Coronation Street star Claire Sweeney has revealed that the final scene she filmed as Cassie Plummer was not the one viewers saw her drive away in, but an emotional goodbye with her on-screen family that brought real tears.
Emotional farewell with the Dobbs family
Speaking about her exit, Claire said: "I couldn't believe the quality of the writing they gave me for the end; it was beautiful. And Ross is played by Ian, who is just a brilliant actor. The scenes we shot were so poignant. There was one specific scene at the end, saying goodbye to Hope and Ruby in the Dobbs house, where I literally sobbed."
She added: "The tears were completely real. At one point, the director even asked me to hold back a little bit because it looked like I was having a breakdown on camera, but that was just how it felt. It was so genuine that the children started crying during the take, too. It was incredibly emotional."
Last scene filmed weeks earlier
Claire, 55, also revealed that the scene of Cassie driving away in Ross's car was actually filmed two or three weeks before she finished. "Because of that, it didn't feel like a true ending," she explained. "For me, the final scene in the Dobbs house felt like the real goodbye because that’s where I started with Alan [Halsall], Jennie [McAlpine], and the kids. I missed Maureen Lipman so much; I would have loved for her to have been there for that."
Memento and possible return
Claire shared that she kept a Heart badge with "Cassie" written on it from her first scene with Simon Gregson at the speed dating event in the Rovers. "It’s on my fridge now as a little reminder of where it all began," she said.
She also expressed a desire to return: "I would love to come back. There was no other reason for me to leave other than getting the part of Miss Hannigan. I was genuinely so happy Corrie. I loved the work, the people, and the routine, it really is like a family."
Claire left the soap to take on the role of Miss Hannigan in the touring production of Annie, a dream role she had been working toward for 15 years. She ensured she spoke to producer Kate Brooks six or seven months in advance to allow for a proper exit story.
