Claire Sweeney admits she was ‘nervous’ to act with ITV Coronation Street icon Bill Roache

Claire Sweeney has confessed to feeling “nervous” about sharing screen time with ‘ Coronation Street ‘ stalwart William Roache. The 53 year old actress, who joined the ITV soap last year as homeless drug addict Cassie Plummer, was taken aback when she discovered she would be working closely with Roache’s character Ken Barlow.

Speaking to OK! magazine, she said: “I was very ensconced in the Dobbs’ house with Maureen Lipman and Alan Halsall and then suddenly I heard whispers that I had a storyline with Bill [Roache’s].”

On her first day of filming, Claire admitted to being anxious, but found Roache to be incredibly supportive. She shared: “My first day of filming, I just said to him, ‘Look, I’m nervous,’ and he was so kind and warm. I feel so honoured I’ve only been here a year and I’m so lucky to have this storyline.”

Despite their characters’ rocky beginnings, they eventually form a bond, something Claire was thrilled to portray on screen. She added: “There’s a lovely scene with him where she says, ‘Look, sometimes you’ve got to allow yourself to be helped.'”.

The pair share a light-hearted moment over lunch, hinting at a blossoming friendship between their characters. Claire explained: “Over lunch they laugh together and you can see that they are good company for each other. She has put a little spring in his step and suddenly she feels useful and appreciated. So it’s worked for both of them.”

However, Claire still harbours dreams of participating in a classic ‘Corrie’ brawl. She revealed: “I would love to have a scrap on the cobbles! One of my favourite ‘Corrie’ scenes is when Eileen and Gail had a fight and so I’d love to have a little scrap. Those scenes are iconic.”

Claire has just announced that she’s committed to another year on the show, having inked a new one-year contract. Speaking to Cheshire Life magazine, she expressed her enthusiasm: “I’ve just signed my contract for another year in ‘Corrie’, and I’m really happy to fully invest all my time and energy into Cassie and see what develops.”