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https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/cor...grimshaw-exit/
Coronation Street star Sue Cleaver will leave the soap after 25 years in the role of Eileen Grimshaw, explaining that she wants to "embrace change".
The actor debuted as Eileen back in 2000, but it has been confirmed to Digital Spy that she has now decided to leave the ITV soap, with her final scenes set to air in the late spring.
"I've had 25 privileged years of working on Coronation Street," Cleaver said. "The door is still firmly open but as I reached my 60th year I decided it was time to embrace change, look for new adventures and live fearlessly."
"We're sad to bid farewell to the wonderful Sue Cleaver," added producer Kate Brooks. "Over the past twenty five years, Eileen Grimshaw has been at the heart of some of the most memorable and iconic Corrie storylines, and her onscreen rivalry with Gail Platt will undoubtedly go down in Corrie folklore.
"There's certainly no one quite like Eileen, and her character will be hugely missed on the Cobbles. We wish Sue all the very best as she embarks on her next exciting chapter."
No further details about Eileen's exit story have yet been revealed. She took a break from Weatherfield last year to visit her son Jason in Thailand, while Cleaver was starring in musical Sister Act.
Eileen has been at the centre of a number of major storylines during her time on the soap, most notably her rivalry with Gail Rodwell and her marriage to serial killer Pat Phelan.
The exit news follows Helen Worth departing her role as Gail after 50 years on the soap, with the actor recently sharing a goodbye message to her colleagues and fans.
"It's been a fabulous 50 years, and I just wanted to thank all of you, some of you who may have been watching for 50 years. Is there anybody?" she said. "And those of you who've been watching for a few years. Thank you.
"Thanks for coming on the journey with me. I've had a wonderful time. I've loved it all. All the stories, and of course, working with the wonderful Platts, which, for me, is what it's all about. And there'll be more Platt stories, and I hope you'll be watching."
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eileen could have got the debbie storyline as the actress wanted to leave and the other didn't
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https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/cor...ryline-prison/
Coronation Street star Sue Cleaver has shared details of Eileen Grimshaw's exit storyline, confirming that the character will not be sent to prison.
The actor confirmed in January that she would be departing the ITV soap after 25 years in the role of Eileen, with the character's departure from the cobbled streets of Weatherfield set to take place later this year.
As part of Eileen's exit, half-sister Julie Carp returned to inform her close ones that she was terminally ill, with the character tragically passing away earlier this month. In a twist, Eileen has wrongly been implicated in her death and worries she may be incarcerated.
Thankfully, this won't be the case as Cleaver revealed to The Mirror that Eileen would get her happy ending before leaving, explaining: "There was always the risk that they [the producers] might have killed me off, but they were supportive and said 'Eileen?s a big part of the show.'
"They asked what kind of ending I wanted, and I said I didn?t want to call it a day, because I love the place. I said I wanted a happy ending. Basically, the journey Eileen is taking is pretty much what I?m choosing to do.
"It had been in my mind for the last four years to leave, so there?s been a lot of preparation and planning and thinking about it and making sure, but it definitely feels right. It?s [an] exciting time. I?m not scared about the future."
"The only scary thing was making the decision that it was time. But once I?d made the decision, I knew it was the right thing for me," added the star, who has also appeared on I'm a Celebrity? Get Me Out of Here!.
Cleaver's exit comes amid a tumultuous period for the soap, with Helen Worth, Paddy Bever, Shelley King and Charlotte Jordan all leaving over the past few months. Sue Devaney and Colson Smith, who play Debbie Webster and Craig Tinker, will also depart in the future.
