Coronation Street star Gareth Pierce ‘so sad' as he addresses exit of show icon
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Coronation Street is set to say goodbye to a legend in tonight's episode as Eileen Grimshaw (Sue Cleaver) leaves the cobbles behind after 25 years.
When I caught up with Gareth Pierce, who plays Todd Grimshaw in the ITV soap, at the British Soap Awards last weekend, he opened up about Sue's departure, telling me it was 'so sad'.
'We're hugely going to miss Sue,' he admitted. 'She's brilliant. Eileen is such an iconic character.
'But I think she's also a brilliantly equipped actress to see what else is out there. I think it's been a burning desire of Sue's for a while. I think she'll be brilliant in whatever she does.'
Gareth clearly has fond memories of the actress, as he shared how welcoming she was during his audition process.
'Sue's amazing and she really welcomed me in, as well. I screen-tested with Sue as well as with Dan Brocklebank and Peter Ash when I was coming in and that was probably one of the things that got me the job was that they both treated it as we were just filming those scenes by that stage.
'I was so lucky that Sue was so generous that we fell into the mother/son dynamic very easily. That's testament to her as much as anything that I did.'
As well as Eileen's exit, Gareth has promised 'lots to come' for Todd in the coming weeks.
Viewers have seen him find love with Theo Silverton (James Cartwright) this year – though that has come with some obstacles. More Trending
'There's baggage that comes with Theo and that's already becoming apparent,' Gareth pointed out.
'The small matter of being married, the small matter of having two kids. There's been already some obstacles, even prior to finding out about the conversion therapy stuff.
'That's the thing, the stakes are quite high immediately because of what Theo is potentially giving up for the relationship, but also because of what Todd is putting on the relationship as well. The stakes are high for Todd because he actually really wants this one to work. There's lots to come.'
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Will Todd and Theo's relationship work out, or is Todd set for further heartbreak?
MORE: EastEnders confirms end of an era as huge change is confirmed
MORE: Inside Emmerdale star Amelia Flanagan's life with fellow soap actor siblings
MORE: The moment EastEnders wins Best Soap at the British Soap Awards
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Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Coronation Street fans slam Eileen Grimshaw's ‘ridiculous' exit as she waves goodbye to the cobbles after 25 years
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) CORONATION Street fans were left baffled by Eileen Grimshaw's emotional farewell tonight after 25 years. Eileen, played by Sue Cleaver, told her heartbroken boyfriend George she didn't love him anymore before hopping in a cab with son Jason and announcing: 'I'm moving to Thailand.' Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 4 Eileen was greeted to a big treat by the Street Cars drivers Credit: ITV 4 She left behind an emotional George after breaking up with him 4 Eileen declared 'I'm moving to Thailand' A cheery Eileen was waved off outside the Rovers after a few drinks with her Streetcars co-workers Steve and Tim. Eileen was greeted to a big treat by the Street Cars drivers, who beeped as she drove away. George was left in tears, having confronted Eileen with his suspicions that she wasn't attracted to him anymore. George was due to fly to Thailand with Eileen - and fans couldn't believe he'd throw away the money he spent on the ticket. Others slammed the idea of Eileen as a barmaid in Thailand, and moving halfway across the world on a whim. 'It's hilarious how they make moving so simple in soaps… 'She couldn't just up and leave to live permanently in Thailand without the correct visa,' one fan wrote. 'Can't see Eileen as a Thai barmaid,' another added, while a third joked: 'Seems they're giving Eileen a boring, miserable exit!' Long-time viewers also felt the storyline was a letdown compared to Eileen's dramatic past. 'Remember when Eileen got her head stuck in the railings? This has been mostly dull and miserable — which sums up Eileen in recent years,' one fan said. Even George's tearful goodbye was mocked, as one said:'George! You're not a murderer, a liar, thief, womaniser… that's why Eileen isn't interested in you, hon!' She also made the decision to make a fresh start in Thailand after being worn down by being suspected in her sister Julie's tragic death. In Friday's episode, Eileen's mind is turned to leaving the cobbles after hearing Theo's impassioned speech to his daughter Millie. Theo explains to his teenage daughter, that he can't return to live with her mum, his ex, because "it didn't feel right," after realising he was attracted to men and wanted to see where is his relationship with Todd went. George realised how Theo's speech moved Eileen and went to confront her after she'd been at the police who had just cleared her of any wrongdoing in Julie's death. The Sun exclusively revealed in January that she had quit the show after 25 years on the Salford set to look for new acting opportunities. '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,' she explained. One of Sue's major next steps is to become a a regular panellist on Loose Women after first appearing on the daytime panel show in 2023. Sue took a break from Corrie last year to star in Sister Act The Musical as Mother Superior and appeared in reality show I'm A Celebrity in 2022. Last year, Sue released her memoir A Work In Progress and revealed she was embracing being in her 60s.
