Coronation Street's Claire Sweeney is set to take a brief hiatus from the Weatherfield drama as she embarks on an exciting new role in Channel 5's gripping murder-mystery series, The Good Ship Murder.
The star, known for her portrayal of Cassie Plummer, will be absent from the soap for approximately one week to join former Corrie stars Catherine Tyldesley and Shayne Ward in the sun-drenched series brimming with suspense and dark twists. The show is gearing up for its return with even more thrilling storylines, featuring the dynamic duo of Shayne's character, the cabaret singer turned sleuth Jack Grayling, and Catherine's ambitious First Officer Kate Woods.
Claire will reprise her role as Cruise Director Beverley Carnell, while Hollyoaks ' Ross Adams is set to appear as newcomer Colin Smallwood. With an impressive average viewership of 2.1 million for its first series, the show also teases a lineup of guest stars for the upcoming episodes.
A Corrie insider reassured fans that Claire's absence won't cause any on-screen issues, telling The Sun: "Claire's taking a short break from Corrie to film," and confirming that "it's a matter of days and won't affect anything on the cobbles. Everything has been arranged so there will be no on-screen disruption."
Claire recently shared with Cheshire Life: 'I've just signed my contract for another year in Corrie and I'm really happy to fully invest all my time and energy into Cassie and see what develops. I couldn't be happier about the acting scenes I have done recently in Coronation Street with Dame Maureen Lipman in the Rovers, and with Alan Halsall and Jennie McAlpine in the Dobbs household," reports the Mirror.
'When I first came in to Corrie, I did a 14-page scene with Maureen while my character was in hospital. Playing opposite such a phenomenal actor was a dream come true. The writing and direction for that episode was amazing. That is definitely one of my highlights."
But it's not just her career that's blooming as Claire, 53, found love with boxer Ricky Hatton on the set of ITV's Dancing on Ice. Despite Ricky being the first contestant to be voted off, he seems to have won something far more valuable.
After making their red carpet debut at the official opening of the Co-Op Live arena in Manchester, Claire and Ricky jetted off to Tenerife for their first holiday together. They were spotted enjoying date nights and posing for photos with fans.
The couple also watched the Manchester City game with friends at a bar called The Beach Cabin.Fans are all over the new pairing, with one gushing: "You look good together", and another chiming in: "You and Claire are the best match ever. " A third supporter couldn't hold their excitement, saying: "Oh I just adore Claire Sweeney, aww cute couple."
