Ryan Thomas admits frequent travels to Manchester put a ‘strain’ on Lucy Mecklenburgh relationship

Ryan Thomas had admitted that travelling to Manchester to visit daughter Scarlett has put a ‘strain’ on his relationship with fiancé Lucy Mecklenburgh.

The former Coronation Street star, 36, lives in Essex with his former TOWIE star partner Lucy, 29, and their 11-month-old son Roman, but Scarlett, 12, lives in Manchester with her mum Tina O’Brien, 37. 

And speaking in his podcast Mancs on the Mic, Ryan told how it’s important to make things work and balance his family life between the two cities.

Honesty: Ryan Thomas had admitted that travelling to Manchester to visit daughter Scarlett has put a ‘strain’ on his relationship with fiancé Lucy Mecklenburgh (pictured in 2019)

He told brothers Scott and Adam Thomas: ‘I know I’ve got Scarlett [who] I have to keep going back and forward for… That puts a strain on our relationship because I’m not with her [Lucy] because I’ve gotta get back for Scarlett.

‘There is that trying to find a mix of making both work and working out where you’re going to end.’

He continued: ‘I think eventually I’d like to be in Manchester with both my kids, but at the moment it’s having that help at hand in London it’s just easier, but I think eventually I would love to be back where I started with all my brothers and all our kids.

Family: The former Coronation Street star, 36, lives in Essex with his former TOWIE star partner Lucy, 29, and their 11-month-old son Roman, but Scarlett, 12, lives in Manchester with her mum Tina O'Brien, 37

Family: The former Coronation Street star, 36, lives in Essex with his former TOWIE star partner Lucy, 29, and their 11-month-old son Roman, but Scarlett, 12, lives in Manchester with her mum Tina O’Brien, 37

‘I think that’s what’ll happen eventually but we’re just taking it a day at a time. I think that’s what you’ve got to do with this family life.’

The TV star recently purchased a new family home in Manchester, which will no doubt make it easier to juggle family life.

Lucy recently shared a glimpse of their new home that they plan to renovate and branded her fiancé a ‘brave man’ after he purchased the home without her seeing it.

Revealing all: Speaking in his podcast Mancs on the Mic, Ryan told how it¿s important to make things work and balance his family life between the two cities

Revealing all: Speaking in his podcast Mancs on the Mic, Ryan told how it’s important to make things work and balance his family life between the two cities

This week Lucy and Ryan have shared a glimpse of their renovation process on social media, with Ryan seen working hard stripping off wallpaper and pulling up carpet.

Meanwhile, Ryan revealed he quit acting after a slew of failed auditions and being trolled for his Neighbours stint. 

The former Corrie star admitted he ‘lost the bug’ for performing after struggling to land roles, just days after revealing he’d been working as a delivery driver for his brother Adam’s restaurant.

Candid: ¿I know I¿ve got Scarlett [who] I have to keep going back and forward for¿ That puts a strain on our relationship because I¿m not with her [Lucy] because I¿ve gotta get back for Scarlett'

Candid: ‘I know I’ve got Scarlett [who] I have to keep going back and forward for… That puts a strain on our relationship because I’m not with her [Lucy] because I’ve gotta get back for Scarlett’

Ryan added that he found it ‘really hard’ being criticised for his performances and has no intention to act again, instead focusing on other TV projects with his brothers Scott and Adam.

Speaking on the siblings’ Mancs On The Mic podcast, Ryan said: ‘It’s so hard for me. I started off acting, I started off in that game and I really lost the bug for it. 

‘I feel the reason for losing the bug is rejection and going to auditions and not getting them.’ 

Making it work: ¿I think that¿s what¿ll happen eventually but we¿re just taking it a day at a time. I think that¿s what you¿ve got to do with this family life'

Making it work: ‘I think that’s what’ll happen eventually but we’re just taking it a day at a time. I think that’s what you’ve got to do with this family life’

New home: The TV star recently purchased a new family home in Manchester, which will no doubt make it easier to juggle family life

New home: The TV star recently purchased a new family home in Manchester, which will no doubt make it easier to juggle family life

Ryan added that he struggled with the criticism from Australian viewers when he appeared on Neighbours in 2018 as Rafael Humphreys.

He said: ‘I went over to do Neighbours and I just saw on social media that there were just quite negative comments towards me and my acting.

‘I’ve never had that before because social media wasn’t around. I never got it in Corrie because I never had social media when I was in Corrie.

‘If I did, it was at the end but I was so established there that people saw me as fixtures and fittings, so I never really got that sort of negative criticism. 

He's done! Ryan recently revealed he quit acting after a slew of failed auditions and being trolled for his Neighbours stint

He’s done! Ryan recently revealed he quit acting after a slew of failed auditions and being trolled for his Neighbours stint

Divisive: The former Coronation Street star admitted he 'lost the bug' for performing after struggling to land roles and being criticised online for his stint on the Aussie soap (pictured)

Divisive: The former Coronation Street star admitted he ‘lost the bug’ for performing after struggling to land roles and being criticised online for his stint on the Aussie soap (pictured)

‘It happens in all aspects but I just found it really really hard to deal with at first.

‘I always think, ‘Oh, it’ll [the desire to act] come back at some point and maybe it will and it’s still something that I have in my locker if I want to explore it again. Right now I’m really happy with the direction I’m going.’

Ryan starred on Coronation Street as Jason Grimshaw for 16 years, but quit the soap in 2016 to explore other acting roles.

In recent months he starred alongside his brothers in the documentary Absolutely India: Mancs in Mumbai, which has been picked up for a second series.

Throwback: Ryan starred on Coronation Street as Jason Grimshaw for 16 years, but quit the soap in 2016 to explore other acting roles (pictured in 2007)

Throwback: Ryan starred on Coronation Street as Jason Grimshaw for 16 years, but quit the soap in 2016 to explore other acting roles (pictured in 2007)

Changes: In recent months Ryan has focused on other TV projects including his travel series Mancs in Mumbai, where he appeared alongside his brothers Scott and Adam

Changes: In recent months Ryan has focused on other TV projects including his travel series Mancs in Mumbai, where he appeared alongside his brothers Scott and Adam