Ryan Thomas' daughter Scarlett has hit back at a string of 'jealous and hateful' nepo-baby complaints.

The actress, 17 - who is the daughter of Coronation Street stars Ryan, 41, and Tina O'Brien, 42 - has had a very successful career in recent years after landing a role in BBC's Waterloo Road and her very own record deal. 

Scarlett has played Izzy Charles in Waterloo Road, alongside her uncle Adam Thomas - who is currently taking part in I'm A Celebrity... South Africa - since 2022. 

The teen, who boasts an impressive 339.5k followers on TikTok, also bagged herself a record deal with Big Family Music in January this year, and has since shared multiple videos of herself in the studio on social media. 

But some have said that the only reason that she has got these opportunities is because of her famous family, which has led them on to brand her a nepo-baby. 

According to Cambridge Dictionary, a nepo-baby is 'the child of a famous person who has become successful and famous themselves, especially when they are thought to have made use of their parent's influence or connections to achieve this'.

During a recent appearance on Ami Charlize’s Private Story podcast, host Ami asked Scarlett: 'How do you feel about the whole nepo-baby name?'

Scarlett replied: 'I don’t even really know what it means.  

'I see all of these things on TikTok like, 'I wish I was a nepo baby in LA,' I wish I was, in LA.

'But I’m just grateful that I’ve had all these chances, my family have given me loads of chances and they’ve taught me stuff more than anything. 

'They’ve not put me in places, they’ve just taught me and I’m so grateful that I’ve had that. 

'They know and they’ve learned and they can pass it down to me.'

Next she was asked: 'How do you feel when you get the negativity that you get at such a young age?' 

Scarlett explained: 'My family have taught me that this is gonna happen, I know it’s a standard thing that happens.

'Loads of it comes from jealousy as well. It’s jealousy, they want something that you have that they can’t have it.

'I’ve always had it, people have watched me grow up and they don’t realise how old I am now so maybe that’s why they’re like, "Why’s she wearing that?".'

Back in January Scarlett's dad Ryan hit back at nepo-baby criticism of his daughter after singing a record deal.  

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.'

 And in April last year, Scarlett herself clapped back.  

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.

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

Alongside the short video, Scarlett addressed a frequent comment from online trolls: 'You only got these opportunities because of your family.' 

But the young soap star was quick to hit back at critics who question or undermine her achievements.

Scarlett wrote on top of the clip: 'God forbid a girl takes the chances she gets.'

Scarlett's mum and dad Tina and Ryan between 2003 to 2009 when they were on-screen lovers in Coronation Street.

Ryan is now engaged to Lucy Mecklenburgh and the pair share two children together.

Tina moved on with husband Adam Crofts 2011, but they split last year. They share a son. 

Scarlett's famous uncles are Emmerdale star Adam and Love Island's Scott Thomas.