How Dancing on Ice winner Ryan Thomas and brothers became unlikely reality TV kings after bankruptcy and CBB ‘Punchgate’
ONE has just been crowned the winner of Dancing On Ice, another made it to the I’m A Celeb finals, and the third was a Love Island runner-up.
So after Ryan Thomas skated to victory last night, it begs the question – is his screen-hogging family Britain’s most successful reality TV dynasty?
Between the former Coronation Street actor and his younger twin brothers Adam and Scott Thomas, both 35, they’ve appeared on every show going – including Strictly, Love Island, Celebrity Big Brother and Celebrity MasterChef.
Collectively, they are worth almost £5million, thanks to not just their TV gigs but also tie-ups with brands like Heineken and Oreo, as well as savvy side hustles.
The Manchester trio have also branched out hosting their own series, notably travelling around India with their late father, singer Dougie James, for an emotional journey to discover their heritage.
We reveal how the brothers became the kings of reality TV – and which is the biggest earner.
Ryan Thomas – £2.5m
Ryan, 39, was the first Thomas brother to become famous, when he landed the role of Jason Grimshaw in Corrie in 2000, at the age of 16.
He stayed on the cobbles for 16 years, during which time he began dating his co-star Tina O’Brien – who plays Sarah Platt.
After getting together in 2003, the couple welcomed a daughter, Scarlett, who is now 15. But by 2009, things had turned sour, resulting in a messy break-up.
Tina revealed: “He said he didn’t love me any more. Those were his words. I was devastated.”
Four years later, Ryan was declared bankrupt, owing £40,000 to the bank – despite earning £100,000 a year during his time on Corrie.
But, he quickly began to turn things around, venturing into reality TV and even meeting his fiance Lucy Mecklenburgh through it. He’s now the wealthiest of the three Thomas brothers, worth £2.5million.
It was on Celebrity Island with Bear Grylls, in 2017, that Ryan met TOWIE star Lucy – with whom he now has children, Roman, four, and Lilah, who turns two in April.
The following year, he appeared on Celebrity Big Brother, reportedly earning a whopping £500,000.
He emerged as the winner after former Emmerdale star Roxanne Pallett infamously accused him of punching her – forgetting there were cameras all around the house, so viewers could see she was lying.
In 2021, Ryan admitted he’d given up acting, having “lost the bug for it,” and has had many more TV appearances since.
As well as winning Dancing On Ice, he won Celebrity Antiques Road Trip in 2022, and also appeared on Celebrity Masterchef that same year.
Adam Thomas – £1.6m
Ryan’s younger brother Adam was hot on his heels, shooting to fame in 2006, when he landed the role of Donte Charles in BBC One school drama Waterloo Road.
He stayed there until 2009, before moving on to Emmerdale, on which he played Adam Barton until 2018.
Adam reportedly quit Emmerdale, after bosses tried to block him from taking a £100,000 panto role in Newcastle’s Jack and the Beanstalk.
A source told The Sun at the time he decided to go with the panto role, adding: “It’s a great payday for him and he’s a popular character on Emmerdale, so the bosses had to let him make his decision in the hope he may come back in the future.”
My dad left us for years when we were younger and then he came back into our lives and we never really talked about it
Adam
And he’s been back playing Donte in the Waterloo Road reboot since the show returned in 2021, alongside Ryan’s daughter Scarlett, and his own son Teddy, eight, as his on-screen children.
But, although Adam, who’s worth £1.6 million, is still acting, he’s never been far away from reality TV.
In 2016, he won over the hearts of I’m A Celeb viewers, coming third to Queen of the Jungle Scarlett Moffatt and runner-up Joel Dommett.
He then went on to land a presenting role in the spin-off show Extra Camp the following year.
He also took part in Strictly last year, although he didn’t do quite as well as Ryan, becoming the sixth celeb to be eliminated, along with his dance partner Luba Mushtuk.
Scott Thomas – £750k
Adam’s twin Scott became a reality star in 2016, when he entered Love Island, coming third with Kady McDermott – who he had a very turbulent two-year relationship with after.
He went on to set up his own public relations company, The Social PR agency, whose clients included PrettyLittleThing as well as many Manchester bars and clubs that he’s often seen partying at.
It is believed that since last year he’s been dating another villa alumni, Mary Bedford after hooking up around Valentine’s Day.
Having given up alcohol in 2020, Scott – who has a million Instagram followers – now presents a self-development podcast called Learning As I Go, on which he talks about mental health with celebs. He is also the co-founder of health and nutrition brand Food4Thoughts.
Recent guests on Scott’s podcast have been Loose Women panellist Coleen Nolan, ex-Emmerdale actress Gemma Atkinson and former Geordie Shore star Vicky Pattison.
Family struggles
In 2019, Ryan, Adam and Scott travelled to India with their dad Dougie James – who sadly died the next year – to learn about their heritage for ITV show Absolutely India: Mancs in Mumbai.
For a long time prior, the three brothers had been estranged from their father, who toured with his own band in the Sixties and Seventies called Dougie James and the Soul Train, even supporting the Jackson Five.
Shortly after twins Scott and Adam were born, Dougie and the boys’ mum Gail split, and he ended up being absent for most of their childhoods as they grew up in Manchester.
After a bitter divorce, their parents didn’t speak again until Ryan’s 21st birthday.
And, during an episode of Mancs in Mumbai, Adam admitted the trip to Mumbai became “quite emotional,” with the boys all confronting their dad.
Adam said: “My dad left us for years when we were younger and then he came back into our lives and we never really talked about it.
“There were a lot of unanswered questions, which we touched on and I think we needed to. It got quite emotional.”
Scott added: “It was unbelievable – we’ll never get that again. Even just three sons, as adults, spending time with their dad, is rare.
“Also my dad is 72 now, but he’s quite an old 72, he’s lived his life, so in a way we all saw this as our last little journey with our dad, which is quite sad, but it was so special.”