Fans said an emotional goodbye to Eileen Grimshaw
Coronation Street fans have “rumbled” another star who could be exiting the soap. Viewers said an emotional goodbye to Sue Cleaver after over two decades in the role of Eileen Grimshaw on the ITV soap.
Viewers were heartbroken when Eileen ended her relationship with George Shuttleworth (Tony Maudsley), after recently rejecting his marriage proposal.
Eager to escape her life in Weatherfield after her sister Julie Carp’s death, Eileen was ready for a fresh start. Following the surprise return of her son Jason, Eileen decided to go back to Thailand with him and work in a bar.
During Friday’s broadcast of the ITV soap, Eileen had a revelation that she didn’t need to spend the rest of her life working at Street Cars. She told Steve and Tim: “I don’t have to do this, work in this pit.”
Eileen realised: “I don’t have to come back at all.” She added: “I could invest Julie’s money in the bar and island hop.” Later in the episode, she broke the news to her friends and family that she had decided to move away for good.
In an emotional farewell at the Rover’s, Eileen said her goodbyes to residents of Weatherfield while George was heartbroken. Fans were in tears as George told Eileen he still loved her, but she still “broke his heart.”
George opened up to his sister Glenda: “How do you fight if there’s only one person fighting for it? You can’t talk someone into loving you.”
Taking to social media, one fan said: “Glenda comforting George. HEARTBREAKING!” Another added: “Ohhhh poor George! How’s he going to cope without his Eyelash?!”
The Kirkby actor first appeared in Weatherfield in 2020 and quickly became one of Coronation Street’s most important characters. With George feeling lost without his other half, fans are convinced the character may also be depart the cobbles.
Tony Maudsley is known for his portrayal of hairdresser Kenneth Du Beke in the ITV sitcom Benidorm. One fan said: “I reckon George is going back to Benidorm now.”
More Corrie fans joked: “Go back to Benidorm George you were happy there” and “I’m surprised he didn’t offer to take her to the Hotel Solana in Benidorm.”
Playing George isn’t Tony’s first foray on the Cobbles. In an interview with Lorraine Kelly, when he re-joined the show in 2020, he said: “Corrie was my very first job out of drama school so I’ve kind of come full circle 30 years later. I did a scene with Roy Barraclough, so here I am back 30 years later.”
Away from the screen, Tony regularly shares updates from his exciting career in showbiz with his 50,700 Instagram followers. Fans were amazed when Tony recently revealed his little known role as Grawp in Harry Potter and The Order of The Phoenix.
Coronation Street airs Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 8pm on ITV. Episodes are released on ITVX at 7am.
