Coronation Street star Sue Cleaver will leave the soap after 25 years in the role of Eileen Grimshaw, explaining that she wants to “embrace change”. The actor debuted as Eileen back in 2000, but it has been confirmed to that she has now decided to leave the ITV soap, with her final scenes set to air in the late spring. “I’ve had 25 privileged years of working on Coronation Street,” Cleaver said. “The door is still firmly open but as I reached my 60th year I decided it was time to embrace change, look for new adventures and live fearlessly.” “We’re sad to bid farewell to the wonderful Sue Cleaver,” added producer Kate Brooks.

“Over the past twenty five years, Eileen Grimshaw has been at the heart of some of the most memorable and iconic Corrie storylines, and her onscreen rivalry with Gail Platt will undoubtedly go down in Corrie folklore. “There’s certainly no one quite like Eileen, and her character will be hugely missed on the Cobbles. We wish Sue all the very best as she embarks on her next exciting chapter.” No further details about Eileen’s exit story have yet been revealed. She took a break from Weatherfield last year to visit her son Jason in Thailand, while Cleaver was starring in musical Sister Act.

Eileen has been at the centre of a number of major storylines during her time on the soap, most notably her rivalry with Gail Rodwell and her marriage to serial killer Pat Phelan. The exit news follows Helen Worth departing her role as Gail after 50 years on the soap, with the actor recently sharing a goodbye message to her colleagues and fans. “It’s been a fabulous 50 years, and I just wanted to thank all of you, some of you who may have been watching for 50 years. Is there anybody?” she said. “And those of you who’ve been watching for a few years. Thank you. “Thanks for coming on the journey with me. I’ve had a wonderful time. I’ve loved it all. All the stories, and of course, working with the wonderful Platts, which, for me, is what it’s all about. And there’ll be more Platt stories, and I hope you’ll be watching.”