Coronation Street star Sue Cleaver, who was adopted at just 10 days old, has a real-life story that could rival any plot on the famous cobbles of the long-running soap.
In 1986, when she was 23, Sue landed a minor role in the play Oedipus at Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre. However, her co-star Michael N Harbour was taken aback when he first saw her, exclaiming to the stage manager: “Oh my God, she’s the spitting image of my wife when I met her.”
Despite their significant age difference, Sue and 41-year-old Michael quickly became close friends. In her revealing new memoir A Work in Progress, Sue writes: “I was completely obsessed with him and fascinated by his stories about his family, I wasn’t sure why.”
During a Sunday lunch gathering with the cast, Michael teased Sue about her Northern accent before asking about her birthplace and date of birth. When she revealed that she was actually born in Barnet, Greater London, not the North, and that her birthday was September 2, 1963, Michael immediately phoned his wife Lesley, declaring: “I’ve found her.”
As it transpired, Sue’s biological mother Lesley Sizer Grieve had given her up for adoption as a 17-year-old single mother, five years prior to meeting Michael, reports the Mirror.
Sue, originally named Claire Grieve at birth, was adopted by a young couple, Fred and John Cleaver, and grew up with their five-year-old son Paul. Lesley and Michael later had two daughters who were unaware of their half-sister’s existence.
However, Michael recognised the striking resemblance between his wife and Sue, and the matching dates confirmed his suspicion.
Michael revealed to Sue that she was his wife’s daughter and arranged for her to meet Lesley in a hotel. Sue, widely recognised as Coronation Street‘s spirited cab switchboard operator Eileen Grimshaw, recalls: “The walk to the door felt like it went on forever. I felt such a mixture of anticipation, excitement, fear and adrenaline. We embraced and just talked and talked until 5am.”
“It was almost like a love story. The first two weeks were very heady; we had to be around each other, we had to call each other. She never ever felt like my mum. My Mum who brought me up is [my] mum. But there was a definite attachment.”
Unfortunately, Lesley passed away at the beginning of the pandemic, but Sue adds: “I’ve got two lovely half-sisters. I’m close to them and I see Kate, the youngest one, quite a bit. My Mum and Dad were so welcoming; Lesley came to my father’s funeral. It’s very much like [we’re] part of a bigger family; it’s been lovely.”
Sue, now a sprightly 61, has become a stalwart of Coronation Street, having first graced the cobbles nearly a quarter of a century ago. In a stunning revelation, it turns out her fellow Corrie celebrity, Helen Worth, best known as Gail Platt, shared a flat with Lesley in the past.
Sue reveals, “She knew that Lesley had this child [she’d given up],” and adds an intriguing familial connection: “And Helen is Godmother to one of my half-sisters! “.
Also recognised for her role on ITV’s daytime programme Loose Women, Sue credits the shock discovery for not casting a shadow over her bond with her family, including her parents and brother Paul.
The release of her evocative memoir, scheduled for Thursday, includes her heartfelt reflection: “I’ve only ever had one mum and she was so warm and generous. There was no jealousy; she welcomed Lesley with open arms and told her she could visit anytime.”
