Claire Sweeney, who plays Cassie Plummer in Coronation Street, has spoken out about her admiration for her hunky co-star Jacob Roberts following her split from boxer Ricky Hatton
Corrie’s Claire Sweeney has been singing the praises of her soap colleague Jacob Roberts, not long after parting ways with ex-beau Ricky Hatton. The 53-year-old actress gushed on the Off Script… podcast about the dashing 34 year old Kit Green actor, admiring his striking looks.
The star, known for her role as Cassie Plummer, couldn’t help but rave: “I tell you what, he’s a good-looking bugger isn’t he? He’s handsome and a really nice guy, a lovely, lovely lad.”
But it wasn’t just Jacob catching her eye; Claire also lauded Jack P Shepherd, 37, for his growth as an actor since his early days as David Platt in 2000. Reflecting on his journey, she said: “I love old Corrie and I was looking at some footage the other day when he was a kid, coming in ordering a pint in the Rovers. Even then you could see what a great little actor he is and he’s really proving his chops at the moment, he’s such a good actor.”
Claire’s warm words about Jack and Jacob come in the wake of her split from Ricky, 46, whom she met on Dancing on Ice. Their whirlwind romance saw them jet-setting across the globe together.
Ricky Hatton and Claire Sweeney
Post-breakup, Claire opened up to The Sun, insisting they’ve remained chums despite the fiery fling. She clarified: “We’re still friends. We were friends, we dated then we’re friends again. It’s all good.”
According to the Daily Mail, a source revealed that despite parting ways, Claire Sweeney and Ricky Hatton have maintained a friendly relationship, stating: “Claire and Ricky remain good friends, there has been no fallout between them.”
They further explained that the pair decided it was best to end their romance and remain platonic, noting that while Claire is driven by her career, Ricky prefers to live life on the edge.
Meanwhile, in a recent podcast appearance, Claire reflected on how the filming process has evolved, particularly when it comes to intimate scenes between characters. Recounting a recent experience filming with Simon Gregson, she shared: “Nowadays, I had to do a kissing scene with Steve McDonald, Simon Gregson, and they said to us, ‘do you want an intimacy coordinator?’.”
Kit is played by Jacob Roberts (Image: ITV)
Feeling a bit uncertain about how to proceed, Claire continued, “And I didn’t know how to play it because I didn’t want to put Simon in an awkward position because times have changed. I just said to Caroline who’s in charge of the cast, ‘I’m OK with it’.”
Taking Simon’s feelings into consideration while also being mindful of not making things uncomfortable, Claire stated: “But I was also aware that you don’t want to do someone out of a job as well. So, I just said, ‘Simon’s great and I’ll just get a breath freshener and I’ll hold back on the tongue’. And then Simon just sent a message saying: ‘I think we’ll be alright’. He was on the same page, old school.”
Separately, reports suggest that Claire has secured a new contract to extend her stay on Coronation Street as her character Cassie, cementing her character’s place in the show for years to come.
