Coronation Street star Sue Cleaver has shared details of Eileen Grimshaw’s exit storyline, confirming that the character will not be sent to prison.
The actor confirmed in January that she would be departing the ITV soap after 25 years in the role of Eileen, with the character’s departure from the cobbled streets of Weatherfield set to take place later this year.
As part of Eileen’s exit, half-sister Julie Carp returned to inform her close ones that she was terminally ill, with the character tragically passing away earlier this month. In a twist, Eileen has wrongly been implicated in her death and worries she may be incarcerated.
Thankfully, this won’t be the case as Cleaver revealed to The Mirror that Eileen would get her happy ending before leaving, explaining: “There was always the risk that they [the producers] might have killed me off, but they were supportive and said ‘Eileen’s a big part of the show.’
“They asked what kind of ending I wanted, and I said I didn’t want to call it a day, because I love the place. I said I wanted a happy ending. Basically, the journey Eileen is taking is pretty much what I’m choosing to do.
“It had been in my mind for the last four years to leave, so there’s been a lot of preparation and planning and thinking about it and making sure, but it definitely feels right. It’s [an] exciting time. I’m not scared about the future.”
“The only scary thing was making the decision that it was time. But once I’d made the decision, I knew it was the right thing for me,” added the star, who has also appeared on I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!.
Cleaver’s exit comes amid a tumultuous period for the soap, with Helen Worth, Paddy Bever, Shelley King and Charlotte Jordan all leaving over the past few months. Sue Devaney and Colson Smith, who play Debbie Webster and Craig Tinker, will also depart in the future.
