Coronation Street star Claire Sweeney has teased her 'explosive' exit from the long-running ITV soap as she opened up about filming her final scenes. The actress, who plays Cassie Plummer, made her debut on the cobbles in 2023 as a drug user who was revealed to be the long-lost mother of Tyrone Dobbs and the estranged daughter of Evelyn Plummer.
From Brookside to Weatherfield
Before her role on Coronation Street, Claire shot to fame playing Lindsey Corkhill on Channel 4's Brookside from 1991 to 2003. She has since made the role of Cassie her own, with the character settling in Weatherfield alongside her family and new love interest Steve McDonald.
New Role Leads to Exit
It was recently revealed that Claire will be taking on the role of Miss Hannigan in the upcoming tour of Annie, leading to her exit from the Salford-based show. She will take over the role in July from Strictly Come Dancing star La Voix, who makes her debut when the tour begins in Wimbledon on May 23.
Speaking on Ireland AM on Monday (June 8), Claire confirmed she has already filmed her final scenes. "I didn't realise until my last day of filming how I actually felt," she said. "My job has always been so transient... With theatre, you do a job, nine months is a long run... Some people stick. It's like a train, isn't it? People get on in your life and the train moves on."
Emotional Farewell
Claire expressed the difficulty of saying goodbye to her co-stars: "Corrie, because I've been there three years, you know Alan Halsall [who plays Tyrone] has become part of the family. Simon Gregson, Kate Ford, Elle Mulvaney, the crew—they've all become like family, and it was hard saying goodbye. It was very, very emotional."
She added: "I feel very blessed. I've been given the most wonderful exit storyline. I couldn't have asked for better." When asked to tease Cassie's departure, Claire said: "I can say one word—explosive." She quipped: "That's just me on a night out in Dublin!" She then added: "But how lucky was I to work with Bill Roache [Ken Barlow]? I got to poison a national treasure, it was fabulous!"
Behind the Scenes: Tyrone's Father Arrives
Coronation Street boss Kate Brooks recently hinted 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."
Brooks continued: "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."
