Coronation Street Eileen Grimshaw’s exit storyline ‘revealed’

After Sue Cleaver announced she would be leaving her role as Eileen Grimshaw in Coronation Street, fans have been abuzz with speculation on how the character will make her exit.

Having portrayed Eileen for a staggering 25 years, Sue is now ready to say goodbye to the soap. Throughout her tenure, Sue’s portrayal of Eileen saw her involved in some of the programme’s most explosive storylines.

From her ill-fated marriage to the villainous Pat Phelan, played by Connor McIntyre, to her memorable clashes with rival Gail Platt, acted by Helen Worth – her time in Weatherfield has not been short of drama.

Sue has confirmed she’ll be stepping away from the role, but viewers can expect to see Eileen causing drama on screen until late spring. Additionally, there’s some good news for fans of the character, as it’s been made clear that Eileen will not meet her demise which means she could one day return to Weatherfield.

The revelation of Sue’s departure from the show was met with sadness from fans, sparking debate over how Eileen’s journey on the cobbled streets will end. Discussions have spread across social media, including on a Coronation Street fan page on Facebook, where reactions to Sues end on the Street were diverse.

One viewer commented on Eileens recent lack of central storylines: “She’s more just of a background character now, Eileen’s not had a storyline in years. Still gutted though.”, reports Lancs Live.

Another fan speculated about her potential exit plot: “I think she will split up with George and go live with Jason in Thailand.” Agreeing with the speculation, a second fan remarked: “I’ve been thinking for a while that they will split up.” While a third said: “Same but I hope George doesn’t leave as well!”

Viewers of the hit soap are aware that Eileen is currently romancing George Shuttleworth, portrayed by Tony Maudsley. Meanwhile, her son Jason, played by Ryan Thomas, hasn’t graced the cobbles since 2016 when he departed Weatherfield after 16 years to start afresh abroad.

In discussing her departure from Coronation Street, Sue Cleaver, who plays Eileen, confided in The Sun on Sunday: “I’ve had 25 privileged years of working on Coronation Street.”

To further her point, she added: “The door is still firmly open but as I reached my 60th year, I decided it was time to embrace change, look for new adventures and live fearlessly.”

A source also disclosed to the publication that although Sue has deeply valued her tenure on the show, she believes now is the appropriate moment to explore different opportunities.

Coronation Street airs Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 8pm on ITV1 and ITVX