Claire Sweeney's love life, money woes and incredible four stone weight loss

Coronation Street star Claire Sweeney has reportedly found love with boxer Ricky Hatton, despite previously stating she was content to stay single until her 80s. The 52 year old actress and the 45 year old sports star kindled their romance during rehearsals for the 2024 series of Dancing On Ice.

According to insiders, Ricky started "wooing Claire" after his early departure from the ITV show. "They've been seeing each other quite a bit. He is completely besotted," a source close to the couple told the Mirror.

As the entertainment world reacts to this unexpected pairing, we delve into Claire's off-screen life before she fell for the boxing champ.

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Claire Sweeney's love life

Claire had a six-year romance with businessman Tony Hibbard, which ended in 2007. Friends claimed at the time that the couple decided to break up following a series of rows.

A source told the Sunday Mirror back then: "It's been really hard for them both, but it's for the best. They've tried to make things work, but just need some space from each other."

Claire became a proud mum at 43 when she gave birth to her son Jaxon in 2014, with her then-fiance Daniel Reilly. However, their relationship ended the following year after their son's birth.

Last year, as she joined the cast of Coronation Street, Claire spoke about her life as a single mother. In an interview with OK magazine, she shared: "I'm open to dating but at the moment I'm so busy with Jaxon and Corrie and everything else. If I met someone amazing then that would be lovely but it's out of my hands."

In a more revealing chat with the Liverpool Echo, Claire emphasised how her son Jaxon, now ten, is always at the forefront of her mind when making personal or professional decisions. The new Corrie star opened up about her life choices, saying: "I'm a single mum and my decisions are not only based on the love of what I do but they're based on stability for me and my son. I'm 52 years of age now.

"Not only is it the best soap, and not only is she a wonderful part but having stability for a while just comes at the right time as well," adding that this role allows her to "Not touring in a musical in a different place every week. I get to have my full weekends with my boy now, which is lovely."

Claire's romantic endeavours have been as tumultuous as her characters' on-screen dramas, with the actress once thinking she'd remain single into her twilight years. On the Mirror's Invite Only podcast, Claire shared that her son is her main focus and provides enough satisfaction to put romance aside for now.

"I'm not dating at the moment, no. I mean, I'm so fulfilled and it's so exciting what I'm doing," she said, elaborating on her contentment. "I get all the love I want off my son, all the attention I want at work, and I'm financially secure. So at the moment, I'm not searching. I've always been very self-sufficient.

"I'm not someone who needs to have a boyfriend. And, look, my grandma met the love of her life when she was 86 he was her 74-year-old toyboy. She married him and at her 100th birthday she said, 'This man's kept me alive with love and laughter.' They laughed every day. And I thought, if I have to wait that long to meet the right person, and make the right choice, so be it."

Claire Sweeney weight loss

Claire spoke out about managing to lose four stone as she took part in gruelling training for Dancing on Ice. The soap actress opened up about her rollercoaster journey with dieting over the years.

Claire was paired up with professional skater Colin Grafton for the ITV show. She reflected on the weight loss, saying: "I looked back to when I used to host 60 Minute Makeover and I didn't realise what good nick my physique was in.

"That was my goal. I had two pictures on my phone. One of me fat and one of how I wanted to look."

The soap star admitted that her initial intentions had been to come home and do even more exercise after skating training, including Pilates. But the regime has been so tough that she admitted she had to skip other exercise.

In 2022, Claire revealed she had put on weight over the lockdown like many of us. She said she "bloody loves eating" but wanted to focus on getting health, adding: "Love being curvy, but wanna feel fitter, stronger and shifting a little bit of timber won’t go amiss lol".

She wrote on Instagram: "Ok so this is mental!!! 6lbs lost in just two days . Goes to show, Don’t rely on the scales. It could be time of day you weigh yourself , how you position them, time of the month, Water retention. All make a difference. I’m gonna use my favourite Jeans as a gauge from now on . No wonder scales can wreck our heads. Favourite jeans and photo diary from now on!"

Claire Sweeney's money woes

Despite being a well-known figure for many years, Claire has faced financial struggles, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic. In March 2022, she revealed that she had sold her holiday home just before the lockdown severely impacted the entertainment industry.

In a frank discussion with The Sunday Times about her finances, when asked directly about her earnings in 2021, she replied: "Under £5,000. Our industry was decimated. Thankfully I'd sold a house in Spain, in 2019, so I was blessed that I could sit it out comfortably.", reports the Mirror. "It was a big house in Mallorca that I'd bought in 2004 for €690,000 (£580,000)."

Sharing her heartache, she added: "It broke my heart to sell but it was in its own grounds, and my little boy didn't want that - he wanted to be with other kids." Claire also disclosed that although she sold the property at a profit, the gains were diminished by taxes in Spain and the UK. She expressed her frustration: "I sold it for €950,000 (£804,000), but I had to pay Spanish taxes and English taxes."