Coronation Street star Claire Sweeney has described leaving the iconic soap as akin to breaking up with a boyfriend she is still in love with. The 55-year-old actress, who plays recovering drug addict Cassie Plummer, is departing the cobbles after three years to take on the role of Miss Hannigan in the hit musical Annie—a part she has coveted for more than a decade.
A Dream Role Finally Realized
Sweeney revealed that for 15 years, she has been reminded of her ambition every time she uses her bathroom, thanks to a birthday card from a friend that superimposed her face onto Paul O'Grady's body as Miss Hannigan. “I’ve sat on my toilet for the last 15 years looking at myself as Hannigan! And now it’s finally happened,” she laughed.
Her dream came true when the producer of Annie called to offer her the part. “I’d been hounding him for years for this part and I just thought – ‘if I don’t do it now, it might never come again,’” she said.
Emotional Farewell to Corrie
Viewers will say goodbye to Cassie Plummer in August, and Sweeney admitted the decision was not easy. “I’ve had wobbles all the way along. I keep saying to people: ‘oh God, am I doing the right thing?’” she confessed.
“You’re part of a family at Coronation Street, you feel safe and protected and leaving is like stepping out into the big, wide world again. It feels like I’ve broken up with a boyfriend I’m still in love with.”
Despite her strong bonds with co-stars, Sweeney opted against a leaving party. “I don’t like big goodbyes. I just like to sneak off,” she explained. However, she plans to stay in touch with Simon Gregson (Steve McDonald), Kate Ford (Tracy Barlow), and her dressing room mates Sue Devaney (Debbie Webster) and Jane Hazlegrove (Bernie Winter).
Cassie's Exit Storyline
Cassie’s departure is tied to the arrival of Ross, the biological father of her son Tyrone Dobbs, played by EastEnders actor Ian Burfield. Ross turns up in Weatherfield after Tyrone’s daughters Hope and Ruby discover his identity through an online DNA search. Cassie is devastated, as Ross is a dangerous figure from her past—a former client from her teenage years as a prostitute while struggling with addiction.
“She’d finally got the stability and the family life she’d been craving. And Ross comes in and he totally turns her son’s head,” Sweeney said. “He’s dangerous, but people don’t see it, because he’s very good at covering it up.”
Sweeney praised the storyline as “the most fantastic exit storyline, I couldn’t have wished for more.”
Life After Corrie
Sweeney, who first found fame as a teenager on Brookside, has an extensive stage career and is thrilled to begin the Annie tour, which opens in Cardiff on July 7th. The nine-month tour will take her across the UK, including Blackpool, Ireland, and Nottingham. Her 11-year-old son Jaxon will join her for the summer, and she looks forward to having him by her side.
On ageing, Sweeney is philosophical: “I don’t feel any pressure in terms of ageing; I don’t care. I’m not 25, I’m not size eight - I was never a size 8! But you change and evolve and appreciate different qualities that you didn’t appreciate years ago; you accept the body you’re living in.”
While she has no concrete plans beyond the tour, Sweeney would not rule out a return to Weatherfield. “If the stars aligned, I’d definitely come back,” she said. “Miss Hannigan is my dream role, but I’ve absolutely loved being at Coronation Street too.”
