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Sue Cleaver Reflects on “Emotional” Coronation Street Exit After 25 Years
Long-serving Coronation Street actress Sue Cleaver has spoken about her “touching” last day filming on the set of the popular ITV soap opera, where she played the iconic role of Eileen Grimshaw for a quarter of a century. Fans of Coronation Street and viewers of ITV’s Loose Women have been keen to hear about her departure after such a significant tenure.
Final Scenes and Co-Star Send-Off
The 61-year-old performer recounted her experiences during a recent appearance on ITV’s daytime program Loose Women on Monday, March 31st.
Presenter Jane Moore announced: “It was a momentous day for you on Friday, Sue, wasn’t it? 25 years on the cobbles, and you departed!”
Cleaver affirmed: “Yes, I did. Friday marked my last day on the cobbles, and it felt incredibly surreal.” A short video clip was then shown to the Loose Women audience, capturing Sue receiving applause and embraces from her fellow cast members including Ryan Thomas, Gareth Pierce, and Tony Maudsley after completing her final scenes.
“That was the conclusion, that was my wrap, and that was me saying farewell to everyone,” the soap veteran explained. “It was deeply emotional. Truly touching.”
“Weird” Dreams Preceding Departure
Sue also disclosed that she had been experiencing “strange” dreams in the days leading up to her exit from the program, according to reports from the Mirror.
She continued: “It was very peculiar because I wasn’t sure how I would feel, but throughout the week, I was having very vivid dreams of being murdered and seeing many carving knives appear. I researched it, and knives symbolize severance, the ending of something… They were all anxiety-related dreams.”
Cast Farewell Dinner
Her fellow cast members ensured her leaving was commemorated in a special manner, with Antony Cotton, recognized for his portrayal of Sean Tully, organizing a goodbye dinner.
“But I had a wonderful time as Antony Cotton arranged a delightful dinner party, and it was quite challenging because there are so many people there to socialize with, and I’m not really one for large parties. He had planned a private dinner, and there were 12 of us, and we had a genuinely lovely evening, and then we concluded filming on Friday,” Sue recounted.
Embracing New Adventures After Cobbles Exit
News of Sue’s departure from Coronation Street surfaced last year, with the actress conveying her gratitude for her extended period on the show: “I’ve had 25 privileged years contributing to Coronation Street.”
“The opportunity remains there, but as I approached my 60th birthday, I resolved that it was time to welcome change, explore fresh opportunities, and live boldly.”
Eileen’s Final Storyline
In a poignant concluding storyline for Eileen Grimshaw, her sister Julie Carp (played by Katy Kavanagh) returns to disclose her fight with stage four cancer, prompting Eileen and her son Todd to support Julie in maximizing her remaining time.