‘I dropped like a stone, out cold’

Sue Cleaver previously shared a shocking incident from her time on set on Coronation Street.

The actress shot to fame playing Eileen Grimshaw on the ITV soap. In 2025, though, Sue – who is on a repeat of James Martin’s Saturday Morning today (July 12) – quit the show after 25 years – with her exit scenes airing in June.

And in her 2024 memoir, Loose Women panelist Sue recalled some behind-the-scenes antics from her soap days – including a time when she was knocked out cold by a co-star…


The TV star recalled an unfortunate incident on set (Credit: ITV)

Sue Cleaver on filming fight scene on Coronation Street

Sue appeared on Coronation Street for 25 years as feisty Eileen. And over the years, it’s safe to say the character had her fair share of scraps in the street. But it turns out that one previous on-screen fight ended up with Sue being knocked out cold and rushed to hospital.

The I’m A Celebrity… star was filming an on-screen fight in 2012 with Judy Holt, who played Lesley, the wife of Eileen’s firefighter boyfriend Paul Kershaw. But things soon went awry – much to Sue’s shock.

I dropped like a stone, out cold.

“We had a stunt advisor and had spent some time practising our manoeuvres but unfortunately during a take Judy got a bit carried away and an upward punch made contact with my face,” Sue shared in her memoir, A Work In Progress.

The Loose Women star added: “I don’t remember anything else but apparently I dropped like a stone, out cold.”

Sue was then rushed to hospital to be checked over and fortunately she received the all-clear to return to Coronation Street.

“They used the sound of the real punch, so it wasn’t all for nothing!” she quipped.


Sue said goodbye to the cobbles earlier this year (Credit: ITV)

Sue on why she quit Corrie

Sue’s exit from Coronation Street no doubt left plenty of soap fans gutted. In June, she revealed why she decided that it was the right time to leave the show.

She shared on Loose Women: “I’m now 61 and I feel I’m now at a stage in my life, like most mums we have responsibilities, we have other things we have to consider [and] we’re bringing up our families – and I’ve got to the stage, my son is grown up now, he’s 29, I have no responsibilities left and I want to do something new. I want this decade to be about me.

“I really want to empower other women. Society at this point wants us all to shuffle off, don’t they. Just go away quietly, ‘You’ve had your days.’

“No, this is my decade. I’m more excited about this decade, hopefully you know, as long as I remain well, that this is going to be the most exciting decade for me. I’m really excited.”