CORONATION Street star Claire Sweeney has revealed that Cassie Plummer’s manipulation of Ken Barlow has only just begun.

The TV icon, who plays evil Cassie on the ITV soap, has been slowly poisoning resident favourite Ken in a dark new storyline.

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Claire Sweeney at the TV Choice Awards.

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Claire Sweeney revealed Cassie Plummer’s evil plan is only just getting startedCredit: Splash

Ken Barlow and Cassie Plummer in a Coronation Street scene.

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Cassie has been manipulating Ken Barlow for weeks now

Scene from a soap opera showing a family gathered around a table, looking at a bank statement.

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Cassie is set for some explosive scenes with Ken’s daughter Tracy BarlowCredit: ITV
Claire, 53, said her character has filmed some explosive scenes with arch nemesis and Ken’s daughter Tracy Barlow.

She also teased that Cassie’s evil plan has only just started and said it will play out for the next few months.

Speaking exclusively to the Sun, Claire revealed: “Cassie manages to talk herself out of so many situations. She doesn’t want to hurt Ken, she’s just keeping him sleepy so he needs her.

“She just wants him to need her, Ken is the first person who sees her and gives her time and teaches her things – it’s like in Pygmalion, My Fair Lady type of relationship, where within the house she’s got the romance with Steve McDonald, she’s got the banter with Tracy and she suddenly feels part of something.”

Claire said she has filmed her scenes for the next six weeks and so far Cassie has not been exposed.

Clare said: “With all these characters there’s got to be some sort of redemption arch but I wouldn’t want her to be a goody two shoes.

“I enjoy that naughtiness, poisoning a national treasure is going a bit too far but I love the way they’re writing it.

“They’re writing it from a place of vulnerability that she needs him, it’s not just being evil – there is a reason behind it.

““I’ve got some great scenes with Tracy Barlow, absolutely brilliant.”

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But Cassie is skating on thin ice, with Claire saying that Ken could be the one to catch her out.

“Ken Barlow is a clever man, don’t underestimate him, I think he’ll understand her if she does,” she went on to say.

“I don’t know yet myself because we’re still on that journey.

“We’re six weeks in advance filming, almost two months and they’ve still not found out about Cassie.”

Speaking in a Q&A after the scenes of her poisoning poor Ken have aired on Coronation Street, Claire explained that it might not be as malicious as it seems.

She said: “She feels terrible. There’s absolute remorse – she never wanted to hurt him and she thinks she’s gone too far.

“She’s not trying to harm him; she just wants him to need her. I think she regrets giving him blood thinners. There is an element of guilt – she does question herself.”

The filming and storyline also impacted co-star Bill Roache, who has played Ken Barlow since its first episode in 1960.

She explained: “We were both a bit shocked and it sounds awful that I’m poisoning him, but she just wants him to need her.

“She wants to keep her  job and she loves being with him.

“Bill is like myself, he’s very keen to play the affection between the two characters so it’s not just black and white – there is a grey area.”

A scene from Coronation Street showing Ken Barlow and Cassie Plummer.

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Claire said ‘Ken Barlow is a clever man, don’t underestimate him’Credit: ITV