Coronation Street fans were left reeling after seeing the latest headshots of 13-year-old Jude Riordan, who plays the beloved character Sam Blakeman on the long-running soap. The young actor, who joined the cast in 2020 as the son of Nick Tilsley (Ben Price) and Natasha Blakeman (Rachel Leskovac), has been notably absent from the show in recent months. However, Jude’s recent Instagram post, showcasing a mature and confident new look, quickly gained attention, leaving followers in awe of how much he has grown.
Jude captioned the post with “HEADSHOTS 2025,” and the reactions from fans were swift. Many were taken aback by his transformation, commenting on how much older he looked. One fan expressed, “Oh! You’re growing up so much, Jude,” while others jokingly remarked about the loss of the “little Sam” viewers once knew, with comments like “I think we’ve lost our little Sam” and “Who are you? What have you done to the kid?” These reactions spoke to the nostalgia fans felt for the younger version of Sam Blakeman, whose innocence and charm endeared him to audiences when he first appeared on the cobbles.
Fans also couldn’t help but comment on the noticeable change in his voice, with one saying, “Your voice changing was jarring enough, not-so-little-anymore dude!” Despite the growing pains, many fans praised Jude for his acting talent and expressed excitement about his future. One fan expressed, “Fantastic actor growing up. You will be on our screens for years and lovely to watch you grow,” while another nostalgically recalled watching him on Channel 4’s The Secret Life of 4 Year Olds, adding, “I feel old, having watched you in A Secret Life of Four Year Olds… please don’t let Corrie ever write Sam into a miserable and rude teenager – he is the best exemption out there.”
In addition to his Coronation Street work, Jude’s career has continued to flourish outside of the soap. He first gained recognition with his role in the 2017 Channel 4 documentary The Secret Life of 4, 5, and 6 Year Olds. From 2019 to 2024, he starred as Tyler Croft in the hit Sky series Brassic and appeared in Hidden as Sean. Jude’s versatility as an actor has shone through in a variety of roles, and fans are eager to see what the future holds for the young star.
Despite the changes in his appearance and career, Jude’s humor remains as sharp as ever. Addressing fans’ comments about his maturing looks, he lightheartedly said, “Lots of messages saying how old I look and how old I am now. I know Sam has been missing off screen for about 34 years, but I will be 14 in a few weeks.”
For those who have followed Jude’s journey from his early days on Coronation Street, it’s clear that while Sam Blakeman may have grown up, the actor behind him is still as talented and charismatic as ever. As the young star navigates his transformation both on-screen and in real life, fans can’t help but feel a mix of pride and nostalgia for the child actor they once knew.
