Corrie star Claire Sweeney ‘tearful’ after dramatic scene with William Roache
Claire Sweeney praised her scene partner William Roache for an emotional performance where Ken Barlow finds out what Cassie has been up to.
Coronation Street actress Claire Sweeney has said she became “tearful” after acting alongside soap star William Roache in a dramatic scene.
The 53-year-old English actress, who plays Cassie Plummer, praised Roache for an emotional performance where his character Ken Barlow finds out what Cassie has been up to.
In the scene, Cassie comes clean to Ken for slipping anti-histamines into his drink in order to steal from him.
Discussing the moment, Sweeney commended her 92-year old scene partner, calling his performance “award-winning”.
Speaking about Roache, Sweeney said: “It’s an award-winning performance. It literally made me cry, he was so wonderful, so to do those scenes with Bill, who is a legend on screen, was just sensational.
“He did this very very dramatic scene and at the end, the crew, there was silence, and then he got a round of applause.
“I was bloody tearful, and I thought, ‘God, he is wonderful. I hope he gets recognised for this’. He is brilliant.”
Sweeney first joined the Cobbles cast in 2023, taking on the role of Cassie, who becomes a carer for Ken.
In recent episodes, viewers have watched Cassie’s antics unfold as she gets caught lacing Ken’s drinks with antihistamines in an attempt to make him drowsy and reliant on her.
She also took it as an opportunity to steal from him by making expensive purchases using his credit card until eventually Ken finds out and confronts her.
The actress added: “There was a sense of relief because she couldn’t have just carried on the way she was so with Cassie there was always going to come to a head and there has to be a bit of a redemption arch with the character.”
Sweeney is best known for her playing Lindsey Corkhill in Brookside along with starring in West End productions of Chicago and Guys And Dolls.
She also appeared on the 2024 series of Dancing On Ice and was paired with skater Colin Grafton.
Her scene partner, Bill Roache, whose full name is William Roache, is the longest-serving cast member on the soap, playing Ken Barlow since the first episode aired in 1960.
Sweeney has also described Cassie as a “joy to play”, saying that she is not a “one dimensional” character.
She added: “The stuff that they’ve written for her has been absolutely brilliant. But it’s the vulnerability mixed with the streak of evil and the fieriness, and they give her a lot of comedy lines as well, so she is a joy to play.
“I just love playing her because she’s funny, she’s a bit evil, she’s vulnerable, and she is just an absolute joy to play.”
