Sue Cleaver recalls 'terrifying' experience in early days of Coronation Street fame
Coronation Street fans have seen Sue Cleaver play the role of Eileen Grimshaw since 2000.
Sue Cleaver 'struggled' with fame when joining Corrie
Actress Sue Cleaver has confessed she wasn’t a great fan of the attention that came with joining Coronation Street. On the latest instalment of Sunday Brunch, the 60-year-old detailed her early experiences in the ITV soap.
Channel 4 presenter Simon Rimmer asked: “Your first episode when it was broadcast, that next day, your life changes. All of a sudden, you’re not Sue Cleaver who's been able to walk around with anonymity, suddenly you’re Eileen!”
Agreeing, she confessed: “I don’t think I was prepared. I mean they do talk to you when you go in. When I went in, TV was a very different world. You couldn’t walk down the street.”
Sue told the two hosts that once she had joined the cast of Coronation Street, it was very daunting. She continued: “It was the bit that, honestly, I struggled with for a long time. I didn’t feel comfortable with it.”
The actress shared that it took her a while to get used to the attention as she detailed not thinking about how she would deal with the fame before she appeared on the show.
Sue added: “Whereas now, a lot of people now just want to be famous, so it’s a very different world.
“It’s still one I don't quite understand, be careful what you ask for really.”
Tim Lovejoy told the soap star that the first time he was recognised by a member of the public he went bright red as she recalled a similar experience.
She said: “I would admit that in the early days, somebody came up to me and I kind of froze! I was like, ‘What do you want, don’t speak to me, what do you want?!’
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“It really terrified me! It took a while but, yeah.”
Sue was speaking on the show ahead of her upcoming appearance as Mother Superior in the stage production Sister Act: The Musical.
Although she’s made it clear she’s not leaving the soap completely, Sue will be taking a break from the cobbles for her new role.
Speaking about her brief time away, she said: “I’m nervous and excited!”
However, Sue’s appearance on the Channel 4 show left Sunday Brunch viewers gobsmacked as many didn’t recognise her.
@Lofty2332 said: “Wow didn't even recognise Sue Clever.”
@EdBond07 added: “DID NOT KNOW THAT WAS EILEEN FROM CORONATION STREET! Thought it was a singer!”
Sunday Brunch continues Sundays on Channel 4 from 9:30am