An ex-Coronation Street star is joining the cast of Neighbours

We did NOT see this coming.

We've seen a few crossovers in soapland, where various actors join new shows, but this is one that we were not expecting. It's been confirmed that Ryan Thomas, of Corrie fame, is joining Neighbours. He will be joining the show as Rafael Humphreys, a lone stranger, next year. The show shared the exciting news on Twitter, with a picture of Ryan on set.

We're excited to welcome @ryanjamesthomas to #Neighbours! Ramsay Street will see loner, Rafael Humphreys, arrive early next year. ? pic.twitter.com/hLQYIbD8ju

— Neighbours (@NeighboursTV) October 12, 2017

Ryan began playing Jason Grimshaw on Corrie when he was just 16 years old in 2000. He left the show in 2016 saying that he wanted new experiences and a chance to pursue other roles. At that point, he said he didn't know what direction he would go in and hinted that he could end up on stage or even a new style of acting.