Coronation Street star signs new contract as villainous character to extend time on ITV soap

A source reportedly told The Sun: “Claire loves being on Corrie – it’s a dream job, so she was delighted to sign a new deal.

“With the big Emmerdale crossover coming in 2026, there’s also a hope that she’ll be in that too. It’s a great opportunity to be part of soap history so who wouldn’t want to be involved?”

RadioTimes.com has approached ITV and Sweeney’s representatives for comment.

 

Sweeney first appeared as Cassie Plummer in summer 2023, with the character introduced as the estranged mother of Tyrone Dobbs.

When she was first cast as Cassie, Sweeney said: “Even though I’ve been lucky enough to have enjoyed an amazingly varied career for nearly 40 years – being cast in Coronation Street is, to me, better than being cast in a Hollywood movie! I’ve watched it all my life and can’t quite believe that I’ll now be stepping onto those famous cobbles myself.”

Read more:

• Coronation Street airs dark threat in ITVX edition
• Coronation Street star won’t make on-screen return despite Craig Tinker death

She continued: “I was really nervous when I got the scripts to audition as this show means so much to me and my family and this is Corrie gold, I was beyond thrilled and very grateful when I got the call that Iain MacLeod is trusting me to play Tyrone’s Mum and work alongside one of my heroes, Dame Maureen Lipman.

“Cassie is a character who is definitely going to make an impact – I just hope the audience will enjoy watching her as much as I’m going to be enjoying playing her!”

Sweeney is also known for her roles in Brookside and The Good Ship Murder, while she was a contestant on last year’s season of Dancing on Ice.