Ryan Thomas shares wife's off-screen involvement in Sue Cleaver's Corrie exit
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.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Wales Online
24 minutes ago
- Wales Online
Coronation Street's real-life mum and son appeared on soap and fans 'had no idea'
Coronation Street's real-life mum and son appeared on soap and fans 'had no idea' Coronation Street has seen a number of real-life family members appear on the cobbles over the years - but fans were left stunned after realising two stars are mother and son Coronation Street's real-life mum and son appeared on soap and fans 'had no idea' (Image: PA ) Two stars of Coronation Street share more than just their talent for captivating audiences. The popular ITV soap has a history of featuring real-life family members on its iconic cobbles, including siblings, cousins, and even parent-child duos. Cousins Brooke Vincent and Ellie Leach have both enjoyed successful stints on the show, while the late Rick Neelan (played by Greg Wood) was actually the real-life brother of footballer Tommy Orpington (portrayed by Matt Milburn). However, they're not the only ones with familial ties both on and off screen. Fans were recently taken aback by the revelation of a mother-son duo who graced the soap years ago. Sue played Gloria on the soap (Image: Granada TV ) In 1985, Sue Jenkins joined the cast of Coronation Street as Gloria Todd, becoming a regular face at the Rovers Return pub. She worked alongside Julie Goodyear, who famously played landlady Bet Lynch, reports the Daily Star. Article continues below Beyond her time on Corrie, Sue also portrayed Jackie Corkhill in Brookside from 1992 to 2001, and made a brief appearance in Emmerdale in 2008 as Bonnie Drinkwater. Interestingly, Sue's son is none other than Richard Fleeshman, who also had a role on Coronation Street as Craig Harris. Her real-life son also appeared on the soap Richard became part of the Coronation Street family in 2002, joining as part of the Harris clan, who were under witness protection. His character, Craig, had some significant storylines during his tenure. He adopted a goth lifestyle, much to his father's disapproval, and became Rosie Webster's (portrayed by Helen Flanagan) first boyfriend. The plot thickened dramatically when Craig's sister, Katy Harris, killed their father following a heated argument about her clandestine relationship with Martin Platt. Fans have been left floored (Image: Granada Television ) Their mother, Angela Harris, attempted to protect Katy by covering up the crime, but overwhelmed by guilt, Katy took her own life. In the aftermath, Craig planned to flee to Berlin with Rosie, but ultimately departed alone, bidding farewell to the cobbles in 2006 for good. The revelation of Sue and Richard's roles on Corrie left fans astounded. On X, previously known as Twitter, one viewer posted about Sue's stint on Corrie. Another fan responded: "That's Richard fleeshmans mum!". A third person commented: "Wow, all this time watching and I never knew that, I can see her son in that photo now." Yet another added: "Her real life son played Craig Harris, son of Psycho Tommy!" Article continues below Coronation Street airs Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 8pm on ITV1 and ITVX
Daily Mail
33 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Hailey Bieber mercilessly mocked after debuting latest Rhode beauty accessory
Hailey Bieber 's Rhode Peptide Lip Tint was successful on its own. But when she came out with the Rhode Lip Case in February - a phone case with a built-in holder for the lip tint and other lip gloss - fans swarmed to buy it. It was innovative, smart and it cemented Hailey as not just another celebrity going into business without knowing what they were doing - she was a true beauty entrepreneur. But a new launch in the Rhode line may have damaged those accolades. Along with a new 'Lemontini' Peptide Lip Tint, Hailey debuted a Rhode Belly Chain - a waist chain meant to hold her lip tints - on her Instagram feed. The chain was shown in a series of promotional photos of Hailey that included the starlet in a black tube top and matching shorts. Hailey, 28, captioned the photo dump 'lemontini ballerini' followed by a lemon emoji and martini emoji. But aside from the lip tint itself, fans focused their attention on the 'belly chain.' Waist beads have origins in ancient Egypt and West Africa, while waist chains can be traced to the Indian subcontinent. Many people, knowing this, claimed that Hailey's new product was a form of cultural appropriation. Even aside from that, fans criticized the Rhode belly chain for being an unnecessary (and impractical) cash grab - and made less than complimentary comparisons. 