Long-time Coronation Street fans have been left gobsmacked after realising that actress Sue Cleaver was once married to one of her fellow soap stars — and they had no idea.
Sue, best known for her iconic role as Eileen Grimshaw since 2000, has been a beloved fixture on the cobbles for nearly 25 years. But it’s her real-life romance that’s now sending shockwaves through the fandom.
It turns out that Sue was married to actor James Quinn from 1993 to 2003 — a familiar face on the show who has played multiple characters over the years, including Detective Sergeant Willets. Their relationship, which lasted a decade, had somehow flown under the radar of even the most die-hard Corrie viewers.
James, who first appeared on the soap in 1989, most recently portrayed DS Willets between 2013 and 2021, including during the dramatic Pat Phelan storyline that had Eileen — Sue’s character — at the very centre.
After their split, Sue and James managed to remain on good terms. In fact, they even shared the stage again in 2009 for a play called Marriages Made in Heaven. Reflecting on the reunion, James once joked: “It’s funny doing this with Sue. We haven’t acted together since we first met in a play back in 1991.”
The revelation resurfaced when a recent rerun of Coronation Street featured James on-screen — prompting fan pages to erupt. “Did anyone else know that Sue Cleaver used to be married to that policeman from Corrie?!” one viewer posted. Others chimed in with comments like “No way!” and “I had absolutely no idea.”
While Sue has since moved on and is now married to ITV lighting technician Brian Owen, the discovery of her past with James has left fans reeling.
