Claire Sweeny
Claire Sweeney plays Cassie Plummer on the soap (Picture: ITV)

Coronation Street star Claire Sweeney said she is struggling after opening up about a painful health condition she’s living with.

The Cassie Plummer actress, 53, recently revealed that she was suffering from Peri-oral dermatitis.

A condition that mainly affects women between the ages of 20 and 50 and causes persistent redness or small bumps called papules, according to the British Association of Dermatologists, and the exact cause is not fully understood. There are treatments available, but it can recur.  

In her latest Instagram Story, the soap actress said she went for a food intolerance test and the results suggested she could cut out cow’s milk from her diet

‘I’ve come into Corrie. I’ve got one scene to do. I’m struggling not having milk,’ she said.

‘I love my cup of tea. I’ve got a routine. I come into work, go down the stairs, have a frothy coffee and I absolutely love it. I’m missing milk.’

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She added: ‘I got the testing done yesterday and it said avoid cow’s milk. I just can’t get into it. I tried the coconut, I tried the almond and it just feels a bit heavy. So I’m missing my cup of tea, I love my morning coffee. I’m going to try and stick with it to see how I get on.’

In more recent years, Claire has joined the cast of Corrie as Tyrone Dobbs’ estranged mum Cassie.

She’s also starred in Channel 5 drama The Good Ship Murder alongside fellow soap stars Shayne Ward and Catherine Tyldesley, as well as the latest series of Dancing On Ice – where a romance blossomed with boxing legend Ricky Hatton.

Recently she was full of nostalgia as she turned back the clocks and revisited the houses which kickstarted her household name status.

Sharing a series of videos and pictures on Instagram of Brookside Close, Claire said: ‘So I just came out for a drive with my mum, and I’m driving to West Derby and so I decided to swing by here.’

‘Look where I am!’ she enthused, continuing: ‘Look at that. Brookside Close. It must be about 7 years of my life I spent driving down here.’

Pointing out some of the buildings, she added: ‘That used to be the editing suites in front there, that was the canteen.’

Outside of No. 10 she said: ‘This was my house here, the Corkhills. Where the body was buried in the back’, referencing the time abusive husband Trevor Jordache (Bryan Murray) was stabbed by his wife Mandy (Sandra Maitland) and buried in bin liners under the patio.

‘Oh my god, the scenes I’ve done on this front doorstep. Feels really nostalgic. This was the Dixons over there, the history of this place. I just can’t believe it.’

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