Corrie’s Mason Radcliffe star reveals why he kept soap role secret from his famous dad

Coronation Street star Luca Toolan didn’t tell his famous dad that he’d auditioned for the ITV soap.

Over the past few weeks, ITV fans have been gripped to their screens as school bully Mason Radcliffe (played by Luca Toolan) has wreaked havoc at Weatherfield High School. Viewers have watched Liam Connor (Charlie Wrenshall) and Dylan Wilson (Liam McCheyne) be terrorised by the high schooler ever since he arrived on the Street.

After months of bullying his fellow students, Mason has built quite a reputation for himself both inside and outside of the school grounds. Arguably, the student most struggling with his arrival is Liam who has been bullied by him every day.Now, the actor has confessed why he kept his big role a secret from his family for weeks before filming on the famous cobbles. In an interview with Daily Star and other press, he has lifted the lid on what it was like to land the impressive role.

Speaking openly about securing his role, he said: “I’m really superstitious with stuff like that so I didn’t tell a single soul [until I got the part] which I think took the pressure off so much. I would have been 10 times more nervous if my whole family knew.

“So I walked in there with nothing to lose in terms of the pressure of people. It was so hard to keep it a secret because when it got to the screen tests and I was actually on the set of Corrie, it’s like how do you keep that a secret?

“There was a point where I was so close to telling him [his dad] because I was just so excited. I thought, ‘Nah, I’ll wait’ because I had a good feeling, and it went well.”

The soap star then added: “But I think if it went bad at the screening, I still would have told him because it’s still quite cool to be able to do a screen test for Corrie.” But the TV star isn’t the only famous member of his family.

His doting dad Mike Toolan is best known for hosting Saturday breakfast TV shows in the 1990s before he went on to become a beloved radio presenter on Hits Radio. After Luca spilled the beans about his new role, his dad was over the moon and shared the news on his show with his co-host Gemma Atkinson.

He told listeners: “Luca has been unveiled as the new baddie [Mason] on Coronation Street. Absolute dream come true for him.

“Liam McCheyne and all the amazing Corrie cast and crew have made him feel so at home. [I’m] Unbelievably proud of him.” The up-and-coming actor went on to share that he invited his dad down to the TV set after he settled into his new job.

Luca went on: “We took him around not too long ago actually. It was maybe about a month or two ago. And like me, his parents watched it, so he’s grown up on it and he loved it.

“He’s met Liam and Charlie, but he’s sort of mingled with all the cast before at some point years and years ago at press nights.” Viewers will have to stay tuned to see if Mason will receive the cold hand of justice for causing havoc on the street for months.