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Coronation Street fans slam Eileen Grimshaw's ‘ridiculous' exit as she waves goodbye to the cobbles after 25 years
CORONATION Street fans were left baffled by Eileen Grimshaw's emotional farewell tonight after 25 years. Eileen, played by Sue Cleaver, told her heartbroken boyfriend George she didn't love him anymore before hopping in a cab with son Jason and announcing: 'I'm moving to Thailand.' 4 4 4 A cheery Eileen was waved off outside the Rovers after a few drinks with her Streetcars co-workers Steve and Tim. Eileen was greeted to a big treat by the Street Cars drivers, who beeped as she drove away. George was left in tears, having confronted Eileen with his suspicions that she wasn't attracted to him anymore. George was due to fly to Thailand with Eileen - and fans couldn't believe he'd throw away the money he spent on the ticket. Others slammed the idea of Eileen as a barmaid in Thailand, and moving halfway across the world on a whim. 'It's hilarious how they make moving so simple in soaps… 'She couldn't just up and leave to live permanently in Thailand without the correct visa,' one fan wrote. 'Can't see Eileen as a Thai barmaid,' another added, while a third joked: 'Seems they're giving Eileen a boring, miserable exit!' Long-time viewers also felt the storyline was a letdown compared to Eileen's dramatic past. 'Remember when Eileen got her head stuck in the railings? This has been mostly dull and miserable — which sums up Eileen in recent years,' one fan said. Even George's tearful goodbye was mocked, as one said:'George! You're not a murderer, a liar, thief, womaniser… that's why Eileen isn't interested in you, hon!' She also made the decision to make a fresh start in Thailand after being worn down by being suspected in her sister Julie's tragic death. In Friday's episode, Eileen's mind is turned to leaving the cobbles after hearing Theo's impassioned speech to his daughter Millie. Theo explains to his teenage daughter, that he can't return to live with her mum, his ex, because "it didn't feel right," after realising he was attracted to men and wanted to see where is his relationship with Todd went. George realised how Theo's speech moved Eileen and went to confront her after she'd been at the police who had just cleared her of any wrongdoing in Julie's death. The Sun exclusively revealed in January that she had quit the show after 25 years on the Salford set to look for new acting opportunities. '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,' she explained. One of Sue's major next steps is to become a a regular panellist on after first appearing on the daytime panel show in 2023. Sue took a break from Corrie last year to star in Sister Act The Musical as Mother Superior and appeared in reality show I'm A Celebrity in 2022. Last year, Sue released her memoir A Work In Progress and revealed she was embracing being in her 60s. 4
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Coronation Street's Jack P Shepherd reveals 'shock' over soap awards snub as he reflects on his reaction during ceremony
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The 37-year-old, who has played David Platt since he was 12, had high hopes of adding a third gong to his shelf during Saturday night's star-studded event but lost out to Patsy Palmer and her Eastender's character Bianca Jackson Colson said: 'You worked so hard to receive this Best Comedy nomination...' to which Jack replied: 'I have. 'I've been trying for years to get a nod for comedy cos I've never been nominated for it before.' Colson then probed: 'And how are you feeling about the result? Your frenemy...' Jack admitted: 'It was a shock. It was a shock. If you watched it, you will notice that my reaction is genuine. 'I'm completely blown away. I didn't win. I couldn't hide it.' Bursting into fits of laughter, Ben, 53, who plays Jack's onscreen brother Nick Tilsey joked: 'I was sat behind you and I'd gone. 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It culminated with Bianca taking a huge glug from a bottle of brandy for some liquid courage, before declaring the now-iconic line: 'It's only a noony Lauren!' Referencing the hilarious moment, Patsy began her speech: 'Listen I haven't prepared a speech, because I really thought Jack was gonna win. 'To be able to funny in all what of we've seen tonight is nothing short of miracle really. I'd like to thank Shona McGarty for leaving, because if she hadn't have left I wouldn't have come back. 'I wasn't expecting that and I'm so glad I did because then I stayed for the 40th and that was really where we celebrated the women's vagina!' However, Patsy didn't stop there, valiantly continuing on to add: 'I think vaginas have always been funny.' She then changed tone to express her thanks to show and even choked back her tears, as she gushed: 'All jokes aside, coming back to EastEnders after quite some time has been the most amazing experience for me and I'm so grateful. Beyond grateful. 'And I'm not going to cry, so I'm going to go, because it is a comedy award. But you really have no idea what a gift it's been for me to come back.' 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