“That’s NOT the way I wanted to LEAVE” – Coronation Street actress Sue Cleaver breaks silence, reveals sh0cking real Reason she QUIT the show!
Loose Women star opens up on off-screen ‘row’ with Denise Welch in candid admission
Sue Cleaver is best known for her role on Coronation Street but has also been a regular on the daytime show Loose Women.
Sue Cleaver is best known for playing Eileen Grimshaw on Coronation Street (Image: ITV)
Sue Cleaver has spoken candidly about her relationship with fellow Loose Women panellist Denise Welch. The Coronation Street veteran has bid a fond farewell to her iconic role as Eileen Grimshaw, exiting the cobbles behind for new adventures now that her last appearance aired on 6 June. Speaking candidly with Love Sunday, the Hertfordshire-born star is all about “embracing change and living fearlessly” at the age of 61. The seasoned actress is a familiar face on Loose Women as well, which is set for some notable shake-ups including bidding farewell to the studio audience this January due to widespread ITV cost reductions. The on-screen star admitted the panel often make headlines for rumoured “catfights” but confirmed there are no backstage spats, even when the panel are in disagreement.
“I love that show. It’s brilliant. I’ve known all the girls for years, so, yeah,” she remarks when probed about her desire for more panel slots now that she has a lighter schedule. And what does she make of the rumours of backstage spats? “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.”
Sue Cleaver has also been a regular on ITV’s Loose Women (Image: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
She continued: “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.”
Privately, Sue has been dealing with a personal health struggle. Having managed Type 2 diabetes for nearly three decades, she likens its impact on her life to enduring “a mental marathon, every single day”.
Over the past three years, she’s managed to alleviate some of her mental burden by using a Dexcom Continuous Glucose Monitor, which delivers automatic glucose readings without the need for finger-pricking.
Sue Cleaver joined by panellists Denise Welch and Linda Robson (Image: ITV)
In a testament to her enduring legacy on Coronation Street, Sue was uniquely invited to participate in the discussions about Eileen’s storyline, which led to her departure. One option presented to her was a dramatic exit, but she had other ideas.
“They said, ‘What kind of exit would you like? Dramatic? Do you want a final d3ath?’ 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.”
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. With her husband Brian still working behind the scenes on Coronation Street, it’s clear that her connection to the show remains strong.
“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 d3ad thoughts, I try to live in the present and enjoy every single moment.”
