Ben Thompson, who plays Coronation Street's Ryan Connor, will leave the cobbles when his character goes to university in Scotland, soap bosses have confirmed. But the actor will still occasionally be seen in Weatherfield when he appears during university holidays. A spokesman for the ITV drama confirmed he will not have his contract renewed. But he added: "Ryan is going to university but is still very much a part of his mother Michelle Connor's life, and there are plans to see him in future episodes when he returns to Weatherfield on breaks from university." He denied claims that the character has been "axed" by new producer Phil Collinson, saying he will be paid episode by episode. Ben, 18, has played Ryan for four years. His storylines have included a baby mix-up plot, which saw Ryan learn that Michelle (Kym Marsh) was not his biological mother. This week Vicky Entwistle announced that she is leaving the soap after 14 years as Janice Battersby. Producers have previously revealed that key characters will be killed off when a tram crashes on to the cobbles to mark the show's 50th anniversary in December.' Click here to watch whatsontv.co.uk's weekly soaps video preview, the Soap Scoop
