There’s a certain kind of British television royalty that doesn’t need to shout to be heard. They don’t chase the spotlight, but somehow, it always finds them. Sue Cleaver is one of those women. For 25 years, she’s been the steady, quietly compelling presence of Eileen Grimshaw on Coronation Street—a role so beloved that her exit, aired on June 6, felt like a national event. But as the credits rolled on her final scenes, a new narrative began to swirl—not about her legacy, not about her next act, but about a supposed off-screen “row” with her Loose Women co-star and friend, Denise Welch.

It’s the kind of story that tabloids feast on: two strong, opinionated women, both with decades in the business, both unafraid to speak their minds, allegedly at loggerheads behind the scenes of Britain’s most famous daytime panel show. The headlines write themselves—catfights, feuds, backstage drama. But, as Sue Cleaver herself reveals in a candid, deeply personal interview, the truth is something far more human, and far more touching, than the press would have you believe.

“I love that show. It’s brilliant. I’ve known all the girls for years, so, yeah,” Sue says, her voice warm, her words carrying the weight of genuine affection. She’s talking about Loose Women, the ITV staple where she’s become a familiar face—and, if the rumors are to be believed, a source of controversy. But Sue is quick to set the record straight. “They always like to say ‘catfights’, but they only say that about women, don’t they? They wouldn’t dream of saying that when it’s blokes presenting something. Actually, we’re very tight. But it happens a lot when Denise [Welch] and I are on together.”

It’s a telling observation, and one that cuts right to the heart of how women are still portrayed in the media. For Sue, the idea that two women can’t share a stage—can’t disagree, can’t debate—without it being spun into a feud is as tired as it is offensive. “We’ve known each other for 25 years—we’re close friends and have a sort of shorthand in the way we communicate. The media will spin it as ‘massive fallout’, but I’ve never had a quarrel with Denise in my entire life! It’s really sad that things are still spun this way; it’s disheartening we’ve yet to move past this narrative.”

You can hear the exasperation in her voice, but also a kind of weary amusement. After all, Sue Cleaver is no stranger to the ways of the British press. She’s endured decades of headlines, survived the relentless churn of soap storylines and daytime drama, and emerged with her sense of humor—and her friendships—intact. But beneath the laughter, there’s a real frustration. “It’s really sad,” she repeats, her tone softening. “It’s disheartening we’ve yet to move past this narrative.”

And if that narrative is exhausting for Sue, it’s even more so given the personal battles she’s been quietly fighting behind the scenes. For nearly thirty years, Sue has lived with Type 2 diabetes—a condition she describes as “a mental marathon, every single day.” It’s a struggle that rarely makes the headlines, but it’s shaped her life in profound ways. “Over the past three years, I’ve managed to alleviate some of my mental burden by using a Dexcom Continuous Glucose Monitor, which delivers automatic glucose readings without the need for finger-pricking,” she shares. It’s a small victory in a daily war, a reminder that the real stories of resilience rarely make the front page.

Resilience, of course, is something Sue knows a thing or two about. When the time came to say goodbye to Coronation Street, she was uniquely invited to participate in the discussions about Eileen’s exit—a testament to the respect she commands among her peers. One option on the table was a dramatic send-off, a final, fiery curtain call. But Sue had other ideas. “They said, ‘What kind of exit would you like? Dramatic? Do you want a final death?’ And I said I didn’t. I said I really wanted Eileen’s son, Jason, to come back, and for it to mirror what I’m doing in my own life. For Eileen to get out there, live fearlessly, live bravely.”

It’s a striking parallel, and one that speaks volumes about the woman behind the character. At 61, Sue Cleaver is all about embracing change, about living fearlessly, about stepping into the unknown with open arms. After wrapping up her final scenes in late May, she shared a farewell meal with her colleagues and headed to London the following day, marking a new chapter in her journey. Her husband, Brian, still works behind the scenes on Coronation Street, a living link to the world she’s left behind. “That show’s always been about the people, the sense of family and community, and I don’t feel I’ve lost that. I had absolutely no doubt I was doing the right thing, and I’m not somebody who dwells on the past. Past thoughts are dead thoughts, I try to live in the present and enjoy every single moment.”

It’s a philosophy that’s served her well, both on and off the screen. And it’s one that’s especially poignant as Loose Women itself faces changes, with ITV announcing the end of the studio audience in January as part of widespread cost reductions. For Sue, the show’s appeal has always been about the camaraderie, the sense of sisterhood, the honest, unfiltered conversations that happen both on and off camera. “I love that show,” she says again, her voice bright with conviction. “It’s brilliant.”

But what about those rumors? The whispers of backstage drama, the endless speculation about who’s feuding with whom? Sue is unequivocal. “Actually, we’re very tight,” she insists. “But it happens a lot when Denise and I are on together.” There’s a twinkle in her eye as she says it, a hint of mischief. You get the sense that, far from being adversaries, Sue and Denise are more like co-conspirators—two women who’ve seen it all, who know exactly how the game is played, and who refuse to let it come between them.

“We’ve known each other for 25 years—we’re close friends and have a sort of shorthand in the way we communicate,” she says. “The media will spin it as ‘massive fallout’, but I’ve never had a quarrel with Denise in my entire life!” It’s a refrain she returns to again and again, as if willing the world to finally listen. “It’s really sad that things are still spun this way; it’s disheartening we’ve yet to move past this narrative.”

But perhaps the most telling moment comes when Sue reflects on what really matters—the sense of family, the enduring friendships, the quiet acts of kindness that never make the headlines. “That show’s always been about the people, the sense of family and community, and I don’t feel I’ve lost that,” she says of Coronation Street, but she could just as easily be talking about Loose Women, or about her life as a whole. “I had absolutely no doubt I was doing the right thing, and I’m not somebody who dwells on the past. Past thoughts are dead thoughts, I try to live in the present and enjoy every single moment.”

It’s a lesson worth remembering, especially in a world that seems determined to pit women against each other, to turn every disagreement into a feud, every difference of opinion into a battle. For Sue Cleaver, the real story isn’t about off-screen rows or backstage drama. It’s about resilience, about friendship, about living fearlessly in the face of change.

As she embarks on this new chapter—free from the confines of the cobbles, free to embrace whatever comes next—one thing is clear: Sue Cleaver isn’t just surviving, she’s thriving. And if the tabloids want to keep spinning their stories, let them. She knows the truth. Denise Welch knows the truth. And anyone who’s ever watched these two women together—on screen or off—knows it too.

So the next time you see a headline screaming about a “row” between Sue Cleaver and Denise Welch, remember this: sometimes, the real drama isn’t what happens behind the scenes. It’s what happens when two women refuse to let the world define them, when they choose friendship over rivalry, courage over comfort, and truth over tabloid fiction.

And that, in the end, is the story worth telling.