CLAIRE SWEENEY became a household name in the Nineties after starring in Brookside – and now she is returning to her roots after landing a part in Corrie.
The soap icon and West End star, 52, will play mechanic Tyrone Dobbs’ mum Cassie, making her debut in June.
Claire Sweeney is going back to her soap roots after being cast in Coronation Street
Claire said: “Even though I’ve enjoyed an amazingly career, being in Coronation Street is, to me, better than being cast in a Hollywood movie.”
The show will be the fourth soap added to her long CV – she has also had roles in Holby City and Doctors.
And she’s not the only actor to hop from soap to soap.
Here, we reveal the serial stars and their starring roles.
THREE SOAPS
SHEREE MURPHY, 47
EMMERDALE: 1998-2004
Character: Tricia Dingle
Sheree Murphy played barmaid Tricia Dingle in Emmerdale
Biggest storyline: Barmaid Tricia is devastated when husband Marlon had a one-night stand with his second cousin Charity.
Exit: Killed by falling pub chimney during huge thunderstorm while looking for Marlon.
HOLLYOAKS: 2010-2011
Character: Eva Strong
Biggest storyline: As Anita Roy’s long-lost biological mum, Eva caused a stir when she slept with her daughter’s adoptive brother, Ravi.
Exit: Written out after Sheree decided to quit soap.
NEIGHBOURS: 2014
Character: Dakota Davies
Sheree also played Dakota Davies in Neighbours
Biggest storyline: In a diamond smuggling ring.
Exit: Blackmailed Paul Robinson into giving her $10,000 to leave the country, and fled with the cash. Made a brief return in 2018.
GEMMA ATKINSON, 38
HOLLYOAKS: 2001-2005
Character: Lisa Hunter
Gemma Atkinson played Lisa Hunter in Hollyoaks
Biggest storyline: Turned to self-harming after relentless bullying.
Accidentally shot ex-boyfriend Ben Davies.
Exit: Left Chester, found love in Thailand with activist boyfriend.
Reprised role in 2022.
CASUALTY: 2011-2012 & 2014
Character: Tamzin Bayle
Biggest storyline: Brewing romance with colleague Jeff Collier – but he was killed in an explosion at the scene of a car crash.
Exit: Left heartbroken.
EMMERDALE: 2015-2017
Character: Carly Hope
Biggest storyline: Dodgy money-making schemes and fraud.
Exit: Moved away when they split.
GILLIAN KEARNEY, 50
BROOKSIDE: 1986-1989
Character: Debbie McGrath
Biggest storyline: When parents objected to her relationship with Damon Grant because she was under-age, they eloped.
Exit: After Damon was murdered, Debbie returned briefly pregnant with his baby. Eventually left for university after giving birth.
CASUALTY
Characters: Mandy (1991), Jessica Harrison (2008-2010)
Gillian Kearney played Jessica Harrison in Casualty
Biggest storyline: As married Jessica, had an affair with colleague Adam. Fell pregnant and didn’t know who the father was.
Exit: Left heartbroken after her and Adam’s son died when their car crashed.
EMMERDALE: 2015-2017
Character: Emma Barton
Biggest storyline: Killed her ex-husband James and accidentally shot dead her son.
Exit: Pushed from a viaduct in whodunnit plot – her killer was revealed to be sister-in-law Moira Barton.
FOUR SOAPS
PATSY KENSIT, 55
CASUALTY: 2001
Character: Charlotte Leith-Jones
Played domestic abuse victim who told doctors her injuries were the result of a car crash after her husband threatened to kill her if she revealed the truth in an episode called Happily Ever After.
EMMERDALE: 2004-2006
Character: Sadie King
Patsy Kensit played Sadie King in Emmerdale
Biggest storyline: Conspired with Cain Dingle to kidnap Tom King and take his money but the plan backfired and Cain nabbed the £2million.
Exit: Drove away from Emmerdale after being left with nothing.
