Coronation Street legend’s teenage pregnancy after falling for man twice her age

Coronation Street star Sue Cleaver revealed she had an abortion age 17 after getting pregnant by a man twice her age.

The Eileen Grimshaw actress, 61, recalled the ordeal in a new interview ahead of the publication of her memoir A Work in Progress.

The I’m A Celeb star told how she became promiscuous and had one night stands when she was growing up as she looked for love and validation ‘in all the wrong places’.

She explained that at age 16, she ran off with a sailor and lived in a bedsit and at 17 she found herself pregnant after falling for a 35-year-old man.

‘I looked for love and validation and acceptance in all the wrong places and my first sexual encounters were with somebody who was four or five years older than me,’ she told  The Mirror.

Of her pregnancy she added: ‘Again, that was somebody who was way older than me and took advantage. Now it’s appalling to think of myself at that young age in that situation with men who should know better.’

Previously, Sue was married to actor James Quinn from 1993 to 2003, who she met in 1991.

Fans might recognise James from roles in soaps including Corrie (as D.S. Willetts), Emmerdale, Hollyoaks, and Doctors, as well as TV series Early Doors and 2017 film Apostasy.

Sue is now married to Brian Owen, a lighting technician for ITV.

Sue’s character Eileen has been absent from screens since June after the actress took an extended break from the ITV soap to star as Mother Superior in a touring production of Sister Act.

Her temporary exit came as Eileen received horrifying news about son Jason Grimshaw (Ryan Thomas) after he was injured in a motorbike accident and she jetted off to look after him.

There was an update during Wednesday’s episode, however, that could pave the way for Eileen to finally return home.

One scene saw her boyfriend George Shuttleworth (Tony Maudsley) tell her son Todd Grimshaw (Gareth Pierce) that Jason was finally on the mend and had recovered quicker than expected.

Sue’s appearance in Sister Act marked her first stage role in 30 years.

She has since finished in the show and has been replaced by former Corrie co-star Wendy Peters, better known as Cilla Battersby.

The actress, who joined the cast of Corrie in 2000, has also become a regular on the Loose Women panel.

Sue also took a break from the soap in 2022 when she entered the I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! jungle.