Claire Sweeney

Claire Jane Sweeney (born 17 April 1971) is an English actress, singer, and television personality. Known for her portrayal of Lindsey Corkhill on Channel 4's Brookside (1991–2003), she also played Roxie Hart in Chicago (West End, 2001–2002) and starred in touring productions of Guys and Dolls (2006), Tell Me on a Sunday (2011), Legally Blonde (2011), and Educating Rita (2012). She was a panellist on ITV's Loose Women between 2003 and 2005, and presented 60 Minute Makeover from 2004 to 2006. Her debut album, Claire, reached number 15 on the UK Albums Chart in 2002. Sweeney has portrayed Cassie Plummer on the ITV soap opera Coronation Street since 2023. Her other credits include Candy Cabs (2011), Scarborough (2019), and The Good Ship Murder (2023-2024).

Sweeney has appeared as a contestant on various reality television shows. She was a housemate on the first series of Celebrity Big Brother (2001), competed on the first series of Strictly Come Dancing (2004), and appeared on the sixteenth series of Dancing on Ice (2024).

Early life

Sweeney was born in Walton, Liverpool, the daughter of a butcher<ref name=telegraph>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Subscription required</ref> who had a shop in Toxteth. She trained at the Elliott-Clarke Theatre School in Liverpool, and worked at weekends in her father's shop.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Her first singing gig was at the age of 14 in the Montrose Club in Liverpool, for which she was paid £25.<ref name=telegraph/> She was then educated full-time at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts in London.<ref name="conti">Template:Cite web</ref> In 1987, she was a member of the Southport Summer Youth Theatre Workshop's production of the musical Hair.

Career

Sweeney's first major role was as Lindsey Corkhill in the soap opera Brookside, initially as a recurring character from 1991<ref name=telegraph/> and then as a leading character from 1995 until the programme ended in 2003.

In 2001 Sweeney appeared in the first series of Celebrity Big Brother and Lily Savage's Blankety Blank,<ref>Template:Cite episode</ref> and presented ITV's Challenge of a Lifetime.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She was also cast as Roxie Hart in the London revival of the musical Chicago.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the same year she became a brand promoter for Marks & Spencer,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and a brand ambassador for Fashion World<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and SlimFast.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2002 Sweeney became a forces sweetheart and entertained British Army troops serving in Afghanistan.<ref>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Subscription required</ref> In the same year she released the album Claire, featuring a mix of original material and cover versions: it peaked at number 15 in the UK Albums Chart in July 2002.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> She also co-presented BBC One's A Song for Europe with Christopher Price.

In 2003, Sweeney starred in the world tour of the musical revue Fosse, and featured on the album Give Me a Smile by Carl Davis and the BBC Concert Orchestra.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

She was a regular panellist on the ITV's Loose Women from 2003 to 2005, and has appeared as a guest panellist several times since then.

In 2004, Sweeney appeared as a contestant on series one of Strictly Come Dancing,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> being eliminated in week five.

From 2004 to 2006 Sweeney presented the ITV daytime show 60 Minute Makeover.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2005 Sweeney presented series four of the Living TV show I'm Famous and Frightened!. She also hosted BBC One's Here Comes the Sun<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In May 2005 she was among the performers who took part in A Party to Remember event commemorating the 60th anniversary of VE Day.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2005 and 2006, Sweeney appeared in pantomime productions of Snow White and Aladdin at the Theatre Royal, Nottingham. In July 2006, She took on the role of Miss Adelaide in the British production of Guys and Dolls at the Piccadilly Theatre in London's West End for an eight-week run, before touring the UK alongside Patrick Swayze in the same production.

In 2008, she appeared in the ITV documentary Claire Sweeney's Big Fat Diet,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> in which she gained Template:Convert in six weeks as part of a medical experiment.

In 2010 she sang with Carl Davis and the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra in the Battle of Britain 70th Anniversary concert.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 2011 Sweeney played both "The Girl" in a national tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical Tell Me on a Sunday and Paulette in the first UK tour of Legally Blonde: The Musical.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She also starred as Amanda in the BBC sitcom Candy Cabs.