'This and the phone case are stupid as f**k to be honest, at this point she's just trying to sell SUPER unnecessary things, consumerism at its max,' one X (formerly Twitter) user wrote. 'Why would any woman want to wear there lip tint around the waist like that?' another asked. 'The phone case was cute but she's milking this concept now,' one fan wrote. 'It looks like a tampon holder,' shared another. 'Celebrities are crazy. This is the most unnecessary thing ever,' added a fourth. An hour after Hailey posted on her own personal Instagram, the official Rhode account posted a picture of the new lip tint with a caption explaining that the Lemontini Peptide Lip Tint would be the first with a new and improved formula. 'It was so important that we resolve the grainy feel that developed in some lip treats and tints over time,' the caption said. 'We took our time over the past two years by researching, experimenting, and testing to find a solution.' 'Our biggest upgrade was switching the Shea butter from a solid to a liquid form, ensuring it glides on smoothly and maintains a consistently even texture. 'Feels just like the original, with the same skincare benefits and a little more cushion and richness for a comfy application.' The new color featured a $2 price increase from the company's usual price of $18.
Scottish Sun
39 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Former teen pinup looks unrecognisable 30 years after finding fame – but can you guess who it is?
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THIS former teen pinup looks unrecognisable 30 years after finding fame in a VERY famous teen comedy. Now 50, this actor has swapped the big screen for the small one and is still enjoying a very successful career - but can you guess who it is? Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 7 Can you guess who this former teen pinup is? Credit: Instagram/@sistosistosisto 7 Now 50, the actor in question became famous in his 20s Credit: Instagram/@sistosistosisto 7 This actor shot to fame in 1995 teen movie Clueless Credit: Alamy 7 Did you guess the actor is Jeremy Sisto known for playing Elton in Clueless? Credit: Alamy The actor in question is Jeremy Sisto, who shot to fame in the movie Clueless. Released in 1995, the movie star was just 20-years-old when he landed a role in the cult classic teen flick. Appearing alongside movie stars like Alicia Silverstone and the late Brittany Murphy, he played Elton - the obnoxious, arrogant rich kid who hung out with Cher and her friends. The role shot him and the rest of the cast to HUGE stardom, something Jeremy later admitted he struggled with at first. Opening up to Miami Living magazine in 2021, he said: 'It was a weird life for me, because I was 19 when I did it and I was doing these other dark movies that none of them did as well. "And then, a teen comedy when you're in your 20s, for me anyways, was something I was afraid people were laughing at me —as opposed to seeing what I wanted them to see." Continuing, Jeremy told the publication: "So, there was a period where I guess I was afraid if my career hadn't continued —like a lot of actors, it just sorta dries up— that I'd be seen as somebody who had a shot and failed.' However, his feelings about success changed in his 30s and he embraced his Clueless fame. Referring to a very famous scene in the movie, Jeremy said: 'Now, I'll do 'Rollin' with the homies' for anybody. I don't care.' Jeremy also revealed how his family also enjoy his Clueless notoriety. Trailer for the original 1995 film Clueless "One of my daughter's friends refuses to call me anything but Elton," he once told Us Weekly. Since finding fame in his 20s, Jeremy has remained in the spotlight, but tends to focus his career on the small screen - although he did voice King Runeard in Disney's Frozen II. Over the years he has appeared in big TV shows like Six Feet Under, Law and Order, and Suburgatory. Since 2018, he has played Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jubal Valentine in Dick Wolfe's CBS drama, FBI. Away from the limelight, Jeremy is married with kids and shares daughter Charlie, 16, and son Bastian, 13, with wife Addie Lane. 7 Clueless brought Jeremy a huge amount of fame Credit: Alamy 7 The star continues to act and tends to focus on the small screen Credit: Shutterstock Editorial
