Soap star Claire Sweeney, who recently split up with Ricky Hatton, looked carefree as she sipped on a drink on a Barbados beach

Claire Sweeney looked relaxed as she sipped on a drink on a Barbados beach as she moved on from Ricky Hatton.

The star and Ricky’s whirlwind romance started at the beginning of last year after the boxing champion, 46, and soap star, 53, met while competing on ITV’s Dancing on Ice. However, it seemed that the two were unable to go the distance as they called time on their relationship.

It was reported at the time that the duo hoped to remain good friends but their romance fizzled out due to their different lifestyles. While the UK battles severe cold weather, Claire swapped puffer jackets and mittens for string bikinis and cocktails as she soaked up the sun on a beach in Barbados.

The Corrie actress looked stunning in a pink, red and orange gradient bikini. Her blonde locks were tied in a messy bun on top of her head and she added a pair of sunglasses to shade herself from the sun. In one snap, the star happily sipped on a drink as she got up from her sun lounger.

She also topped up her tan as she relaxed on the lounger. The star had her eyes closed and wore a pair of black headphones as she took a much-needed break from her hectic schedule in the UK. The star celebrated the festive season in the stunning country with her eight-year-old son, Jaxon.

Claire swapped the cold for Barbados beaches ( 
Image:
@CHRISBRANDIS / BACKGRID)

She sipped on a cold drink to cool down ( 
Image:
@CHRISBRANDIS / BACKGRID)
Claire has been sharing updates on her tropical trip with fans on her Instagram. This week, she took to her page to share a picture of her and her son all dressed up as they enjoyed a lavish dinner. Jaxon looked dapper in floral shirt, red trousers and suspenders. Claire went full glam as she rocked a sequinned off-the-shoulder dress.

At the end of 2024, Claire made an appearance at The Devil Wears Prada: The Musical show in London and opened up about her relationship with Ricky. Speaking about the breakup, she explained to MailOnline : “I’m great – we’re still friends, we were friends, we dated and now we’re friends again. It’s all good!”

Claire and her son have been soaking up the sun over the festive season ( 
Earlier that day, a source claimed to the publication that the ex-couple stayed ‘good friends’ and that there was never a ‘fallout between them’. “They decided they’re better off as pals and are no longer romantically together. They enjoyed their time as a couple and have plenty of shared interests, but their lifestyles are very different,” the source said.

Claire recently split from Ricky Hatton ( 
Image:
@CHRISBRANDIS / BACKGRID)
Offering some insight into the cause of the split, the source continued: “While Claire is one of the biggest stars on Coronation Street and is very career-gliding, Ricky’s more freewheeling and unpredictable. Ricky is already packing his bags for a getaway to Tenerife, where he feels more at home. Meanwhile, Claire’s putting her heart and soul into her career, leaving romance behind.”

Claire has been divorced two times, with the star being married to Tony Hibbard from 2001 until 2007 and then Daniel Reilly from 2013 until 2015. Meanwhile, Ricky has never married but was in an 11-year romance with Jennifer Dooley from 2005 until 2016. He is also the father of 23-year-old boxer Campbell Hatton, who he shares with another ex-girlfriend who is also called Claire.

The former couple met on Dancing On Ice ( 
Image:
rickyhitmanhatton/Instagram)

In June last year, Ricky talked about his time on Dancing On Ice and the fact that it brought Claire into his life. He said: “I had a good laugh on the ice. I mean, after the first day, I was scared to de@th but I always love a challenge.

“I got knocked out in the first round, but I was able to able to meet Claire. I was always a Billy no mates at these things before Claire,” Ricky joked ahead of the event. “No, it’s great! Me and Claire have been together about five months now and long may it continue.”