Coronation Street legend ‘sobbing and in denial’ over Cassie’s ending | Soaps

Coronation Street fans knew that Cassie Plummer’s exit was on the cards. But that won’t make it any harder to watch the gobby Rovers’ regular tear-jerking goodbye, especially since according to actress Claire Sweeney, those tears were real.’

The soap star announced back in January that she was leaving the Street back in January, as she’s been cast as Miss Hannigan in the UK tour of musical Annie.

But it wasn’t until recently that her final denouement really kicked off, thanks to the introduction of the villainous Ross Wilkes (Ian Burfield). Ross took advantage of Cassie when she was fifteen and paid her for sex, resulting in the birth of their son Tyrone Dobbs’ (Alan Halsall).

We’ve already seen Ross threaten Cassie’s life to stop her interfering in his relationship with his long-lost son.

This week, Cassie’s mission to oust Ross from her family blew up in her face when she was caught spiking his smoothie to make sure he failed a drug test for his new job. This resulted in her being rejected by Tyrone, not to mention her long-time boyfriend Steve McDonald (Simon Gregson) who caught her red-handed with the drugs and breaks up with her.

Despite knowing that she was going to leave, Claire admitted to being taken by surprise when it came to finally departing the Cobbles for good in a recent chat with Metro.

‘Honestly, I was in total denial. I just carried on as if I wasn’t leaving at all because I was having such a wonderful time with the storylines. I was absolutely loving every minute of it. It only really hit me about a week before the end, particularly when I started clearing out my flat in Liverpool and had to pack up my dressing room.’

‘I remember standing there thinking, “I can’t take these things out of my dressing room.” Even now, I still feel a bit in denial. Because I’m still in touch with everyone—chatting to Alan and Simon every few days—it doesn’t feel like I’ve moved on yet. For a while I hadn’t even started rehearsing for Annie, so it feels like I’m still part of the family.’

‘I couldn’t believe the quality of the writing they gave me for the end; it was beautiful. And Ross is played by Ian, who is just a brilliant actor. The scenes we shot were so poignant.’

The story takes a particularly heart-breaking turn when Cassie is forced to say goodye to her beloved grandchildren, Hope Stape (Isabella Flanagan) and Ruby Dobbs (Billie Naylor).

‘There was one specific scene at the end, saying goodbye to Hope and Ruby in the Dobbs house, where I literally sobbed. The tears were completely real. At one point, the director even asked me to hold back a little bit because it looked like I was having a breakdown on camera, but that was just how it felt. It was so genuine that the children started crying during the take, too. It was incredibly emotional.’

However, that’s not even Cassie’s final scene. The last we see of her is after she’s accepted a job as a cleaner on a cruise ship, then Ross arrives and offers her a lift in his car. He speeds off with Cassie in the passenger seat, leaving her end chillingly ambiguous. Claire reflects on Kathy’s fate.

‘She feels she has absolutely no choice. She has been rejected by the love of her life, Steve, and everyone else has turned their backs on her. She feels her life there has been destroyed. The only option left is to take that job on the cruise ship. Whether she actually makes it to that ship or what happens when Ross takes her—that’s the beauty of it. No one knows, and it’s left wonderfully open.’

First joining the show in 2023, Cassie was introduced as the long-lost mother of Tyrone, who struggled with drug addiction for many years, and finally managed to get clean and be the mum he always needed. In that time, we have seen her full character arc and redemption into the no-nonsense switchboard operator of Street Cars that we know and love… and Claire Sweeney has loved every moment of it.

‘It’s been an absolute joy.’ Claire gushes. ‘I’ve been blessed with brilliant, multifaceted storylines from start to finish. I went from being a “baddie” to someone who softened, particularly with Steve, who really brought out her vulnerability and honesty. I loved the comedy, the motherly instincts she developed with Tyrone, and the wonderful, forgiving friendship she had with Ken. Even the comedic elements of living with Tracy (Kate Ford) and Steve—the scripts were just brilliant. I’ve been so lucky.’

Her time on Coronation Street maybe coming to a close, but Claire’s managed to hold on to one keepsake from her days on the Cobbles.

‘I intended to take my battered old trainers, but I actually ended up leaving my dressing room table exactly as it was. I think it was a subconscious thing—I just wasn’t ready to let go. However, I did keep one special thing, the Heart badge with Cassie written on it, I was given during my very first scene with Simon Gregson at the speed dating event in the Rovers. It’s on my fridge now as a little reminder of where it all began.’

MORE: Coronation Street spoiler videos confirm huge exit and shock attack

MORE: Cassie loses everything in Coronation Street as vile Ross’ revenge works

MORE: More scheduling chaos as Coronation Street and Emmerdale to be taken off air again