Coronation Street star Sue Cleaver reveals why she doesn't regret Eileen exit

It's been almost a year and a half since Eileen Grimshaw left Coronation Street, and actor Sue Cleaver is absolutely fine with leaving the character she played for 25 years behind.

The 63-year-old star told OK! that's all about "having fun" now, stating "no" when asked if she regrets leaving.

"It was the time for me. I'm at an age in my life where I'm not looking to just work, work, work. I'm having fun. I've earned it," she said.

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She's not too far removed from the soap, as her husband Brian Owen still works on Corrie.

"My husband's a lighting guy, so I know what's going on every day," she explained. "I'm still in touch with my mates from Corrie, so it doesn't feel very far away."

Cleaver was recently announced for a new stage production of Dinnerladies, the Victoria Wood sitcom that she starred in back in the day, and she regularly presents on BBC Radio Manchester.

Speaking about her new skill, she said: "I learned how to 'drive the desk' at 63 – that's all the techy bits on a radio show – which I'm really impressed with. I'm always looking to challenge myself. I think I'll be an eternal student."

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The star added that she'd love to show women that they still have plenty to offer, even after they've hit "retirement age".

She said: "People lose confidence with age. I think we hold ourselves back out of a false self-belief that we're not good enough.

"But all it takes is getting out of your comfort zone. Don't allow your world to be diminished. You've got more freedom. Make that world bigger, not smaller."

Coronation Street airs on weeknights at 8.30pm on ITV1 and streams on ITVX.

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