‘Do one small thing a week to push your boundaries’ dinnerladies star Sue Cleaver on how to get the most out of midlife

For more than two decades, Sue Cleaver was known as the down-to-earth and quick-witted Eileen Grimshaw on Coronation Street.

Although she left the character behind in 2025, Sue has gone on to push her boundaries, appearing on I’m A Celebrity, becoming an occasional panelist on Loose Women and most recently, taking on the role of Jean in the upcoming touring version of Victoria Wood’s dinnerladies.

And in an exclusive interview with woman&home, Sue, 63, is urging women to continue to challenge herself whatever their age, as she has found doing so “immensely empowering”.

“Far too often, when women reach a certain age, society expects them to quietly shuffle off into the background, and we end up staying put out of fear or imposter syndrome. But those fearful thoughts are just stories we tell ourselves.

“Courage is like a muscle - you have to flex it! Make that phone call about the night course, or commit to doing one small thing every week that pushes your boundaries. It’s immensely empowering,” she said.

She even has an example from her own life, noting she initially turned down I’m A Celeb because of her fear of snakes.

“I kept saying no because I was terrified of snakes - I couldn't even look at a picture of one on a page! But then I realised I’d never actually met a snake in real life; I was just telling myself a narrative.

“When I finally encountered one in the jungle, I was fine. We make it so easy to talk ourselves out of things. Anxiety comes from living in your future head, but none of us have a crystal ball. You aren't safe in yesterday or tomorrow - the only place you are truly present is right now,” she added.

And now, she is applying the same set of thoughts to her role as Jean, originally played by Ann Reid, in dinnerladies - which begins touring next year. She actually appeared in the original series as the character Glenda, and she has very fond memories of working with Victoria Wood, who passed away in 2016 at the age of 62.

She revealed, “When we wrapped the series, Vic arranged a big red double-decker bus to take us all out to a party - it was wonderfully low-key, just like her.

“What stayed with me most, though, was the incredible work ethic she instilled in me. She had two young children at home and yet still found the time and energy to write all that brilliant material. She was a true grafter. Beyond that, it was her sheer generosity as a writer; she wasn't interested in saving all the best jokes for herself, taking real delight in writing hilarious lines for everyone else.”

As for how she is preparing for the tour - avoiding greasy foods! “It fits into this chapter [of my life] perfectly because it’s a total passion project that I've actively chosen to do,” she said.

“I’m fully aware of how demanding the hours will be - my husband knows I won't be out much once we’re on the road! It’s going to involve lots of steaming and nebulising between shows to protect my voice, and doing my absolute best to steer clear of anything fried in batter!"

dinnerladies tours the UK from 22 January – 7 August 2027. For tickets and venues: dinnerladiestheplay.co.uk