ITV Coronation Street’s Sue Cleaver ‘rushed to hospital’ after stunt went wrong on set
Coronation Street star Sue Cleaver has played Eileen Grimshaw on the cobbles for 25 years, and has now given a behind-the-scenes insight into one incident that required a visit to hospital
Coronation Street’s Sue Cleaver has offered fans a glimpse of what really goes on during filming for the hit soap, including a dramatic incident where she ended up in hospital due to a mishap on set.
Having recently announced her impending departure from the much-loved ITV soap, after an impressive two-and-a-half decade tenure, Sue has been sharing some personal recollections from her time as Eileen Grimshaw.
Sue Cleaver has revealed how she was taken to hospital after a stunt on set went wrong (Image: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
Throughout her years on the cobbles, Eileen has endured plenty of high-stakes drama, from heated encounters with fellow Weatherfield favourite Gail Platt (portrayed by Helen Worth) to surviving the menacing clutches of her ex-spouse Pat Phelan (played by Connor McIntyre).
Sue revealed that the show hasn’t always used stunt doubles when it comes to the more risky scenes, leading to the occasional on-set knock for the actors.
She amusingly remembered causing Simon Gregson and Craig Charles a bit of discomfort by forcefully clashing their heads together in one scene.
However, it wasn’t all fun and games as she reminisced during a chat on the Off Script podcast about an incident where she took a serious hit: “Then there was the other one were I got knocked out cold.”
And, explaining how the situation played out, she added: “It was Lesley (Kershaw, played by Judy Holt), Paul (Kershaw, played by Tony Hirst) the fireman’s wife who had Alzheimer’s, and she hit me, she did this upwards punch and we’d done it with the stunt guys.”
Despite having practised the scene with stunt professionals to ensure safety, Sue experienced an unexpected blow: “It should’ve been right but it went a little bit wrong and she actually hit me, and you can hear the sound. I’m out cold on the floor, they used the sound on the show and then they sent me to hospital.”
The altercation between Eileen and Lesley arose when it was revealed that Eileen’s romantic interest, Paul Kershaw, had been secretly involved with Sue’s character, despite his wife’s battle with Alzheimer’s.
More recently, Sue’s character Eileen has been embroiled in more dramatic storylines, supporting her on-screen sister Julie Carp (portrayed by Katy Cavanagh) through her tragic cancer storyline.
While details of how Sue will exit the iconic soap remain under wraps, it has been confirmed that the actress has completed her filming for the show.
Meanwhile, she also shared how she has been considering her Corrie exit for some time, admitting: “I’d been thinking about it for quite a long time. I did the jungle and I did the jungle on purpose just to step out of my comfort zone.”
Fans can look forward to the next episode of Coronation Street airing tomorrow night at 8 pm (May 14).
