Coronation Street star Claire Sweeney has detailed how a new arrival will be part of the dramatic exit of Cassie Plummer from the ITV soap after she quit to take on her dream stage role.
Cassie's Arrival and Storyline
Fans of the ITV soap know that the actress plays Cassie Plummer, having made her debut on the cobbles back in 2023. She arrived as drug user Cassie, and was revealed to be the long-lost mum of Tyrone Dobbs and the estranged daughter of Evelyn Plummer.
Claire has since made the role of Cassie her own, with the character home for herself in Weatherfield alongside her family and new love interest Steve McDonald.
Exit for Stage Role
However, it was recently revealed that Claire will soon be taking on another role, which will lead to her exit from the Salford-based show. Her exit will come as she prepares to take on the role of Miss Hannigan in the upcoming tour of Annie.
She will be taking over the role in July from 2025 Strictly Come Dancing star La Voix, who will be making her debut when the new tour gets underway in Wimbledon on May 23.
Emotional and Dramatic Exit
Claire, 55, has already filmed her last Corrie scenes, and promised it will be emotional as well as dramatic as it will involve the arrival of Tyrone's biological father.
Speaking to Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley on This Morning, the former Brookside star teased: "All the writers have done a great job and there's humour in it. It's heartbreaking scenes and it's dramatic, and it's explosive. What I can say is that it involves Tyrone's dad. So a blast on the past turns up and it's explosive!"
Why Now?
Cat also asked Claire why she has decided now is the time to leave, to which she said: "When your phone pings and it's Michael Harrison saying 'do you want to Hannigan' I just thought that if I don't do this, I'll just regret it. I have been so lucky with my storylines. I have poisoned Bill Roache, Ken Barlow - he is a national treasure! That was a great storyline. I've been very lucky."
Corrie Boss Teases Drama
It comes after Corrie boss Kate Brooks recently gave a hint at what could force Cassie away from Weatherfield.
Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, she revealed: "Tyrone's dad makes an appearance in the show. Needless to say, he comes with quite a bit of drama, and it's going to cause quite a lot of friction within that family, obviously, with Cassie’s history.
"As you know, Cassie’s leaving us, and so it will contribute to her exit, which is going to be massive and quite explosive. It’ll be full of all the twists and turns that you can come to expect from an exit. He comes into the world of Fiz and Tyrone. Tyrone’s in the mindset of, I'm in my 40s, I've survived this long without a dad. The dad is very keen to connect with Tyrone."
She added: "It’s not long before the dad makes eyes at one of the residents, and maybe a bit of a relationship starts there. It's very domesticated. It really shines a spotlight on Fiz and Tyrone as a couple and that dynamic as a family. Cassie is, needless to say, not happy that this guy has turned back up."
