Claire Sweeney revealed how she was mistaken for a cruise ship staff member while filming her new TV drama The Good Ship Murder on a luxe Mediterranean vessel.
The actress, 52, has been a household name for over three decades, first appearing on Brookside as Lindsey Corkhill from 1991 to 2003, before going on to star in numerous West End productions while juggling presenting and reality TV gigs.
Claire, who has played Tyrone Dobb’s long lost mother Cassie Plummer since April on Coronation Street, is set to star as Beverley Carnell on new Channel 5 drama The Good Ship Murder.
The series is set aboard a luxury cruise ship stationed in the Mediterranean, showcasing the glamour, rivalries, wealth and class divides existing within its sprawling cabins, decks and amenities – until a passenger is murdered.
Claire, who plays the vessel’s cabaret boss, was required to wear a full cruise line uniform while filming each episode – which lead to the West End star being hilariously mistaken for a legitimate ship worker.
Playing the part: Claire Sweeney revealed how she was mistaken for a cruise ship staff member while filming her new TV drama The Good Ship Murder on a luxe Mediterranean vessel (stock image)
Uncanny: Claire plays the vessel’s cabaret boss and was required to wear a full cruise line uniform while filming each episode – leading to her being mistaken for a legitimate ship worker
The actress had previously told MailOnline’s Weekend Magazine that each episode of the show was filmed on a real departing cruise every week at Southampton – meaning the crew and cast mingled with travelling passengers while shooting.
She said: ‘Every week we’d dock at Southampton to get a different group of passengers on, so we didn’t have professional extras in the show – we used the passengers, and they loved it.’
Claire told The Daily Star on October 2: ‘When I was in the uniform and I was heading to the buffet, people would ask me for directions or ask me what time certain things were happening on the ship.’
She added: ‘Some of them even complained to me about stuff. It was easier just to answer the questions than to explain that I was filming a drama!’
The TV star revealed that she wanted to maintain a smart appearance after wrapping up filming, saying: ‘When we finished filming, I’d want to take off my high heels and put my flip flops on or loosen my outfit.
‘But I felt like I should stay looking smart because I looked like an officer. I didn’t think I should be seen walking around and carrying my shoes!’
However, when the cameras stopped rolling and Claire settled back into her usual look, she was quickly recognised by fans.
Cobbles to cruise: Claire has played the long lost mother of Tyrone Dobbs, Cassie Plummer, on Coronation Street since April, but is now set to star in The Good Ship Murder
All aboard: The Good Ship Murder sees Shayne Ward plays former detective Jack Grayling, who helps First Officer Kate Woods (Catherine Tyldesley) solve a grisly murder on a cruise ship
Tragic: Tyldesley (pictured: left, in 2016), and Ward (right), played star-crossed couple Eva Price and Aidan Connor on Coronation Street until Aiden tragically committed suicide in 2018
The first episode of the Channel 5 drama is due to air at 9pm on Friday 13th October, and the series will see Claire joining her former Corrie co-stars, Shayne Ward and Catherine Tyledsley, who are reuniting as a dynamic duo on the new show.
After a passenger is murdered on the ship, the vessel’s new cabaret singer, ex police detective Jack Grayling, is enlisted to investigate by First Officer Kate Woods, and both soon find a series of murky mysteries below the cruise’s swish surface.
The detective-turned-singer will be played by singer-turned-actor Shayne Ward, 38, who starred as Aidan Connor in Coronation Street from 2015 to 2018, ten years after winning The X Factor in 2005.
Detective Grayling will be joined by First Officer Kate Woods, played by Catherine Tyldesley, 40, who starred as Eva Price in Coronation Street from 2011 to 2018, playing Ward’s on-screen love interest for three years.
The Good Ship Murder premieres on Channel 5 at 9pm on Friday 13th October.
