Coronation Street's Claire Sweeney issues apology to very famous co-star she 'underrated'

Hollywood legend Patrick Swayze made his West End debut in 2006 when he took on the role of chronic gambler Nathan Detroit in the stage revival of Frank Loesser's smash-hit musical Guys and Dolls.

Playing opposite him as romantic lead Miss Adelaide was a thrilled Claire Sweeney: "I got to snog Swayze every night," she fondly remembered on the Speakmans' Hope Clinic podcast.

However, when she and Patrick first began rehearsals Claire, who was then enjoying success following appearances in the the first series of both Celebrity Big Brother and Strictly Come Dancing, hadn't grasped just how hugely famous her co-star truly was.

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Claire remembered: "I was not a fan. I was not into him in Dirty Dancing and all that. I preferred Ray Winstone and people like that. He was not for me."

She revealed that Patrick appeared "nervous" and was consistently hesitant to venture outside the rehearsal studio during breaks.

Eventually, Claire decided she'd had enough and compelled him to join her for a lunch outing: "I took him to the local pub. Then I took him for a sushi. I went, come on, we're going out to stop all this behaviour."

Claire explained that she had presumed Patrick believed he was more celebrated than he truly was, but then, on the production's opening night, she finally grasped why her co-star was so cautious about being spotted in public. Claire reminisced: "There were riot police in the street, I'll never forget it, outside the Piccadilly Theatre, the whole street was like The Beatles were there.

"It was full of people screaming, couldn't get a ticket for the show. And I was like, ah, okay, yeah, he's a big star. Sorry, Patrick, I underrated you there."

The Piccadilly Theatre revival had been a particularly star-studded production, with the likes of Neil Morrissey and Miami Vice star Don Johnson also appearing as Nathan Detroit at various points, while Claire followed Sarah Lancashire and Sally Ann Triplett as Adelaide.

Claire has not only kept busy on stage, appearing shows such as Hairspray and Legally Blonde, as well as writing her own theatre production Sex and the Suburbs, but she's maintained a steady presence on our screens too.

In April 2023, the former Brookside star went back to her soap roots when joined the cast of Coronation Street as Cassandra Plummer.

She's not afraid of a little reality competition either, following up her Let's Dance for Comic Relief and Strictly appearances with a stint in the sixteenth series of Dancing on Ice.

Patrick's career was cut short when he died of pancreatic cancer in 2009 at the age of just 57.

Claire Sweeney appears on Countdown on Channel 4 at 2.10pm this afternoon (Friday, July 25).