In 2012, Sweeney appeared in the UK tour of Educating Rita.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2013, Sweeney appeared in Let's Dance for Comic Relief alongside Natalie Cassidy, Dean Gaffney and Ricky Groves, performing to "You Can't Stop the Beat" from Hairspray. They came second to Antony Cotton.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In May and June 2014 ,she appeared in the comedy musical Sex and the Suburbs, co-written by Sweeney and Mandy Muden, at the Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 2015, Sweeney began presenting her own series, Magic of the Musicals on Magic Radio.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2015 and 2016, Sweeney played Velma Von-Tussle in the UK tour of Hairspray.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2019, Sweeney took part in a special episode of Radio 2's Friday Night Is Music Night to celebrate Tony Hatch's 80th birthday.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She starred as Hayley in the BBC sitcom Scarborough, alongside Jason Manford, Stephanie Cole, and Catherine Tyldesley.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On Christmas Day 2019 she presented a biography of Cilla Black on Radio 2.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In July 2021, Sweeney performed at G-A-Y alongside drag queen Veronica Green as part of the regular cabaret night “Defying Musicals”.<ref>Template:Cite tweet</ref>

Sweeney provided 'alternative Scouse commentary' for the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 final in Liverpool, alongside a member of the public chosen via BBC Radio Merseyside's "Voice of Eurovision" talent search campaign, who was revealed on 1 May 2023 to be Paul Quinn.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In April 2023, it was announced that Sweeney would be joining the cast of Coronation Street as Cassandra Plummer, the daughter of Evelyn Plummer and the biological mother of Tyrone Dobbs.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2024, Sweeney appeared as a contestant on the sixteenth series of Dancing on Ice.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She was paired with Colin Grafton and was third to be eliminated.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Charitable work

Sweeney supports Claire House Children's Hospice,<ref name=telegraph/> and is a patron of Queenie's Christmas Charity<ref name=telegraph/> and the Children's Liver Disease Foundation.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Personal life

Sweeney had a relationship with businessman Billy Oakes for six years, until 2007.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She has a son, with her ex-partner Daniel Reilly.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Sweeney had a publicised friendship with boxer Ricky Hatton in 2024; both were competitors on Dancing on Ice. It was reported that their relationship ended in the first half of 2025.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1987	Brookside	Paula	1 Episode<ref name=ep460>Template:Cite episode</ref>
1991–1992, 1995–2003	Brookside	Lindsey Corkhill	1623 episodes
2001	Celebrity Big Brother	Herself	Housemate; series 1
2003	Clocking Off	Katrina Wilkes	Episode: "Colin's Story"
2004	Strictly Come Dancing	Herself	Contestant; series 1
	Merseybeat	DS Roz Kelly	2 episodes
2004–2006	60 Minute Makeover	Herself	Presenter
2005	I'm Famous and Frightened!	Herself	Presenter
2011	Candy Cabs	Amanda	All 3 episodes
2012	Lemon La Vida Loca	Claire Sweeney	Episode: "Christmas Special: Merry Keithmas - Part Two"
2014	Holby City	Lindsey Kendal	Episode: "Collateral"
2018	Benidorm	Maxine	Episode: #10.9
2019	Doctors	Tracey Sanders	Episode: "Flawsome"
	Scarborough	Hayley Cox	3 episodes
2023–2024	The Good Ship Murder	Beverley Carnell	9 episodes
2023–present	Coronation Street	Cassandra Plummer	Series regular
2024	Dancing on Ice	Herself	Contestant; series 16

Discography

• Claire (2002)

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Work	Result	Ref
1996	National Television Awards	Most Popular Actress	Brookside	Template:Nom
1999	British Soap Awards	Villain of the Year		Template:Longlisted	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
		Sexiest Female		Template:Longlisted
2022	Rainbow Honours	Celebrity Ally of the Year	Herself	Template:Won	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2024	TV Times Awards	Favourite Supporting Actor (Drama)	The Good Ship	Template:Nom	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2025	Inside Soap Awards	Best Villain	Coronation Street	Template:Longlisted	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

External links

• Template:IMDb name