He's trying to change his bad boy image on-screen but Coronation Street star Jack James Ryan couldn't have looked any cuter as he shared a sweet childhood snap to mark his sister's birthday. The actor is best known to playing Jacob in the ITV soap.
He made his debut in Weatherfield in March 2020 as part of a gang who were running drugs under the cover of food deliveries which saw him befriend Simon Barlow. While Jacob was soon cast away from the gang, Simon and his mum Leanne Battersby were drag in further to the murky world when gang leader Harvey Gaskell, played by Will Mellow, showed up.
So it is probably no surprise that Simon has been less than welcoming as Jacob returned to the street, striking up a relationship with his cousin Amy Barlow. But Jacob's life isn't being made easy by Simon as he tried to ruin his chances of a fresh start with a job at the Underworld factory.
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Following Wednesday's edition of the ITV soap, Corrie viewers were left fuming as Simon stormed into the factory and blasted Jacob in front of his new co-workers. He brought up his murky past as a drug dealer and revealed how he had tormented and taunted his mum Leanne over the death of her three-year-old son Oliver.
He publicly shamed Jacob for his violent, drug-dealing former life and Jacob was deeply humiliated. Simon made it clear that he’d never forgive him and he’d better watch his back. But Corrie fans pointed out that Simon appears to have a 'short memory.'
But while things were kicking off on-screen, Jack James, who plays Jacob, was busy celebrating his sister's birthday who fans will remember recently appeared on the soap herself. Rebecca Ryan made her first appearance on the cobbles as Lydia Chambers back in December but left last month after a dramatic showdown with her former university flame, Adam Barlow.
Taking to Instagram with a seflie of the pair taken in a car, Jack said: "Happy Birthday you old fart. Blessed, I truly am. Love you long time @rebeccaryan__"
He then posted another snap of the pair as youngsters, with Jack giving a wry smile for the camera in a striped shirt while Rebecca was dressed for school in a blue shirt, tie and grey cardigan with her hair scraped back into a bun. "Best mates since day dot," Jack captioned the adorable picture.
Following Rebecca's on-screen exit after her three-mont sting on the cobbles, Jack revealed a lovely video of his older sister being applauded on her last day of filming on the Salford-based soap set. He also shared a picture of his on-screen girlfriend, Amy Barlow actress Elle Mulvaney, who had kindly made some cakes for the occasion.
The 25-year-old also shared a video of them both walking down the famous cobbles with the Rovers Return in the background, both wearing their big red and blue ITV puffer jackets. "I'm gonna miss ya mate @rebeccarya__," Jack wrote across the clip which saw him pull 31-year-old Rebecca into a hug.
Jack also expressed his sadness at his sister exiting the soap but once again showed his pride in a Tweet alongside a TikTok video he made of them together at work as well as their karaoke sessions in the car to a from the Corrie set, all to the backdrop music of the Friends theme tune, I'll Be There For You by The Rembrandts.
"I can’t believe that’s Lydia over and out," he said. "So gutted we didn’t get to do a scene together but these past few months have been so special for us. I think Lydia should come back as Jacobs long lost sister."
Rebecca's birthday wasn't the only one Jack was marking as he also shared a recent snap from a night out alongside his co-star Harriet Bibby, who plays Summer Spellman. Throwing up a couple of peace scenes for the camera while celebrating in Manchester over the weekend, the soap sta said: "Happy Birthday to my fav 30 year old @harrietanneb," when she was in fact celebrating her 24th birthday.
