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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Jasmine Allday

Corrie's Claire Sweeney felt like 'imposter' on set as she joins soap as Tyrone's mum

Claire Sweeney admitted she felt like an "imposter" on the set of Coronation Street.

The soap legend is joining the cast as Cassie, in scenes set to air later today, and Claire admits she feels like an imposter on set when she arrived to work alongside Dame Maureen Lipman and Alan Halsall.

Cassie arrives as Tyrone's estranged mother, who Evelyn has kept hidden from her son for years.

Speaking about her character, Claire told The Mirror and other press, of Cassie: "She's got a problem. She's an addict. That's what makes her so unpredictable and a loose cannon. She really does have great intentions to get better and to be with the family, but she's an addict and it's quite sad really. She's not better yet. Evelyn has had a relationship with Cassie for a while.

"Evelyn's being kind of on and off supporting her, helping her. And then she turns up, she wants to see Tyrone, she wants to get clean, she wants to be involved with the family, she needs a mum. She's a tough girl. She's been around the block, she's had problems, but there's a vulnerability with her where she needs a mum and she turns up for help."

Claire looks unrecognisable as Cassie (ITV)

She added: "Evelyn was helping her get clean at that point. And, with Cassie, she gets clean and falls back into her old ways again."

Claire admitted it was "wonderful" working with both Dame Maureen Lipman and Alan Halsall.

"What was wonderful for me, and it was my audition scene; it was a 14 page two hander with Dame Maureen Lipman, who I am a massive fan of. I thought, well that's a baptism of fire; she was just like a masterclass. She was so fantastic and I'm just looking forward to doing more stuff with her and Alan," she shared of their working relationship.

"I felt like an imposter waiting to get escorted down, like I snuck on one of the tours. I'm such a fan and I'm so grateful for this job and to be playing Cassie. It's literally a dream come true. It's just so wonderful. It's an institution. It's the soap we've all grown up with."

She admitted there was one moment, where she saw Audrey actress Sue Nicholls filming on the soap.

She said: "I'm embarrassed to say this - but after I'd done that photo that you showed before and I knew this was gonna happen, I thought, how am I gonna feel when I see one of the iconic characters on the cobbles? How am I gonna feel? And I come around the corner after doing that and I saw Audrey getting into a taxi doing a scene, and I was like, yes!"

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