Ryan Thomas hits back at nepo baby criticism of daughter Scarlett, 17, as she signs a record deal after skipping her GCSEs

Ryan Thomas has hit back at nepo baby criticism of daughter Scarlett as she has signed a record deal.

The daughter of Coronation Street stars Ryan, 41, and Tina O'Brien, 42, previously skipped her GCSEs to pursue a career in the spotlight, and has already appeared on the small screen with a role in Waterloo Road.

On Tuesday, she announced the exciting news that she was one step closer to her dreams by signing a record label. 

In the wake of the news, Ryan shared his thoughts on the nepotism claims during an  
episode of the At Home With The Thomas Bro's podcast on Wednesday.

Discussing the matter with brother Adam and Scarlett, he explained that he has frequently seen people saying how his daughter 'got queue jumped like into Waterloo Road and she only got this gig because of her family'.

The soap star said: 'And I have to back it as well because I know the process that Scarlett's been through.

'She's been through it like every other actress or actor to get this part on Waterloo Road. She went through audition after audition.

'And she went up a lot against a lot of good people and she got the part off her own back.

'She earned that part and she got that part off her own back and it's nice to see.'

Adam then mentioned the nepo-baby comments to which Ryan snapped: 'What is nepo?'

Sharing her thoughts, Scarlett said: 'It's just a bit like why are you pushing my talent aside and not just like letting me do what I want to do?'

'It's like a plumber. A plumber might have a child that becomes a plumber.'

It comes after Ryan revealed his Scarlett has signed a record deal, calling it 'one of the best days of my life'.  

The Coronation Street actor shared a photo of himself and his daughter after she had signed the deal with Big Family Music at a restaurant.

He also posted a video of her singing at that same restaurant five years ago when she was 12. 

Alongside the clip, he wrote: 'Today is one of the best days of my life. Watching my little girl sign a record deal is a moment I will cherish forever.

'The stars were all aligned today. As we turned up at the restaurant to sign the deal Scarlett said 'I've been here before dad!! ' & then we found this video. 

'Stood on the chair in front of all her family singing A Million Dreams & here we are 5 years later making her dream come true.

Scarlett, who Ryan shares with his ex and fellow Corrie star Tina O'Brien, often shares videos of herself singing on TikTok.

She shared a photo of herself signing the contract and wrote: 'Wow what an experience I have had so far and what an experience I'm about to have, I am beyond grateful for this amazing opportunity.

'Today was a life changing moment for me, I've been working hard behind the scenes but I can now finally share it with you all. I can't wait for what this year brings, hopefully some amazing music.'

It comes after Ryan defended his controversial decision to allow Scarlett to skip sitting her GCSEs.

Scarlett shared that she did not sit the nationwide exams in a video posted to her TikTok page.

The caption read: 'I'm watching everyone get there [sic] GCSE results today wondering if I could've had good results but I will forever wonder.'

The clip caused much controversy online, with many complaining that it was 'unacceptable' for the teenager to forgo sitting the exams and attending school to focus on her budding acting career.

Under one post which criticised the decision from her parents, her father weighed in in the comment section and hit back.

He defiantly said: 'Is it even anyone's business or concern though?'

The actress has made it clear that she wants to follow in the footsteps of her famous parents into the entertainment industry, and has a passion for acting and singing.

While most young people in England do sit GCSEs, they are not a legal requirement under the Education Act of 1996. Students can choose to pursue other qualifications or leave formal education at 16.

Her first TV appearance was in Waterloo Road - one of several shows that made her uncle Adam Thomas, 37, a household name.

Scarlett has previously hit back at those who have criticised her for taking acting opportunities at such a young age.

The critics wrote: 'You only got those opportunities because of your family.'

Taking to TikTok, Scarlett shared a carefree video of herself in the passenger seat of a convertible as she lip-synced to the 1977 hit Easy by Commodores.

Scarlett hit back: 'God forbid a girl takes the chances she gets.'

In the clip, she donned oversized sunglasses, gold hoop earrings, and a brown off-the-shoulder jumper.

At the time of Scarlett's acting debut, her mum Tina - best known for playing Sarah Platt on Coronation Street alongside Ryan, who is best known for his portrayal of Jason Grimshaw - took to Instagram to express her pride.

She wrote: 'So proud of @scarlettjthomas26, she's worked so hard on Waterloo Road and I've absolutely loved watching her portrayal of Izzy.

'Wonderful to see her talent recognised by @tvtimesmagazine as she's been nominated for an award.'

With Scarlett making waves not only in her role on BBC's Waterloo Road but on social media too, industry experts told the publication that she could make 'at least £2million before she's even 18.'

She has amassed over 165k followers on TikTok, with a further 138k fans over on Instagram - with both accounts launched when she turned 16 in October.