Coronation Street confirms shock exit for soap icon after 3 years of drama on the cobbles

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Claire Sweeney is departing Coronation Street after almost three years playing her role, ITV has confirmed.

She began playing the role of Cassie Plummer on the long-running soap opera in 2023. Cassie is a character with a history of drug addiction and is the biological mother of Tyrone Dobbs’ child.

She instantly became known as the bad guy after it was revealed she had poisoned Ken Barlow, the character played by William Roache, while looking after him following an accident.

Then in February last year, Cassie began dating Simon Gregson’s character Steve McDonald.

Sweeney is departing the show to take on the role of Miss Hannigan in the UK and Ireland tour of Annie.

TopMob reports that ITV executives have been aware of the actress’s plans to leave the show for some time and have already developed a major storyline to explain her character’s departure.

A Coronation Street representative shared their congratulations to Claire, wishing her all the best in her role as Miss Hannigan. They noted she’s been hoping to play this part for a long time.

Cassie will remain a regular on the show throughout the summer, continuing to cause drama in Weatherfield before leaving in a major storyline.

The Annie tour will have two stars playing Miss Hannigan. La Voix will perform the role at the first five venues starting May 23rd, and then Sweeney will take over for the remaining 26 shows across the UK and Ireland beginning July 7th. You can find the complete schedule and tickets on the tour’s official website.

Jennifer Sweeney started her acting career in 1991 with a prominent role on the TV show Brookside. She later appeared as a contestant on the first seasons of Celebrity Big Brother and Strictly Come Dancing, and was a regular panelist on Loose Women from 2003 to 2005.

The actress recently discussed the possibility of bringing back the show Brookside for its 30th anniversary, but said she was unable to participate because of her work on Coronation Street.

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Coronation Street airs weeknights at 8:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX.

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Authors

Phoebe Kowhai BarnesFreelance Writer

Phoebe Kowhai Barnes is a freelance writer specializing in pop culture and entertainment for TopMob. Before that, she was a Senior Assistant Editor at The Tab, where she oversaw their local team. She holds a BA (Hons) degree in English Literature from the University of Nottingham.

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2026-01-29 18:34