Claire Sweeney biography
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Claire Sweeney filmography

[b]From 'Brookside' to 'Big Brother' to Broadway – well not quite Broadway but certainly London’s West End. Claire Sweeney has gone from running the cobbles of Brookside Close to treading the boards in some of theatre’s finest musicals, with more than a few television appearances in between.[/b]

Sweeney has been singing and dancing since she was 10, when her mother offered her a choice between horse-riding or dance classes. The young Scouser trained at the Elliot Clark Stage School in Liverpool, moving to the Italia Conti Stage School in London when she was 18.

After leaving stage school, Sweeney did a few singing gigs before landing a two-episode turn as Lindsey Corkhill in ‘Brookside’ in 1991. She then spent four years at sea as a cruise ship singer and entertainer.

Sweeney returned to Liverpool and re-joined ‘Brookside’ as the same character, spending the ensuing years being raped, blown up, kidnapped, imprisoned and becoming a lesbian. She has also appeared in ‘Clocking Off’ and ‘Merseybeat’.

Then came the first series of ‘Celebrity Big Brother’ in 2001. Sweeney went into the house a soap actress and emerged a star. Suddenly every aspect of her life was pawed over by the tabloids. Her mother, brother and stepfather (whom she calls Dad) all became tabloid fodder, including the rehashing of her father’s jail time for selling cigarettes procured in France. In fact, Sweeney’s mother advised her not to go into the Big Brother den but Sweeney has since said she did not mind the tabloid raking.

Her likeable personality on 'Big Brother' served her well in the career stakes and she was able to return to her love of theatre. She starred as the man-eating Roxie Hart in the musical ‘Chicago’ and released a self-titled album ‘Claire’ (2002).

She has toured the world with ‘Fosse’ and to show that she’s still a working-class girl with no celebrity snobbery, has also done a few turns in pantomime.

She presented her own daytime lifestyle programme, ‘60 Minute Makeover’, acted in ‘Guys & Dolls’ and in 2008, took up with Su Pollard in ‘Shout!’ celebrating the fashion, fun and music that inspired original girl power in the 1960s. She has released a fitness DVD for Weight Watchers and is the owner of a Rear of the Year award.

Claire Sweeney biography



Supports Everton FC.


Is allergic to horses.


Was the first entertainer to visit British troops in Afghanistan.


After her cruise ship years, Sweeney wrote to the producer of ‘Brookside’ looking for work. The letter arrived the same day they were discussing long-term storylines so they decided it was time to bring back Lindsey Corkhill.

Claire Sweeney biography




Claire Sweeney biography



2002 – Claire
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