Coronation Street’s Jamie Baldwin, played by Rupert Hill, is now barely recognisable after swapping the cobbles for a life pulling pints as a pub landlord. The actor, who was a firm favourite on the ITV soap from 2004-2008 and made a brief return in 2011, has undergone a dramatic transformation.

Rupert was once known to millions as the dashing Jamie Baldwin, son of Danny Baldwin, portrayed by TV legend Bradley Walsh, and grandson of the iconic Mike Baldwin, played by the late Johnny Briggs.

Jamie, with his boyish charm and good looks, was quite the ladies’ man, having romanced characters like Leanne Battersby and Maria Sutherland. Fast forward to today, and Rupert has embraced a rugged new look, complete with a greying beard and slicked-back hair, leaving his light brown locks and clean-shaven face behind.

But it’s not just Rupert’s appearance that’s changed; he’s also taken a surprising career turn. The ex-soap star has stepped back from acting to become a pub landlord, running his own establishment in Manchester.

Rupert excitedly shared his new venture on Instagram, posting: “Taking over #lloyds in Chorlton with @jbfotografick. Opening this Thursday with a big refurb scheduled for September. Going to create a beautiful drinking venue with an incredible live music and events space! More details coming soon,” reports the Daily Star.

He later returned to his platform to share snaps of his new establishment, captioning the update: “Look at our new pub @thelloydschorlton in Chorlton. It’s a beautiful building and will be even [more beautiful] after our full refurbishment in September! ! Come say hi x #lloydschorlton #pub #chorlton #manchesterpubs #jukebox #soberlandlord.”

Fans were quick to offer their congratulations on his wholesome posts. A social media user commented: “How exciting! Congratulations on the continuation of your pub monopoly dude.” Another added: “Excellent news! See you in there.”

Rupert’s latest project marks the second pub he’s decided to revamp in Manchester alongside his mate, Jonny Booth. The actor previously found success with his bar, The Parlour.

In a chat with the Manchester Evening News, he shared: “‘From day one, we’ve found this shared passion for taking weary and underperforming pubs with bags of potential and breathing new life into them, bringing them back into the community, creating places that people love to be in. It’s always felt like a worthwhile endeavour.”