Coronation Street star Colson Smith has said he is taking control of his own story with a new documentary after years of negative online comments about his weight.
The actor, who plays Craig Tinker in the ITV soap, is sharing the fitness journey he began in lockdown in the short film Bored of Being The Fat Kid which has been released on YouTube.
The 22-year-old actor said he has faced abuse online about his weight since he joined Coronation Street at the age of 11.
He told BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat that he went online to gauge reaction to his character when he first joined the show.
"I wanted to learn about my character, about my acting, and see if they liked it," he explained.
"But the comments I saw, and the comments which stuck with me, were about the way I look.
"That was something that I've had every single day of my life for the past 10 years and I will continue to have throughout my career."
Colson said that tabloid coverage of his change in body shape made him feel like he was losing "control" of his own story.
He said: "The story was just being told by various red-top outlets, and it wasn't their story to tell.
"It's just the headlines and clickbait, but what's different about weight loss to everything else is it's visible - so people can see it."
Although he has been sharing his fitness and running journey on Instagram, he does not want to be seen as a fitness influencer.
"I don't want to be that guy off telly who lost weight, who tells everybody how to do it," he said.
"I see myself as a fat kid who has tried to change their life and has found that if you do it for yourself, when you put yourself first and find something you enjoy - like I have with running - it's a darn sight easier for yourself."
The actor said he wants people to offer more than just compliments on weight loss.
"I found it quite difficult, because I felt like I was being rewarded for not looking the way I looked," he explained.
"No-one ever says it when you put weight on but when you're losing it, it's always said to you.
"Be supportive, do congratulate someone, do talk to them about it, but follow up the conversation.
"Rather than saying: 'You look loads better,' ask: 'How you feeling? How you finding it? Are you still going strong?'
"Be that next level of support."
