Celebrities

Coronation Street Star Breaks Silence on Rumours of Behind-the-Scenes Feud with Loose Women Favourite

Published on July 3, 2025

Sue Cleaver has opened up about her time after Coronation Street, setting the record straight on all those rumours of backstage drama – especially the ones involving her and Loose Women co-star Denise Welch.

After more than two decades on the cobbles as Eileen Grimshaw, Sue’s final episode aired on 6 June, and the 61-year-old actress has finally closed that chapter of her life. Now reflecting on what’s next, she chatted to Love Sunday about life post-Weatherfield, her love for Loose Women, and some of the headlines that have followed her, reported Birmingham Live.

“I love that show. It’s brilliant,” she said about Loose Women. “I’ve known all the girls for years, so, yeah.” But it didn’t take long before she addressed those whispers of behind-the-scenes fallouts. One in particular has been doing the rounds – the idea that she and Denise Welch had some kind of “massive fallout” while filming together. Sue, though, wasn’t having any of it.

“They always like to say ‘catfights’, but they only say that about women, don’t they?” she said, pointing out the way the media plays into tired old stereotypes. “They wouldn’t dream of saying that when it’s blokes presenting something. Actually, we’re very tight.”

And as for the supposed drama with Denise? It turns out the pair are anything but at odds.

“We’ve known each other for 25 years – we’re close friends and have a sort of shorthand in the way we communicate,” she explained. “The media will spin it as ‘massive fallout’, but I’ve never had a quarrel with Denise in my entire life!”

Sue added, “It’s really sad that things are still spun this way; it’s disheartening we’ve yet to move past this narrative.”

Looking back on her time on Corrie, Sue also revealed she had a rare hand in deciding how Eileen would make her exit. Rather than going for a dramatic death or big bust-up, she chose something a bit more heartfelt and closer to her real life.

“They said, ‘What kind of exit would you like? Dramatic? Do you want a final death?’ And I said I didn’t.”

Instead, she pitched something that reflected her own journey. “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.”

It’s a fitting goodbye for a character who’s become such a fixture of the Coronation Street universe – and a personal send-off for an actress ready to embrace new challenges.

As for the drama off screen? Sue’s made it crystal clear: there’s no bad blood, just decades-long friendships, a lot of laughs, and a bit of media mischief that she’s more than ready to rise above.

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