After more than a decade on the cobbles, Colson Smith has officially bowed out of Coronation Street – and his exit as Craig Tinker came with blood, heartbreak, and a hero’s send-off. In his exit interview, Colson opens up about growing up on set, the decision behind Craig’s tragic end, and the Lego-sized legacy he left behind.
For Colson, the writing had been on the wall long before his character took his final breath. “I’d already braced myself for what was about to happen,” he admitted. “I’ve been in that building since I was 12 years old. I knew my time was up.” When producer Kate Brooks sat him down, the actor didn’t dance around it. “I stopped her and said, ‘Look, I’ve got two questions. When, and do I get killed?’ She kind of stumbled, and I said, ‘If it makes it easier, the right answer for me is yes.’
Far from the usual will-they-won’t-they departure storylines that leave the door ajar, Colson was adamant. “I didn’t want the ‘maybe he’ll come back’ route. It would feel like unfinished business. Craig dying in the line of duty was the perfect end.”
Filming his final scenes, including the grisly attack that sealed Craig’s fate, proved to be some of the most rewarding work of his career. “We worked with Duncan Foster – he’s killed off about 40 people; you instantly feel you’re in safe hands.” But the grim scenes weren’t without their lighter moments. “It was Joe’s (Layton, who plays Mick Michaelis) first time working with me, and I said, ‘Hi, I’m the person you kill!’ Not your usual first-day introduction.”
Despite the brutal on-screen ending, Colson spent much of his final day filming lying perfectly still. “There was a lot of blood, a huge gash on my head, but I wasn’t doing much acting. I was just lying there with my eyes shut.” Still, there was so much emotion in the room. “Andy (Kirk), Samia (Maria), Tanisha (Asha) -there were real tears. I could feel what they were going through. Even though I wasn’t speaking, I felt everything.”
Despite the heavy drama of his exit, it’s the lighter, weirder moments that Colson says will stick with him most – like the time Craig sat munching a loaf of bread during chaos at the Rovers. “There was a scene once where Hayley Tamaddon’s husband was on the roof of the Rovers, and Craig was just eating a loaf of bread, like watching it unfold. It was mad! But that’s Corrie. It’s those odd little moments that you never forget.”
“I’ve grown up, and Craig’s grown up; we’ve gone through different stories. There are so many different things. I remember Lucy’s storyline with Bethany’s grooming, and I remember things with Ellie as a kid. I remember Ellie’s exit.”
‘I gave everyone a Lego Craig Tinker’
Colson marked his departure in a truly unique way. “I made little Lego Craig Tinkers for everyone. Just a ginger-haired police officer with a sticker that said, ‘PC Tinker will always be there when you need him.’”
It was part of his way of saying goodbye. “The night before my last day, I just sat outside the Rovers for an hour. It was quiet, warm, and I soaked it all in. That was my thank you and goodbye.”
Coronation Street continues on ITV1 this Friday at 8pm
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