Claire Sweeney breaks down in tears at ex Ricky Hatton’s funeral
Claire Sweeney has been pictured in tears as she attended the funeral of her ex-boyfriend Ricky Hatton, who was found dead at his home in September at the age of 46.
Coronation Street actress Claire Sweeney was spotted in floods of tears as she paid her final respects at her former partner Ricky Hatton’s funeral service today.
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The beloved boxing champion was laid to rest this afternoon as loved ones and admirers congregated for a deeply moving ceremony in Manchester. His hometown streets were packed this morning as the hearse transported his coffin towards the cathedral.
There, relatives, close friends and famous faces assembled to honour his memory.
Liam Gallagher, football hero Wayne Rooney alongside wife Coleen, entertainer Paddy McGuinness, darts champion Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor and pugilistic giants Tyson Fury and Frank Bruno were amongst those in attendance. Also present was soap star Claire, who shared a romantic connection with the beloved former world titleholder who was discovered deceased at 46 in his Hyde residence on September 14.
She became visibly emotional as his coffin was brought into Manchester Cathedral. The performer declared she will “always love” Ricky in a heartfelt message posted days following his passing last month, reports the Mirror.
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The Weatherfield regular posted a moving homage to Ricky where she revealed to supporters that she “adored” the fighting icon. The tribute featured a video compilation set to Elvis Presley’s If I Can Dream.
Ricky and Claire transitioned from friends to romantic partners and eventually back to friendship after a passionate eight-month relationship. Their relationship blossomed last year before cooling just prior to the festive season – though it’s evident they remained devoted to each other.
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Despite being acquainted for numerous years, it was only following their appearance on ITV’s Dancing On Ice last year that whispers of a blossoming relationship started to circulate, after a string of pub outings were witnessed in Manchester.
Their debut public outing as a pair occurred in May 2024, when they walked the red carpet at the grand launch of the £365m Co-op Live Arena in the city they both adore.
Ricky, a former light welterweight champion, encountered Claire during practice sessions for the ITV reality programme and swiftly began charming her.
A source said at the time: “The chemistry was electric. Ricky went out of the show early on but he contacted her afterwards and let’s say he started wooing her. They’ve been out on several dates.”
They continued: “They’ve been seeing each other quite a bit. He is completely besotted. It seems like an unlikely match but he’s always had a way with women. They fall for his personality, and Claire has. He knows her number one priority is her son so they are being very careful. Let’s watch this space.”
She was devastated when his body was discovered at his residence in September.
Today, Claire bid farewell and the 18-mile tribute journey commenced at 9:45am from the Cheshire Cheese pub on Stockport Road in Hyde before pausing at the Harehill Tavern in Hattersley. The procession then moved on to The New Inn on Mottram New Road – a pub once owned by Hatton’s parents – where a dove release took place.
The cortege paused at Hatton’s Gym before proceeding to Betta Bodies Gym in Denton, where Hatton trained for his world title fights.
Subsequently, the procession headed to the Cathedral for an invitation-only funeral service. The cortege then journeyed to Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium shortly after 1:15pm UK time, providing fans another opportunity to pay their respects.
Following its passage through the Etihad, a private service for the legendary boxer is set to take place.
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