Coronation Street star Claire Sweeney has revealed that she suffered a frightening fall down the stairs, describing how she 'smashed her face' in the incident. The 55-year-old actress, who portrays Cassie Plummer on the iconic soap, took to social media on Tuesday evening to share the details of her accident, expressing relief that she escaped with only minor injuries.
Details of the Incident
In a video posted on Instagram, Sweeney explained that she had been trying to manage her day at work with a pair of broken glasses after the fall. 'I've just finished work and I've been trying to negotiate my day glasses with just one arm,' she said. 'They're my good Tom Ford glasses and I've fell down the stairs. I've smashed my face, I'm lucky I've only got a tiny mark but I've broken my glasses. I am totally gutted.'
The former Dancing On Ice star, who first rose to fame on Brookside and has enjoyed a successful career in musical theatre with roles in Chicago and Hairspray, was most disappointed about the damage to her designer eyewear. She humorously considered following in the footsteps of legendary Corrie character Jack Duckworth by using sticky tape to repair the glasses, but remained uncertain about the fix.
Departure from Coronation Street
Fans of the world's longest-running TV soap will know that Sweeney's time as Cassie in Weatherfield is drawing to a close. She quit the cobbles to take on the role of Miss Hannigan in the musical Annie, a part she will assume from Strictly Come Dancing contestant La Voix in a matter of weeks. A spokesperson for Coronation Street confirmed: 'Cassie will be on the cobbles until the summer during which time she will continue to make her presence felt in Weatherfield leading up to a great exit storyline.'
The Mirror understands that Corrie bosses had been aware of Sweeney's decision to leave for several months and support her pursuit of a role she has always wanted to play. The tour of Annie opens on 23 May at the New Wimbledon Theatre with La Voix, and Sweeney will take over from 7 July, performing in cities including Cardiff, Manchester, Liverpool, Edinburgh, and Dublin.
A Multifaceted Career
Beyond her television work, the former Loose Women panellist has extensive theatre credits, having starred in productions of Chicago, Tell Me On A Sunday, 9 to 5, Hairspray, and Legally Blonde. Before finding fame on Brookside, Sweeney began singing as a teenager and, after a successful stint on the first series of Celebrity Big Brother, released a self-titled album in 2002.
Annie, based on the comic strip Little Orphan Annie by Harold Gray, follows a plucky redhead searching for her parents before finding herself in the company of billionaire Oliver Warbucks. The musical, featuring classics like Tomorrow and It's A Hard Knock Life, won Best Musical at the 1977 Tony Awards. Notable actresses who have played the title role include Andrea McArdle, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Stranger Things star Sadie Sink. Miss Hannigan was originally portrayed by Dorothy Loudon on Broadway in 1977, earning her a Tony Award, and later by Carol Burnett in the 1982 film adaptation, Kathy Bates in the 1999 Disney remake, and Cameron Diaz in the 2014 film.
