Coronation Street legend Sue Cleaver has confirmed her return to TV, just over a year since she was seen leaving the famous cobbles after 25 years as Eileen Grimshaw
Coronation Street icon Sue Cleaver has announced her imminent return to television, just over a year after she bid farewell to the renowned cobbles following a 25-year stint.
In January 2025, the actress revealed that she would be exiting the ITV soap, where she had gained fame for her portrayal of Eileen Grimshaw for a quarter of a century. At the time, Sue, who featured on I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here in 2022, confessed that she left the long-standing Salford-based show on her own terms and had actually made the decision years prior.
Sue’s final scenes were broadcast on June 6, 2025, as viewers saw Eileen abandon Weatherfield for Thailand after receiving an offer to invest in a bar with her son, Jason, who briefly returned to the cobbles to visit his mum, reports the Manchester Evening News.
Following the passing of her sister Julie Carp, Eileen was probed about her feelings regarding her relationship with George Shuttleworth, played by Tony Maudsley. She also faced a dilemma when her son, Jason, portrayed by Ryan Thomas, invited her to relocate to Thailand to invest in his bar.
Initially, she intended to accompany George, but after discussing their relationship and realising it was one-sided, she set off for Thailand alone and has reportedly been relishing her new life ever since.
A year on from her Corrie exit, Sue has announced her return to the telly. On Thursday (July 30), the former soap actress took to social media to reveal she’ll be braving the heat in the Celebrity MasterChef kitchen.
She posted a cheerful promo photo of herself donning her MasterChef apron and captioned it on Instagram: “Coming soon to BBC,” which quickly drew responses from her thrilled friends and followers.
Emmerdale’s Lisa Riley commented: “Yes Sue. This is ace.”
BBC Radio 1’s Melvin Odoom responded: “Looking good Sue.”
Manchester chef and past MasterChef winner Simon Wood remarked: “YEAAASSSS Sue! ! ! ! !” @joe_connor1234 posted: “Can’t wait!” @francescajordan chimed in: “Ahhhhhh sue! How exciting. I’ll be watching.”
Celebrity MasterChef is set to return to BBC One and BBC iPlayer for its 21st series this year, though a date is yet to be confirmed. The celebrities participating in the competition are being unveiled, with Sue slated to compete in week three, facing off against DJ Melvin, Paralympic athlete Lauren Steadman, YouTuber and Comedian Max Fosh, and singer Una Healy.
Other stars confirmed for the series include Love Island’s Shakira Khan, comedy icon Joe Pasquale and The Wanted’s Jay McGuinness. Comedian and actress Donna Preston, Emily Steel, also known as Gladiator ‘Dynamite’, former EastEnders actor Nitin Ganatra and content creator Tom Simons have also been announced.
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