Ryan Thomas shares wife's off-screen involvement in Sue Cleaver's Corrie exit
Ryan Thomas spent 16 years on the Corrie set with his mum Eileen, played by Sue Cleaver - so when she finally called it a day on the ITV soap, he was there to send her off
Corrie star Ryan Thomas has given his wife Lucy Mecklenburgh a tour around his on-screen childhood home, as he paid tribute to his TV mum Eileen after Sue Cleaver's emotional departure from the soap. Ryan, 40, shares two children with TOWIE star Lucy Meck, but he had already left the show by the time they got together.
Ryan spent his teenage years in Weatherfield, having joined the Manchester-based ITV soap in 2000. He stayed until 2016, when his character, builder Jason Grimshaw left the cobbles after being manipulated by his mum Eileen's partner Pat Phelan.
But Jason wasn't killed off, and instead emigrated to Thailand, with his mum Eileen mentioning him often on the soap. And with Sue Cleaver finally leaving Corrie for good, he took the opportunity to show Lucy, 33, around the set.
Sharing a video on Instagram of Lucy walking through the Grimshaws' living room, he wrote: "I was never with @lucymeck while I was in the show so it was nice to finally show my superfan where I grew up."
Another clip showed Sue being given a round of applause, before hugging her on-screen sons Jason and Todd, who was played by Bruno Langley originally, and then Gareth Pierce since 2017. Ryan wrote: "Haven't seen it yet but Eileen/mother departed Weatherfield tonight, gone but never forgotten.
"It has been an honour to watch, learn and act alongside you one last time. Can't wait to watch you shine in your next chapter. Love you always."
Sue confirmed rumours that Ryan would be returning to the Cobbles for her send off. Speaking on soap podcast Off Script, she said: "I rang Ryan Thomas and I said, 'Ryan, I've not told work yet but I'm gonna leave. Would you come back? I'd really like you to take me out'.
"He said, 'I wasn't planning to but I can't refuse that can I'. It just felt really right that he was there. It was lovely having him there. He's not changed at all."
Following her final episode on Friday night, Sue's character Eileen was seen leaving for a new life in Thailand, alongside her son Jason. Simon Gregson's character Steve McDonald, Tony Maudsley's George Shuttleworth, and Eileen's son Todd, played by Gareth Pierce, all said goodbye to the matriarch before drivers from the local taxi firm honked their horns as she was driven off.
In an Instagram post, Cleaver said: 'Well… that's a wrap. 25 years of laughs, tears, costumes, chaos — and one unforgettable journey. I'll miss this character like crazy, but what a ride it's been. Thank you for every moment.'
Sue has played outspoken Eileen in the ITV show since 2000, who started her life in Weatherfield working on the phones at local taxi firm Streetcars. She arrived with her tearaway teenagers Jason and Todd, and became friends with her boss Steve.
Sue came third on I'm A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! in 2022, where she opened up about reconciling with her birth mother. She also revealed how her family is 'bizarrely interconnected' to other Coronation Street stars, including Helen Worth (who plays Gail Platt) who is godmother to one of her half-sisters.
Meanwhile, her other half-sister's husband, John Bowe, appeared on the cobbles as Duggie Ferguson. In 2024, Sue released a book A Work In Progress in which she discusses how she feels she is not past her prime, and has been a panellist on ITV daytime chat show Loose Women.
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