Coronation Street fans slam Eileen Grimshaw’s ‘ridiculous’ exit as she waves goodbye to the cobbles after 25 years
CORONATION Street fans were left baffled by Eileen Grimshaw’s emotional farewell tonight after 25 years.
Eileen, played by Sue Cleaver, told her heartbroken boyfriend George she didn’t love him anymore before hopping in a cab with son Jason and announcing: “I’m moving to Thailand.”
A cheery Eileen was waved off outside the Rovers after a few drinks with her Streetcars co-workers Steve and Tim.
Eileen was greeted to a big treat by the Street Cars drivers, who beeped as she drove away.
George was left in tears, having confronted Eileen with his suspicions that she wasn’t attracted to him anymore.
George was due to fly to Thailand with Eileen – and fans couldn’t believe he’d throw away the money he spent on the ticket.
Others slammed the idea of Eileen as a barmaid in Thailand, and moving halfway across the world on a whim.
“It’s hilarious how they make moving so simple in soaps…
“She couldn’t just up and leave to live permanently in Thailand without the correct visa,” one fan wrote.
“Can’t see Eileen as a Thai barmaid,” another added, while a third joked: “Seems they’re giving Eileen a boring, miserable exit!”
Long-time viewers also felt the storyline was a letdown compared to Eileen’s dramatic past.
“Remember when Eileen got her head stuck in the railings? This has been mostly dull and miserable — which sums up Eileen in recent years,” one fan said.
Even George’s tearful goodbye was mocked, as one said:“George! You’re not a murderer, a liar, thief, womaniser… that’s why Eileen isn’t interested in you, hon!”
She also made the decision to make a fresh start in Thailand after being worn down by being suspected in her sister Julie’s tragic death.
In Friday’s episode, Eileen’s mind is turned to leaving the cobbles after hearing Theo’s impassioned speech to his daughter Millie.
Theo explains to his teenage daughter, that he can’t return to live with her mum, his ex, because “it didn’t feel right,” after realising he was attracted to men and wanted to see where is his relationship with Todd went.
George realised how Theo’s speech moved Eileen and went to confront her after she’d been at the police who had just cleared her of any wrongdoing in Julie’s death.
The Sun exclusively revealed in January that she had quit the show after 25 years on the Salford set to look for new acting opportunities.
“The door is still firmly open but as I reached my 60th year, I decided it was time to embrace change, look for new adventures and live fearlessly,” she explained.
One of Sue’s major next steps is to become a a regular panellist on Loose Women after first appearing on the daytime panel show in 2023.
Sue took a break from Corrie last year to star in Sister Act The Musical as Mother Superior and appeared in reality show I’m A Celebrity in 2022.
Last year, Sue released her memoir A Work In Progress and revealed she was embracing being in her 60s.