Coronation Street stars Ben Price and Colson Smith have revealed that one of their castmates once ‘couldn’t work with them’ after a hilarious on-set incident left the pair in fits of laughter during filming.
Speaking on their popular On The Sofa podcast, the actors, who play Nick Tilsley and Craig Tinker respectively, recalled a moment from filming in the Rovers Return where they simply couldn’t keep a straight face.
‘We just got the giggles’
During the podcast, which they co-host with fellow Corrie star Jack P. Shepherd (David Platt), the pair reminisced about one of their funniest days on set, when they were supposed to be quietly acting in the background of a wedding scene.
Ben explained that the scene was set during Toyah and Imran’s wedding, but he and Colson couldn’t resist messing around while the cameras rolled.
‘We were just meant to be in the background making small talk’, but instead the pair decided to go off script and create their own hilarious narratives about the bistro. Colson added that the pair were caught more than once by the cameras, as their laughter started to become contagious.
The pair were ad-libbing in the back and adding on to each other’s jokes until neither one could contain their laughter.
‘They couldn’t work with us’
The moment didn’t go down well with everyone. According to Ben, one of their fellow cast members eventually confronted them and asked them to stop fooling around so they could finish filming.
The mystery actor asked the pair to stop for the next tape but Ben and Colson, having far too much fun, kept the joke going.
Colson admitted that he and Ben refused to stop because they found the situation too funny.
The story has since had fans of the podcast, and of the soap itself, desperate to know which cast member the pair were referring to. Social media was quickly filled with guesses, with many Corrie viewers speculating about who might have been unable to tolerate their antics.
Long-running Corrie camaraderie
Ben Price joined Coronation Street in 2009 as Nick Tilsley, the son of Gail Platt and a character known for his complicated love life, business ventures, and family feuds. He left the soap briefly in 2017 before returning the following year and has since become a central figure in Weatherfield’s drama.
Colson Smith, meanwhile, has played PC Craig Tinker since 2011, growing up on screen from a teenage neighbour to one of the show’s resident police officers. Over the years, his character has been involved in major storylines including policing corruption, eating disorders, and his romance with Faye Windass. Colson recently departed the cobbles after his emotional death shook Weatherfield.
The duo’s off-screen friendship has made them one of Coronation Street’s most popular double acts. Along with Jack P. Shepherd, they launched their On The Sofa podcast in 2022, where they discuss TV shows, behind-the-scenes stories, and life on the cobbles with their trademark humour.
Ben admitted that he and Colson loved their jobs, but could their sense of humour sometimes clash with the more serious tone on set?
But many fans agree that Coronation Street is at its best when the cast enjoy themselves.
Fans want answers!
Listeners of On The Sofa have been quick to respond to the story, with fans flooding social media and comment sections to try and identify the unnamed co-star.
One fan wrote, ‘Tell us who it was?!? It’s not a bad thing, just a funny story.’ and another pleaded, ‘Oh please tell us he’s still on the show, I need a hint!!! He obviously has no sense of humour!’
While the pair remain tight-lipped about which actor ‘couldn’t work with them,’ their playful retelling of the story only reinforced why On The Sofa has become such a hit, blending candid behind-the-scenes gossip with the easy chemistry that’s made them fan favourites both on and off screen.
