Coronation Street’s Sue Cleaver Shares “Special” Birthday Update After Saying Goodbye to Eileen Grimshaw
Coronation Street favorite Sue Cleaver may have left the cobbles earlier this year, but she’s proving there’s life after Weatherfield. The beloved actress, who played Eileen Grimshaw for more than 20 years, is embracing new adventures on stage and beyond—and fans are loving her latest update.
Farewell to Weatherfield
In January, ITV confirmed Sue’s departure after 25 years on the soap. Her character Eileen made an emotional exit, heading to Thailand to be with her son Jason. The storyline saw Katy Cavanagh return as Julie Carp, while Ryan Thomas reprised his role as Jason to share a heartfelt goodbye with his on-screen mum.
Speaking about that reunion, Ryan joked: “Sue rang me and said, ‘Can you come back for my exit storyline?’ And when mother says you’ve got to do something, you do it!”
Stepping Into New Roles
Since leaving Corrie, Sue has wasted no time exploring new opportunities. She joined the Loose Women panel and has also returned to her first love—the stage.
Sue is currently rehearsing for Snake in the Grass, which will be performed at Theatre Clwyd and Octagon Theatre Bolton. For the actress, it marks an exciting return to theatre after nearly 30 years away.
A Birthday to Remember
While deep in rehearsals, Sue celebrated her 63rd birthday surrounded by her new castmates. On Instagram, she shared a smiling photo with a bouquet of flowers, captioning it:
“Although I may be away from home this birthday, I feel so special thanks to the lovely cast & crew at Theatre Clwyd. Grateful to be spending the day rehearsing for Snake in the Grass!”
Her post was flooded with support from fans and former Corrie co-stars, including Tony Maudsley (George), Catherine Tyldesley (Eva), Claire Sweeney (Cassie), and Kate Ford (Tracy). Catherine added: “Happy birthday babe! Love you. Can’t wait to come see you shine xxxx.”
Reinventing Life After 60
Sue has been refreshingly open about her decision to leave the soap. On the Off-Script podcast, she revealed she had been considering it “for quite a long time.”
After her stint on I’m A Celebrity, Sue reignited her passion for theatre with Sister Act the Musical. She explained: “That was my first love and I hadn’t been on stage for nearly 30 years. I just thought, you can either say you can’t do it, or you just go and do it—which I did.”
Now in her 60s, Sue is embracing change fearlessly. She has even written a book about living boldly. “I really believe you have to step outside your comfort zone for things to happen. Society may want women of my age to shuffle off quietly, but I refuse to go.”
She added: “You’re never too old to start new challenges. I want to reinvent myself, make my mark in a different way, and follow my own example.”