CLAIRE Sweeney has quit Coronation Street after three years.

The actress – who has played Cassie Plummer in the ITV soap since 2023 – is bowing out after landing a theatre role she has always wanted to play.

Actress Claire will join the UK tour of Annie to play Miss Hannigan this summer.

A Coronation Street spokeswoman confirmed the news to The Sun saying: “We wish Claire every success playing Miss Hannigan and congratulate her on being offered a role she has long wanted to play.

“Cassie will be on the cobbles until the summer during which time she will continue to make her presence felt in Weatherfield leading up to a great exit storyline.”

The Sun understands that Claire told bosses last year of her intention to leave after landing the role.

A source said: “Claire loves Corrie but she’s always wanted to play Miss Hannigan.

“At first it was hoped she could do both but the extensive tour just made that impossible so she made the difficult decision to leave.

“She told bosses early enough that they were able to create an exciting and explosive exit storyline for her.”

Claire previously praised Corrie for putting her back on TV and into people’s minds.

Speaking last year she said: “I’ve done brilliant things in my life and in my career, and I’m grateful and thankful.’

“But when I got into Corrie at the age of 52, it was a lovely, lovely surprise and a real turning point for me.

“When I was younger, I wouldn’t think, ‘This is fabulous.’ It would be, ‘What’s next?’

“But with Corrie, I’m so appreciating it and I’m staying in the moment.”

Claire will film up until the summer before she joins the touring production in July.

She will appear as Miss Hannigan from 7 July for a series of tour stops in Cardiff, Milton Keynes, Blackpool, Newcastle, Dublin, Bristol, Nottingham, Hull, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Truro, Cheltenham, Stoke, Crawley, Belfast, Aberdeen, Woking, Bradford, Oxford, Sunderland, Southampton, Norwich, Wolverhampton, Sheffield, Glasgow and Leicester.