HOLBY CITY: 2007-2010, 2019
Character: Faye Morton
Biggest storyline: Arrived after two dead husbands and killed her third in scenes shot on location in Dubai.
Exit: Left her job at Holby, gave up her baby and went to live in France before making a brief return in 2019 as part of Holby’s 20th anniversary celebrations.
EASTENDERS: 2023
Character: Emma Harding
Patsy joined EastEnders earlier this year as Lola Pearce-Brown’s estranged mum
Biggest storyline: Joined the soap in January as Lola Pearce-Brown’s estranged mum, who exposed the truth about Lola’s dad.
Exit: Left after Lola revealed she only had six months left to live after being diagnosed with a brain tumour.
KIRSTY-LEIGH PORTER, 34
DOCTORS: 2007
Character: Kelly Madden
CORONATION STREET: 2009
Character: Zoe Willson
Biggest storyline: Introduced as new girlfriend of David Platt but their romance was short-lived when she realised he may still have feelings for his ex.
Exit: Zoe’s ultimatum to David that she would phone her ex-boyfriend if he left fell flat when he did, so she stormed off.
EMMERDALE: 2010-2012
Character: Roz Fielding
Biggest storyline: Got best friend Holly Barton hooked on drugs before trying to get her off them in a surprise turnaround.
Exit: After Holly’s dad’s funeral, Roz and Holly left for London.
HOLLYOAKS: 2013-now
Character: Leela Lomax
Biggest storyline: Went into labour three months early on her wedding day, and when the baby was born it was obvious husband Cameron Campbell was not the father.
CHRIS BISSON, 47,
CORONATION STREET: 1999–2002
Character: Vikram Desai
Chris Bisson played Vikram Desai in Coronation Street
Biggest storyline: Shopkeeper got involved in drug smuggling to clear his gambling debts and hid cocaine inside Karen McDonald’s suitcase.
Exit: When Karen’s husband Steve found white powder in the case, he realised Vikram was behind it and told him to leave Weatherfield, threatening to kill him if he ever came back.
HOLBY CITY: 2004
Character: Mark Watkins
CASUALTY: 2009
Character: Carl
EMMERDALE: 2009-PRESENT
Character: Jai Sharma
Biggest storyline: Had a one-night stand with his sweet-factory cleaner and got her pregnant. Cocaine addict.
CLAIRE KING, 61
EMMERDALE: 1989-1999, 2018-now
Character: Kim Tate
Claire King first played Emmerdale’s Kim Tate in 1989, staying in the role for a decade
Claire returned to Emmerdale as Kim in 2018
Biggest storyline: Infamously watched her husband die from a heart attack – then clobbered his son over the head with a paperweight.
HOLLYOAKS
Characters: Andrea Mason QC (2005), Stella Grey (Hollyoaks: In The City – 2006), prison governor (2012)
CASUALTY: 2014
Character: Geraldine Worthing (one episode)
CORONATION STREET: 2014-2017
Character: Erica Holroyd
Biggest storyline: Love triangle with Nick Tilsley and Carla Connor – fell pregnant with his baby aged 50 but miscarried.
Exit: Returned to Spain.
CLAIRE SWEENEY
BROOKSIDE: 1991-2003
Character: Lindsey Corkhill
Claire Sweeney played Lindsey Corkhill in Brookside
Biggest storyline: Fell for her neighbour Mike Dixon and had an affair while married to drug dealer Gary Stanlow.
Gary enacted revenge by planting drugs on her, and the couple were arrested and jailed in Thailand.
Exit: Moved to Newcastle with new love Barry Grant.
HOLBY CITY: 2014, Character: Lindsey Kendal
DOCTORS: 2019, Character: Tracey Sanders
CORONATION STREET: 2023-now
Character: Cassandra Plummer
Biggest storyline: Arrives as Tyrone Dobbs’ mum, who everyone thought was dead.
