Claire Sweeney has completed filming on Coronation Street, bringing her three-year tenure on the ITV soap to an end.
The actress revealed the news during a television appearance on Ireland AM, confirming she has wrapped up her final scenes in Weatherfield.
Ms Sweeney, who joined the long-running soap in 2023 as Cassie Plummer, announced her exit earlier this year, and her departure storyline has been described with a single tantalising word: “explosive.”
The 54-year-old portrayed the estranged mother of Tyrone Dobbs and daughter of Evelyn Plummer throughout her time on the cobbles.
Claire Sweeney joined the ITV soap in 2023
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ITV
Speaking about her emotional final day, Ms Sweeney reflected on the bonds she formed with her fellow cast members.
“I didn’t realise until my last day of filming how I actually felt,” she said.
“Corrie, because I’ve been there three years… you know, Alan Halsall has become part of the family.
“Simon Gregson, Kate Ford, Ellie [Mulvaney], the crew, they’ve all become like family, and it was hard saying goodbye. It was very, very emotional.”
The actress expressed deep gratitude for how producers handled her character’s farewell from the programme.
She said she felt “very blessed” and had been given “the most wonderful exit storyline” and “couldn’t have asked for better.”
During her stint in the fictional Manchester suburb, Cassie Plummer featured in numerous dramatic plots, including a struggle with substance addiction and a storyline centred on Ken Barlow.
Coronation Street producer Kate Brooks has teased that viewers can expect significant drama before Cassie’s departure airs.
Claire Sweeney’s character Cassie Plummer has been at the centre of some major storylines
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ITV
According to Digital Spy, Ms Brooks revealed: “Tyrone’s dad makes an appearance in the show.
“Needless to say, he comes with quite a bit of drama. 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 story.”
Claire Sweeney has filmed her final Coronation Street scenes
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GETTY
Ms Sweeney is departing the soap to pursue a long-held theatrical ambition, taking on the role of Miss Hannigan in the UK touring production of Annie.
Her run begins on July 7 at Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff, with the extensive tour visiting more than 25 venues across Britain and Ireland.
ITV previously confirmed the departure, with a spokesperson stating: “We wish Claire every success playing Miss Hannigan and congratulate her on being offered a role she has long wanted to play.”
The actress reportedly notified ITV executives of her decision last year, allowing sufficient time for writers to develop a suitably dramatic exit for her character.
Ms Sweeney’s television career stretches back to Channel 4’s Brookside, where she appeared as Lindsey Corkhill intermittently from 1991 to 2003, before moving into presenting and musical theatre.
Securing the Coronation Street role at 52 represented a significant career milestone for the performer.
She previously told Woman’s Weekly: “When I got into Corrie at the age of 52, it was a lovely, lovely surprise and a real turning point for me.”