Ryan Clayton

Ryan Clayton (born 1992 or 1993) is an English actor. Born and raised in Manchester, he is known for his roles as Josh Tucker in Coronation Street between 2018 and 2020 and Mike Rutherford in Waterloo Road between 2023 and 2026. For his role in Coronation Street, he was longlisted for "Best Bad Boy" at the 2018 Inside Soap Awards. He has also had guest appearances in Exile and Young Dracula. In January 2026, it was announced that he had joined the cast of Hollyoaks as Jenson Cole.

Early and personal life Ryan Clayton was born in 1992 or 1993 in Manchester. He described himself as being a "class clown" and "little terror" when he was in school. Clayton has been boxing since he was 11 years old and was a fan of Muhammad Ali.

In January 2018, it was reported that Clayton would portray Josh Tucker in the British soap opera Coronation Street as part of a male rape storyline. Clayton had watched the soap opera when he was younger. For his role as Josh, Clayton was longlisted for "Best Bad Boy" at the 2018 Inside Soap Awards. Laura Morgan from Digital Spy assumed that Clayton's Coronation Street role would throw him "into the spotlight", adding, "what a way to begin your career". Clayton called being on the soap an "honour". He returned for another stint in 2019, with his return airing in October of that year. Clayton was watching a film about Manchester City at the cinema when he got the call to return, and he thought it was "really nice" to be asked for another stint.

In February 2022, it was reported that Clayton would join the cast of the new series of Waterloo Road. He played police sergeant Mike Rutherford, which he continued to play into the show's 16th season in 2025. Of joining the show, Clayton explained that he felt that he needed to be part of it as he is from Manchester and the show was returning to Manchester. He believed that the show was "capturing that essence" of being in a Manchester school as it reminded him of what people were like when he was in school.

In January 2026, it was announced that Clayton had joined the cast of the soap opera Hollyoaks as Jenson Cole. He was introduced as a love interest for established character Mercedes McQueen (Jennifer Metcalfe), who he meets at a rehabilitation facility. Clayton revealed in an interview that Hollyoaks contacted him to ask if he was interested in joining the soap. Clayton's debut as Jenson was in the episode originally released on 27 January 2026.

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes Young Dracula 2011 Exile Television series 2018–20 Coronation Street Josh Tucker Regular role 2023–26 Waterloo Road Mike Rutherford Series 11–17 2026 Hollyoaks Jenson Cole Regular role

Awards and nominations + List of acting awards and nominations Year Award Category Title Result 2018 Inside Soap Awards Best Bad Boy Coronation Street