FIVE SOAPS
JAMIE LOMAS, 48
BROOKSIDE: 2002, Character: Matt Evans
CORONATION STREET, Characters: PC Stubbs (2002) and Jeff Durkin (2004)
HOLLYOAKS: 2006-2011, 2016-now
Character: Warren Fox
Jamie Lomas plays Warren Fox in Hollyoaks
Biggest storyline: Bad boy Warren murdered five villagers including fiancée Louise Summers after he discovered his bride had planned to shoot him and frame his mistress Mandy Richardson for the attack.
DOCTORS: 2013
Character: Steve Whitehall
EASTENDERS: 2013-2015
Character: Jake Stone
Biggest storyline: Lauren Branning’s ex Jake was a favourite to be Lucy Beale’s killer in the big whodunnit – he was arrested after her blood and one of her earrings were found in his flat.
Exit: Lauren apologised for accusing him of murder and he left the Square to be a better dad to daughter Bella.
IAN KELSEY, 56
EMMERDALE: 1994-1997
Character: Dave Glover
Biggest storyline: Had steamy affair with soap bitch Kim Tate, enjoying sex in the stables.
Exit: Became trapped in a huge fire and later died from his injuries.
CASUALTY: 1999-2002
Character: Dr Patrick Spiller
Ian Kelsey played Dr Patrick Spiller in Casualty and Holby City
Biggest storyline: Hunky specialist registrar Patrick was involved in a motorway accident, which saw him save six school children from a minibus.
Exit: He collapsed and died from a bleed on the brain caused by the crash.
HOLBY CITY: 2001
Character: Dr Patrick Spiller
Biggest storyline: Appeared as Patrick in Casualty’s sister soap Holby City, and almost ran over a cyclist.
DOCTORS
Characters: Alex Wakefield (2010) and Howard Bellamy (2012-2015)
Biggest storyline: Practice manager Howard’s bulimia was discovered by colleague and on/off girlfriend Emma Reid but he made her promise to keep it secret if he stopped.
Exit: Collapsed and died from a brain aneurysm, with Emma at his side.
CORONATION STREET: 2016-2017
Character: Vinny Ashford
Biggest storyline: Dodgy property developer Vinny, an old acquaintance of Corrie villain Pat Phelan, tried to scam half the residents in Weatherfield.
Exit: Phelan coerced Andy Carver into killing Vinny.
SIX SOAPS
DAVID EASTER, 63
BROOKSIDE: 1984-1987
Character: Pat Hancock
David Easter played Pat Hancock in Brookside
Biggest storyline: Hospital porter Pat was taken hostage along with his housemates, nurses Kate Moses and Sandra Maghie, by psychopathic gunman John Clarke.
The three-episode siege, which culminated in John killing Kate then shooting himself, saw the C4 soap reach the 8million viewer mark for the first time.
Exit: Music fan Pat left for Dubai after securing a record deal.
FAMILY AFFAIRS: 1997-2005
Character: Pete Callan
Biggest storyline: Soap baddie Pete met his match when he married Eileen, who tried to frame him for arson but accidentally killed someone in the fire.
Pete was acquitted and he helped Eileen dispose of the body before learning she had framed him and going on to seek revenge.
Exit: Killed off when he was shot dead in 2005 in an armed standoff.
HOLBY CITY: 2007 Character: Greg Marsh
DOCTORS: 2008 Character: Rick Steedman
EMMERDALE: 2013 Character: Gil Keane
Biggest storyline: Declan Macey was facing financial ruin unless businessman Gil bought up his properties – but when the deal turned sour, Declan’s sister Megan bore the brunt of his fury.
Exit: Left after pulling out of investing in Declan’s business.
HOLLYOAKS: 2015-2019
Character: Mac Nightingale
David went on to play Mac Nightingale in Hollyoaks
Biggest storyline: Pub boss Mac killed both his son, Nathan, and his fiancée, Neeta in 2017.
Exit: Death by poisoned lasagne at the hands of serial killer Breda McQueen.
