Coronation Street star Claire Sweeney has spoken about her emotional departure from the ITV soap after three years playing Cassie Plummer. The actress, who filmed her final scenes months ago, sheds real tears in the upcoming exit episodes set to air next week.
Dream role brought exit
Sweeney left the cobbles to take on her dream role as Miss Hannigan in the touring production of Annie. She officially started the role earlier this month after Strictly Come Dancing star La Voix debuted in the tour on May 23.
Speaking about her exit, Sweeney admitted she was in denial: "Honestly, I was in total denial. I just carried on as if I wasn't leaving at all because I was having such a wonderful time with the storylines. I was absolutely loving every minute of it. It only really hit me about a week before the end, particularly when I started clearing out my flat in Liverpool and had to pack up my dressing room."
Cassie's dramatic storyline
In the upcoming episodes, Cassie's proposal is rejected by Steve McDonald. After getting drunk, she meets Ross Wilkes at a hotel bar, not realising he is Tyrone's father. Viewers know that Cassie's father was one of her clients when she was forced into sex work. Ross has since made his presence known to Tyrone, much to Cassie's distress.
As her exit approaches, Cassie announces she has taken a job cleaning on a cruise ship. She shares emotional goodbyes with her grandchildren Hope, Ruby and Dorin. Ross then offers her a lift, locks the car doors and accelerates just as Steve arrives, leaving Cassie's fate uncertain.
Real tears on set
Sweeney revealed the goodbye scenes were deeply emotional: "I couldn't believe the quality of the writing they gave me for the end; it was beautiful. And Ross is played by Ian [Burfield], 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."
Door left open for return
Despite leaving, Sweeney is open to returning: "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." She added that she spoke to producer Kate six or seven months in advance to ensure a proper exit story.
