Sue Cleaver: no regrets over Coronation Street exit

No looking back for former Corrie star Sue Cleaver

Cleaver, 63, spent 25 years playing the Weatherfield favourite before her departure around 18 months ago. 

In a new interview with OK! magazine, reported by Digital Spy, she said she was enjoying her time away from the demanding routine of a long-running television drama.

When asked directly whether she wished she had stayed, her answer was an emphatic “no”.

“It was the time for me. I'm at an age in my life where I'm not looking to just work, work, work. I'm having fun. I've earned it,” she said.

Her exit has not meant a complete break from the world of Corrie, however. Cleaver's husband, Brian Owen, remains on the production team as a lighting technician, so she still hears about what is happening on set. 

She has also kept in contact with friends she made during her years on the programme.

“My husband's a lighting guy, so I know what's going on every day. I'm still in touch with my mates from Corrie, so it doesn't feel very far away,” she explained.

Cleaver keeps busy with exciting new projects

Away from the cobbles, Cleaver is continuing to build on her career in different directions. 

She is returning to theatre with a new run of Dinnerladies, the Victoria Wood comedy she appeared in previously, while also holding down a presenting role on BBC Radio Manchester.

The broadcasting work has brought its own learning curve. Cleaver has taken on the technical side of radio presenting, including operating the equipment used during a show, something she is particularly pleased to have mastered in her sixties.

“I learned how to 'drive the desk' at 63 – that's all the techy bits on a radio show – which I'm really impressed with. I'm always looking to challenge myself. I think I'll be an eternal student,” she said.