growing up
Coronation Street child star addresses long absence from the show with joke and new look
The beloved star looked all grown up in the new photos
A POPULAR Corrie actor has joked about how much he has changed since he was last seen by viewers.
Jude Riordan, 13, who plays Sam Blakeman on Coronation Street was inundated with messages about his changed appearance after his latest headshots were posted to Instagram earlier this month.
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A more grown-up Jude was on show in the Instagram post labelled "Headshots 2025" and a few weeks later he spoke about the comments about his growth spurt.
Jude had posted a photo to his Instagram stories showing off a new haircut and later posted the same photo with a caption about the attention he'd received.
He also addressed Sam's absence from the cobbles in recent episodes.
"Lots of messages saying how old I look and how old am I now," he wrote.
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"I know Sam has been missing offscreen for about 34 years but I will be 14 in a few weeks."
Fans reacted to seeing a more grown-up Jude in the comments section of the post featuring his headshots.
"You look like a teenager now... I feel old, having watched you in A Secret Life of Four Year Olds... please don't let Corrie ever write Sam into a miserable and rude teenager- he is the best exemption out there," wrote one person.
Another added: "Fantastic actor growing up . You will be on our screens for years and lovely to watch you grow."
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And a third commented: "Oh my gosh you’ve so grown up and changed soooooo much. I didn’t even recognise you."
The last time the schoolboy, who is the clever clogs son of Nick Tilsley (Ben Price), was seen on screens was during the festive period.
Corrie youngster Jude Riordan struggles to speak into mic at NTAs
Jude debuted on Corrie as Nick's long lost son in 2020 and the following year won a National Television Award for Best Newcomer, becoming the youngest person to achieve the honor.
The teen lives in St Helens, Merseyside with his parents who manage his Instagram account.
He first rose to fame in 2017 when he appeared on the Channel 4 documentary, The Secret Life of 4, 5 and 6 Year Olds.
Jude has also had other high-profile roles, including the hit Sky One show Brassic - where he played Corrie alum, Michelle Keegan's son Tyler Croft.
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