Loose Women star Sue Cleaver addresses 'catfights' and 'massive fallout' with Denise Welch

Sue Cleaveris looking forward to a summer of countryside strolls and new experiences after walking out of Weatherfield for the final time. The Hertfordshire-born actress’s final scenes as Coronation Street ’s Eileen Grimshaw aired on 6 June and, as she’s quick to tell Love Sunday during our exclusive chat, she is very much about “embracing change and living fearlessly”.

Now 61, and after 25 years on Corrie , the Loose Women regular is on a mission to learn – or to be more specific, learn about herself. “I’ve made massive decisions to reinvent myself and embrace change. This is the time of life when society wants you to just go away quietly,” says Sue.

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She continues, “But this is the period, for a lot of women who have put themselves second – because they’ve brought up families, had mortgages, etcetera – when we hit an age and think, ‘What now? Who am I?’

“Everything I’ve done in the last year has been about reinvention and discovery. I’d like to say I’m one of life’s learners, and I never stop learning. I’m just getting really interested in me, and challenging all the beliefs I had about myself.”

Her next professional reinvention will be from screen to stage, as she takes on a new role in Theatr Clwyd and Bolton Octagon’s co-production of Snake In The Grass later this summer. It’s especially exciting, she explains, because it’s a “full circle” moment.

“The Octagon Theatre in Bolton is where I got my first equity card. I must’ve been in eight or nine plays there. So to be going back there at this stage in my life feels sort of full circle, it’s quite lovely.”

Of course, we also see the star as an occasional panellist on Loose Women , which is set for some big changes – including losing the studio audience – come January, amid a raft of ITV cuts.

“I love that show. It’s brilliant. I’ve known all the girls for years, so, yeah,” she says, when we ask if she’s hoping for more appearances now that her work calendar is less full. And what of the speculation about women at war and in-fighting?

“They always like to say ‘catfights’, but they only say that about women, don’t they? They wouldn’t dream of saying that when it’s blokes presenting something. Actually we’re very tight. But it happens a lot when Denise [Welch] and I are on together.

“We’ve known each other for 25 years – we’re close friends and have a sort of shorthand in the way we communicate. The press will say ‘massive fallout’, but I’ve never fallen out with Denise in my life! It’s quite awful, we’ve still got so far to go that it’s depressing.”

Off-screen, Sue’s been fighting her own quiet health battle. She has lived with Type 2 diabetes for 29 years, and describes its effect on her as running “a mental marathon, every single day”.

In the last three years, she’s relieved some of the mental load by wearing a Dexcom Continuous Glucose Monitor, which provides automatic glucose readings without the need for a finger prick.

“I can’t explain the mental fatigue you get, it’s like an app running in the background of your brain, a constant noise of ‘What’s my sugar? Did I take my meds? What can I eat to avoid a spike?’

“It’s like constant brain drain from making decisions, and the stress affects people because, unlike a diet, diabetes management is lifelong and that decision fatigue manifests in skipped medications and poor food choices. It’s not about being lazy, people get totally overwhelmed and I really relate to that.”

Sue says access to accurate readings taken every few minutes means she doesn’t have to constantly debate her eating habits and activity levels.

She also praises recent Race Across The World competitor, teenager Fin Gough, who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes aged 11 and navigated his way from northeastern China to southern India with girlfriend Sioned Cray.

“One of the biggest things for me was when I was about to do a live performance, go on a chat show or on stage, the inner stress and cortisol running through my body would have an impact on my sugars. So, I’d be thinking, ‘God, are my sugar levels enough to get me through this without having a hypo [hypoglycemic event]?’

“I’d have to get out my blood test kit and check I was going to be able to get through the first half without having to top up. That noise is dialled down now. I can get on with what I’m supposed to be doing.”

Another unwelcome side effect of her diabetes – and also of being on television – has been the spotlight on her appearance, more specifically, her weight. Sue has become the subject of many “body transformation” headlines, especially in recent years, as she lost significant weight.

What does she make of all the talk? “I tend to refuse to get involved in those conversations because I don’t like anybody to look to me for advice. The reality is I was very ill a few years ago, it’s had huge ramifications on my body and I’ve made huge changes in my life.

“I gave up drinking for two years, I try to go to the gym every day during the week, I’ve changed how I view the world. I always thought I hated the gym – then I realised that was just a thought. I don’t hate the gym, I just thought I did.”

Sue has a theory; that fear is the biggest barrier to change, which is why she’s “very much about living fearlessly”.

One of her greatest demonstrations of this was agreeing to take part in the 22nd series of I’m A Celebrity in 2022, with Boy George, Matt Hancock, Mike Tindall and eventual winner, Jill Scott.

“I’d been asked several times and always said no,” she laughs. “Then I thought, ‘Why am I saying no?’ And my reason was fear. I was terrified. I decided that wasn’t a good enough excuse.

“And when I got there, I couldn’t believe I might’ve missed it because I was frightened of taking a chance. I had the best experience and I’m thrilled I did it. There were great people in the group, we bonded really well and we all behaved like grown-ups.”

Now, one could argue that leaving Coronation Street after a quarter of a century was a huge decision – but it’s one she’s equally pleased about.

Unusually, although maybe not surprising given her status as a Weatherfield legend, Sue was invited to be involved in the conversations about Eileen’s exit, which essentially started with a question of life or death.

“They said, ‘What kind of exit would you like? Dramatic? Do you want a final death?’ And I said I didn’t. I said I really wanted Eileen’s son, Jason, to come back, and for it to mirror what I’m doing in my own life. For Eileen to get out there, live fearlessly, live bravely.”

She filmed her final scenes with her on-screen son Ryan Thomas at the end of May and after a post-work celebratory meal with cast and crew, bid her final farewell to the Manchester set the following day.

An early train to London, she explains, meant she didn’t have time to sit and mope, and with her husband Brian Owen still working behind-the-scenes on the show, it’s certainly not a permanent goodbye.

“That show’s always been about the people, the sense of family and community, and I don’t feel I’ve lost that. I had absolutely no doubt I was doing the right thing, and I’m not somebody who dwells on the past. Past thoughts are dead thoughts, I try to live in the present and enjoy every single moment.”

* Sue wears the Dexcom ONE+ – a continuous glucose monitor that helps her track her glucose levels to manage her Type 2 diabetes. Explore more at Dexcom.com

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