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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Entertainment
Jessica Sansome

Claire Sweeney teases 'major problems' in Coronation Street after fans spot issue with Tyrone's mum casting

Claire Sweeney has given some more details about her upcoming Coronation Street stint after it was revealed she had been cast as Tyrone Dobbs' mum. The Brookside legend will make her way into the ITV soap as Cassie.

It will be the first time Corrie fans will have been introduced to Tyrone's real mum as he's been told a few lies throughout the years. The much-loved mechanic has previously been told by his grandmother Evelyn Plummer that her daughter, and his biological mother is dead.

So when Cassie turns up on the cobbles out of the blue in June, Evelyn is faced with a real dilemma as she has to decide whether to come clean to Tyrone about her lies.

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Appearing on Good Morning Britain for the first time since the casting was announced, Claire revealed to hosts Kate Garraway and Adil Ray that she officially starts working on the long-running soap, which is based in Salford, on Friday (April 28) and teased some more details about her never before seen character.

"After I left Brookside and did Celebrity Big Brother, more people knew me as Claire and not Lindsey Corkhill," she said. "That was a great time and it's the first reality TV show of its kind so it was such a big deal. But doing all of those glamorous roles over the years, Cassie, my character in Corie, isn't very glamorous."

Claire Sweeney (ITV)

After being quizzed on what Cassie will bring to the show, Claire admitted: "She's completely different from me." She added: "I spent years in Brookside so I spent years not looking pretty.

"Tyronne was always led to believe Jackie was his mum and she wasn't. He was then told his mum was dead. That's the twist, I turn up to the cobbles with a few problems, a few major problems, and I'll leave it there!"

And addressing the storyline itself that'll see her make her entrance, she added: "Tyrone was always led to believe that Jackie was his mum and she wasn't his mum. And then he was told that his mum is dead, so that is the twist. I turn up on the Cobbles and I'm a bit unruly. I've got a few problems, some major problems - but what will happen?"

Tyrone will discover that his biological mother is actually alive (ITV)

Tyrone, played by Alan Halsall, grew up believing that his mum was Jackie Dobbs, played by Margi Clarke. But in 2018 investigations into his parentage brought him into contact with Evelyn, portrayed by Dame Maureen Lipman, for the first time and he discovered evidence that Evelyn's daughter Cassandra was his biological mother.

Not trusting Cassandra to look after him properly due to her drug habit, Evelyn had abandoned Tyrone at a police station in 1982 where he was found by Jackie who brought him up as her own. Now Tyrone faces more heartache as secrets and lies from his past threaten to destroy his relationship with his grandma and he has to navigate a new relationship with his mother.

And when Claire's casting for the role was announced, some Corrie fans spotted a problem. One said: "How on earth can she be playing his mother? She’s nowhere near old enough." A second shared: “Claire is 52 and Alan 40 but they look about the same age. She looks way too young to be playing Ty’s mum."

A third added: "The retcon of Jackie not being Tyrone’s mother made absolutely no sense whatsoever. Nothing against Claire Sweeney but she’s too young to play this role. Alan Halsall is only 11 years younger than her."

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