left!
"It was amazing. Great people, great show. [It was] Amazing, unbelievable."
Whilst on the show, Adam tackled some intense story lines before ultimately leaving in 2019.
According to the website Wealthy Genius, ex-Emmerdale actor Adam Thomas is estimated to have a net worth of £1.4 million. Outside of acting, Adam has also worked in other roles including selling property.
Adam previously called himself a Jack of all trades in an interview where he claimed he "made a fortune" working for a property company in between acting roles.
He told the Daily Mirror: "I've made a fortune. I'm in between jobs.
"I was just at home, waiting for a phone call to do an audition - I needed something to tick me over.
"I've got a family to support at the end of the day, so I needed some sort of income. It's great for my own sanity to get out there and start working."
Previously revealing his role as a property executive on social media, he posted on Instagram : "Yes I am working in the property industry in between jobs because as a jobbing actor you can be out of work.
"That's just the nature of the business...I haven't nor will I ever turn my back on acting ...but I have a family to support and will carry on doing so...whether it be acting or otherwise."
Opening his restaurant in Manchester
Adam turned his hand to running a restaurant business in 2019, after leaving the Emmerdale set.
Whilst Adam and pal Scott Graham hadn’t worked in the restaurant trade before, they did say they were "having a blast anyway."
The Spinn described itself as “Serving up locally brewed beers & quality cocktails, The Spinn Off is a no-frills, no-nonsense bar located right in the heart of Stockport.”
The best pals, who met at school, had longed to open up together in their home town and opened their first site in Gatley in 2019. The successful business has gone on to open more sites, including one in the heart of Stockport in summer 2022.
Restaurant closure and focusing on “next chapter”
Adam alongside co-owner Scott recently launched their second permanent site - The Spinn Off bar at Stockport's Underbanks. With the closure of the first The Spinn site, they have declared they will now focus on as their business heads into the "next chapter".
Scott is also the mastermind of Oh My Glaze, the burger sauce company, which hosted a popular burger and fries pop-up at the Trafford Centre earlier this year.
Adam told the MEN : "Unfortunately we have decided to close The Spinn. We did what we had to do with The Spinn and we learnt so much building our first venture and more importantly we had an absolute blast…
"But after 3 years we felt the time was right for us to move on. We are now focusing on the next chapter of The Spinn … The Spinn off and Oh My Glaze.
"With the success The Spinn Off is having and Oh My Glaze, we wanted to concentrate on building and expanding them and in order for us to do so we had to close The Spinn."
He added that staff will continue on at the company's other sites, including their latest Stockport venture. He said: "Thanks again to everyone who has supported us along the way and continues to support us and to all our staff who we will continue to take on this journey with us."
