I’m A Celebrity star Sue Cleaver has swapped the cobbles of Coronation Street for the ITV camp in Australia as she makes her play to be Queen of the Jungle.
Sue, who plays Eileen Grimshaw in the long-running soap, has had some advice from her co-stars who have taken part in I’m A Celebrity before her.
And she’s all fired up and ready to go.
Here’s everything you need to know about I’m A Celebrity star Sue Cleaver…
How old is Sue Cleaver? What is the I’m A Celebrity star’s age?
The lovely Sue was born on September 2, 1963, in Watford, Hertfordshire.
This makes her 59.
And her age is the reason she said she signed up to take part.
Speaking to ITV, Sue said: “I have just turned 59 and so I decided for my 59th, I was going to shake things up a bit.
“I realised I needed something that would challenge me and I thought this show would be good – and so that’s why I am doing it.”
How tall is Sue Cleaver?
Sue stands at 5ft 10in tall.
When did Eileen Grimshaw join Coronation Street?
Sue joined the cast of Coronation Street at Eileen Grimshaw in 2000.
This means she’s been on the soap for 22 years.
However, she originally only intended to stay a year.
She’s previously said: “I originally said I’d stay about a year, but the place is so seductive.
“Everybody knows an Eileen. She’s every woman, she’s down to earth, level-headed and loyal.
“She’s a great friend, but crap at everything else,” Sue laughed.
The character has been written out of the soap whilst Sue’s in Australia, but fans are yet to know how Eileen will leave the cobbles.
What did Sue Cleaver do before Coronation Street?
Before Corrie, Sue was best known for her two-year stint in Victoria Wood’s Dinnerladies.
She played Glenda, a character who delivered bakes goods, on the show which run from 1998 to 2000.
Sue studied at the Manchester Metropolitan School of Theatre and her first television appearance was a small part in an episode of A Touch of Frost.
She went on to star in the acclaimed drama series Band of Gold before landing a role in the film Girls’ Night alongside Julie Walters and Brenda Blethyn.
In the late 1990s she had recurring roles as Standish in The Cops. She also had a small part in the Johnny Depp and Cate Blanchett film The Man Who Cried.
Away from acting, Sue is a trainee psychotherapist.
She previously told Soaplife: “I am qualified to take clients and have another 18 months to go before I can finish my four-year course in Analysis Psychotherapy at the Manchester Institute for Psychotherapy.
“It’s hard work fitting it in with Corrie, but I love it,” she said.
Sue Cleaver on I’m A Celebrity
The Corrie actress said she’s got some tips from Simon Gregson and Jennie McAlpine, who have previously been on I’m A Celebrity.
“They seemed to think I will have an absolute ball. They have told me I will love it and have a great time,” Sue said.
“It is very positive and I am going there feeling excited,” she revealed.
However, Sue is worried that the British public will like here character Eileen more than they like the actress herself.
“I do keep my life private and I am very happy with my home life. Viewers are going to see a different person to the person they think I am! I am very different.
“That can be worrying. They might decide they don’t like me as much as Eileen!”
Sue wouldn’t reveal what she’s most scared of, telling ITV “don’t be ridiculous” – clearly fearing she’d then be forced to face her fears in a Bushtucker Trial.
“I am going in with an open mind. Nothing is going to kill us and I am not going to wind myself up, trying to overthink everything.
“I don’t know how I will behave and I am going to let the experience unfold in front of my eyes,” she said.
‘They’re really proud’
Sue added that her husband and son will be flying out to meet her when she’s booted out of camp.
“My family are really proud. We have got three grandkids watching and one that will arrive a couple of days before I fly to Australia. I might not see the baby by the time I have gone but that is going to spur me on, thinking everyone at home will be watching.
“I am very much a homebody and I am wrapped up with my family and that is going to be the biggest pull for me, but my husband and son are going to be flying out to Australia to meet me,” she added.
Is Sue Cleaver married or in a relationship? When did she marry husband Brian Owen?
Sue is married to husband Brian Owen, a television lighting technician who she met while they were both working on Coronation Street.
However, scandal surrounded the pair getting together because Sue and Brian were both married to other people when they met.
