ITV Corrie's Claire Sweeney concerned over backlash as dark Ken Barlow plot confirmed

Coronation Street fans were floored this week when Cassie Plumber (Claire Sweeney) was spotted lacing Ken Barlow's (Bill Roache) tea with crushed tablets. Things are set to take another dramatic turn during Wednesday's (November 20) episode when the pensioner is rushed to hospital. Is Cassie about to be found out and why is she drugging the man she is supposed to be caring for?

Actress Claire Sweeney has opened up on her character Cassie’s shocking behaviour and how she fears the public backlash to her character trying to poison a "national treasure". Opening up about hearing about the storyline for the first time, the TV star admitted: "I was shocked, it's Ken Barlow, he' a national treasure. I'm going to be Public Enemy No 1! I think viewers are going to hate her.

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"The funny thing is that they've just started to like her – they were finally warming to her – and then this happens. In my head, playing her, I'm trying to find saving graces, but I don’t know if there will be any.

I'm a Corrie fan and I'd be fuming watching this. Already in the summer when I went on holiday to Majorca all the old dears were saying to me: 'You leave Ken alone', 'Don’t you be upsetting Ken now.' And that was before I’d done anything!"

Claire made her debut as the wayward daughter of Evelyn Plummer (Maureen Lipman) and mother of Tyronne Dobbs (Alan Halsall) last year and she's admitted that her latest storyline has made her think whether her time on the cobbles is coming to an exit already.

She explained: "It does cross your mind. When I got this job, if you'd have told me that a year and a half later, I’d be here having a big storyline with Bill Roache, I'd have been so grateful for that.

"In my time in Corrie, I’ve had big scenes with Maureen Lipman, a big storyline with Bill Roache, I’ve got to snog Steve McDonald [Simon Gregson] and have a cat fight with Tracy [Kate Ford] What more could I want? So, if this does signal the end, I'd go – well hasn’t that been great, I've been blessed."

Coronation Street is on ITV at 8pm Monday, Wednesday and Friday and available to stream from 7am on ITVX

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