Coronation Street star Colson Smith has landed a new role at the BBC just days after his character was brutally killed off by the ITV soap. 

The actor, 26 – who had played PC Craig Tinker in Corrie for 14 years – was left gutted after ITV bosses broke the news to him that his time on the soap was to come to an end. 

Craig Tinker’s final scenes aired on Wednesday night, with fans fuming that the soap star had been ‘done dirty’ after he was beaten to death with a bat by Mick Michaelis (Joe Layton).

But Colson has moved on quickly from the disappointment, as he took Instagram on Friday to reveal he’s swapped ITV for the BBC. 

‘Thank you so much for all the love this week! I really appreciate it,’ he wrote. 

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Former Coronation Street actor Colson Smith, 26, has swapped ITV for the BBC after his character on the soap was killed off earlier this week

Taking to his Instagram on Friday, Colson revealed he’ll be starting a BBC Radio Leeds this summer

And it seems Colson has got straight to work as he later shared a snap of him in the studio 

‘Some of you have been asking, what next for me? There’s a few exciting things going off!

‘BUT one thing I can tell you for now, is that I’m joining the team at BBC Radio Leeds this summer!! Catch ya on the wireless in Yorkshire!!’

Fans seemed delighted for Colson after the actor shared his ‘brilliant news’.

They wrote: ‘WooHoooooooo!!!! Now this makes me VERY happy!!! Good lad!!!’,

‘Such a lovely lad, hope you’ll go in to presenting x’,

‘Good news ,your stylish approach to your Corrie departure is to be applauded’,

‘This is so good for you…happy for you’.

During an appearance on This Morning earlier this week, Colson opened up about the emotional moment he found out his time in Weatherfield was coming to an end.

The actor had played PC Craig Tinker on the show for 14 years 

Fans took to the comments section of Colson’s post to praise him for the new role 

Taking to the iconic sofa alongside Ben Shephard, 50, and Cat Deeley, 48, on Thursday, he said: ‘I’ve been in that building since I was 12. I know how it works. It’s like any work place, you pick up on vibes, you pick up on things..

‘I knew, I had a meeting at 7pm one night after work. 

‘I was in the Rovers all day, I was sat there kind of not saying anything, but my brain was like “I know what’s coming tonight!”.

‘I told Jack and Ben, my two best mates at work, tonight’s the night, I’m getting binned, that’s what we call it.

‘I was like tonight’s the night, will you be there for me.

‘They were there and I went up to boss, she looked at me and went “This isn’t going to be an easy conversation.”

‘I was like “Well let’s go and have it. Let’s get it out the way.”‘

Colson described finding out the cast’s reaction to the news as the ‘hardest thing’. 

The actor sat down with Ben Shephard, 50, and Cat Deeley, 48, on Thursday to discuss his exit 

Read More Colson Smith reveals the emotional moment he learned he was being ‘binned’ from Coronation Street

‘I found out on the night and went in next day, it was Helen Worth, who plays Gail Platt’s last day,’ he said. 

‘I’d gone in and I’m like “I’m about to ruin Helen’s last day.

‘”I cant do this!”

‘But then, do I keep a secret. but by the time I had got into work, everyone knew, it was like Colson had died.

‘I walked into the greenroom and awkwardly laughed and Lucy Fallon was heavily pregnant at the time, she burst in tears, Julia Gording was crying all day.

‘I felt for Jack and Ben – they were losing their mum and found out that their mate was going. It was a roller coaster of emotions, it had been the whole way through.

‘And the last day, Andy Whyment was just crying, he couldnt even park his car straight in the morning.’ 

Fans were left truly heartbroken watching Colson’s alter-ego Craig die on their screens.

Viewers flocked to social media to share their sadness over his death, with many complaining that ‘he deserved a happy ending!’

One wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter: ‘Nah Coronation Street did Craigy dirty there, we do not want more deaths he deserved a happy ending.’

Colson’s character PC Tinker was brutally bludgeoned to death with a bat in his final episode on Wednesday

Many rushed to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share their heartbreak over the devastating scenes that aired on Wednesday evening 

‘NOT OUR CRAIGY!!! Justice for Craig.’

‘Not our Craigy. I was hoping they’d let Craig leave happy on transfer to a different district to go further up his career ladder but man #corrie that was brutal.’

‘Sad to see the end of Craig Tinker on @itvcorrie. I wish they could have left the door open for the always sunny character. I found a few drawing I did of him from years back.’ 

‘RIP CRAIG . Also known as PC Tinker. The best police officer that the street has ever known.’

‘Not Craig #Corrie.’

‘Absolutely hate that we lost Craig that way – if anyone deserved a happy ending, it was Tinker.’

Coronation Street airs Monday, Wednesday and Fridays from 8pm on ITV1.