CORONATION Street’s Colson Smith has opened up about how much the horrific trolling over his weight has affected him over the years.
The actor, who plays PC Craig Tinker in the ITV soap, shocked fans when he revealed his epic 10 stone weight loss for the first time last year.
The star, 23, decided to completely change his life with exercise and healthy eating to make sure that he was able to chase people as a policeman on Corrie.
But despite shedding a huge amount of weight, the nasty comments he’s received online from the age of 11 will always be in the back of his mind.
Colson recently told Runner’s World UK magazine: “That fat kid is the kid that I’ve looked at every day in the mirror and I still see him now.”
He added: “It’s a battle I’m probably going to carry with me for the rest of my life.”
One thing that Colson has really started to love doing since his lifestyle change is running.
At the beginning of his journey he did it because he wanted to lose weight, but soon realised how great it made him feel mentally, as well as physically.
Colson explained: “My first runs were in the witching hour, pitch black. “I had a snood and a cap on. I did not want to be seen.
“But then you see other people who look like you, in the same position as you, and the inhibitions start to run off.
“Running does give you confidence. You’re not doing it for anyone else and no one else is going to do it for you.
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“Once you have that idea in your head, you’re on to a winner.”
Colson first showed off his huge weight loss at the TRIC Awards in London back in March 2020.
Weeks later the UK were put into their first coronavirus lockdown, meaning that the actor had plenty of time to focus on his fitness foals.
Over the months he regularly shared what he got up to during his home workouts on Instagram and left fans amazed at his his shrinking frame.
Colson unveiled his epic weight loss for the first time on our screens in August last year after returning to work.
The actor decided to share his journey with fans on his documentary Bored of Being the Fat Kid, which he released on his YouTube channel.
Read the full Colson Smith interview in the November issue of Runner’s World UK, on sale from today
