‘It feels like I’ve broken up with a boyfriend I’m still in love with!’

Coronation Street’s Claire Sweeney talks about leaving the ITV soap after bagging her dream job and why it’s so hard to say goodbye to her co-stars

- WORDS: MARC BAKER

Soap star Claire Sweeney has been dreaming of playing orphanage head Miss Hannigan in the much-loved musical Annie for 15 years — especially when she goes to the loo.

And now her patience, and years of hounding the producers, has finally paid off. The Liverpool-born actress explains, “I’ve always wanted to play her. On my 40th birthday a friend made me a card that was a collage of my life and career.

“He knew that my dream was to play her and he’d superimposed my face on Paul O’Grady’s body as Miss Hannigan. So, I’ve sat on my toilet for the last 15 years looking at myself as Hannigan! And now it’s finally happened.”

In August, Coronation Street viewers will say goodbye to Cassie Plummer, mum to Tyrone Dobbs, and the daughter of Evelyn.

For Claire, 53, who has now filmed her last scenes after three years on the ITV soap, it’s an emotional farewell. She says, “I’ve had wobbles all the way along. I keep saying to people, ‘Oh God, am I doing the right thing?’

“You’re part of a family at Coronation Street, you feel safe and protected and leaving is like stepping out into the big, wide world again. It feels like I’ve broken up with a boyfriend I’m still in love with. I’ve loved Corrie and leaving bears no reflection on the job, the people or the work.

“It was just that my phone pinged and it was the producer of Annie saying, ‘Right, do you want to do Miss Hannigan?’

“I’d been hounding him for years for this part and I just thought, ‘If I don’t do it now, it might never come again.’ But I think it’s the hardest job I’ve ever had to leave and my exit is very sad. I had a little weep over my leaving scenes. I got quite emotional.”

Despite being great friends with her Corrie colleagues, Claire decided against having a leaving do. She explains, “I don’t like big goodbyes. I just like to sneak off. I don’t like a party or anything like that.