They both left their marriages to be together but it’s unclear when they tied the knot.
Sue released a statement at the time and said: “This has been a difficult time for everybody, but Brian and I are committed to a future together.”
Indeed, the pair are happily married and live with their adorable crossbreed dog George Paws.
Who is her ex-husband?
Sue was married to fellow actor James Quinn from 1993 until their divorce in 2003.
He’s a familiar face on British TV screens having starred in many shows including both Corrie and Emmerdale.
After 10 years of marriage, the couple decided to divorce, after Sue fell in love with Brian Owen.
The couple have one son together, Elliot, who was five years old when they split.
However, despite the fact that their relationship ended, they are still on good terms.
In fact, James has worked on Corrie during Sue’s time on the soap.
Sue Cleaver and son Elliot
As Sue said, she is pretty private about her personal life.
But she does have a son, Elliot Quinn, with ex-husband James.
Elliot is thought to be 24 years old.
Not much is known about him, but he has appeared with him mum on the red carpet of several awards shows over the years.
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How many grandchildren does I’m A Celebrity star Sue Cleaver have?
Sue is a proud grandmother to four gorgeous grandchildren.
She posted an adorable picture of her newest arrival on Instagram, just days before she headed Down Under to take part in I’m A Celebrity.
Was Sue Cleaver in Phoenix Nights?
No.
Sue’s had a long and varied acting career, but she’s never appeared in Peter Kay show Phoenix Nights.
How did Sue Cleaver lose weight? How much weight has she lost?
In early 2019, Sue revealed she had lost an impressive three stone.
The Coronation Street actress lost the weight gradually after deciding to become a healthier person for her husband and her son.
She also suffers from Type 2 Diabetes, which is often linked to being overweight or inactive.
Woman magazine reported at the time that the soap actress underwent a complete overhaul of her diet and adopted a new health and fitness regime.
A source told the publication: “Sue was always a self-confessed foodie, who admitted that over-indulgence was her Achilles Heel. Now everything’s changed.
“Sue’s in her mid-fifties, so it was a no-brainer that cutting down on certain things was what she had to do.
“She’s in this for the long game and wants to live a long, happy and healthy life.”
The diet of rice and beans in the jungle will surely see Sue exit the show a lot lighter than she went in, too…
Health scare
In 2019, Sue appeared on This Morning with Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford and told how she’d been left fighting for life when she contracted sepsis.
She explained she’d been taken ill on the Corrie set and husband Brian had saved the day.
“My husband, who also works on Corrie, he said: ‘Something’s not right,’ but I said: ‘It’s all right it’s the flu, I’m taking ibuprofen, I just want to sleep.’
“He rang our daughter-in-law who’s a paramedic and she said: ‘Get her to hospital.;”
Sue went on to reveal there is an hour window in which treatment has the most chance of working and thanks to her husband and daughter-in-law, the doctors were able to save her life.
The star revealed she had contracted the killer disease from a very severe kidney infection.
“The biggest lesson for me was we stride on through life. We’ve got commitments we put up and get on with things. Big mistake.
“We make excuses because we’re so aware of upsetting filming for everyone.”
Memory trouble
Sue admitted she had had a tough road to recovery and it had affected her memory.
“My short term memory isn’t good. I had to go back to Corrie to film a few scenes and it took me so long to learn the lines, so it’s taken a little while for everything to get back to normal.
“It’s taken me a long time to get better. I’ve had horrific nightmares, really strange nightmares, and also I don’t have a sweet tooth at all and that’s all I wanted for about three weeks, craving cakes, pastries, and custard,” she said.
Has Sue Cleaver had her teeth done?
If you read the soap forums, then there is some debate about Sue’s teeth.
However, the actress has never commented on her smile and whether she’s had veneers fitted.
What is the net worth of I’m A Celebrity star Sue Cleaver?
The Coronation Street icon is worth a pretty penny, it’s been claimed.
Recent reports suggest Sue is worth around £1 million.
Read more: Matt Hancock’s I’m A Celebrity fee ‘revealed’
I’m A Celebrity stars on Sunday (November 6) at 9pm on ITV.
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