Coronation Street's Ronnie Bailey actor Vinta Morgan's surprising past role in EastEnders revealed

Coronation Street's Ronnie Bailey has been a favourite during his time on the cobbles - but fans have been left gobsmacked as they've realised actor Vinta Morgan was in EastEnders

While birthdays are typically a time for celebration and joy, things are set to take an unexpected turn on Coronation Street this Friday, 18 October. Ronnie Bailey, played by actor Vinta Morgan, is in for a surprise when he finds out that Debbie is throwing him a surprise party for his 55th birthday.

However, the mood quickly shifts when Kit Green and a colleague show up to question him and Ed Bailey about the disappearance of Joel Deering. Interestingly, while Vinta's character is being interrogated on the cobbles of Coronation Street, fans have recently discovered that he once played a police officer in EastEnders.

Back in 2005, Vinta portrayed PC Phillips in EastEnders as part of a ten-episode storyline revolving around the disappearance of Demi Miller and Leo Taylor. Fans have been expressing their surprise over this revelation on a Reddit thread. One viewer shared a photo of Vinta from his EastEnders days, writing: "Vinta Morgan (known to everyone as Ronnie Bailey) played a policeman P.C Phillips and starred in a few episodes on Albert Square in 2005."

Other fans chimed in with their reactions, with one commenting: "I noticed this too. I had to double take when I saw him because he literally looks the same now," and another adding: "Wow that man doesn't age haha.... 20 years on and he's still a handsome bugger," reports OK!.

Vinta's stint on EastEnders has come back into the spotlight once again. Speaking with Inside Soap, the actor reminisced about his time on the BBC soap. "It was a while ago! It was a story where a kid was in trouble and I was a police officer who went above and beyond," he said

He also stressed that it paled in comparison to his experience on Coronation Street, joking that "it was about 10 episodes, but of course it was no comparison to Corrie, the pinnacle of soap TV!" However, he acknowledged the magnitude of both soaps, adding: "Obviously, they're both massive TV institutions, so I felt lucky to work there, but I do love it here at Corrie."

Before becoming a part of the Coronation Street cast in 2021, Vinta built a diverse acting portfolio, appearing on shows like The Bill and Doctors. His role in What Happened to Monday came in 2017, and he took part in I Made This for You the following year, with other parts including one in Official Secrets. Additionally, he featured in Urban Myths in 2019 and the lauded Apple TV series Ted Lasso in 2020.