Claire Sweeney was photographed at London’s Victoria Station on Monday, her first public sighting since former world champion boxer Ricky Hatton was found dead at his Greater Manchester home at age 46.
Hatton was found at a property on Bowlacre Road in Hyde, Tameside, on Sunday morning. Greater Manchester Police said officers were called at 6:45 a.m. and that a 46-year-old man was found; the force said the death was not currently being treated as suspicious.
Sweeney, 54, a Coronation Street actress, was reported to be dressed casually in a brown tracksuit and was seen pushing luggage through the station. She tied her long hair back in a ponytail and appeared sombre as she headed to catch a train out of the capital. The sighting came after news of Hatton’s death prompted tributes from fellow athletes and television colleagues.
Sweeney and Hatton, who was awarded an MBE for services to sport in 2007, were publicly linked after spending time together on the 2024 series of Dancing On Ice. They had known each other for around 25 years, according to comments Sweeney has made previously, and began a relationship after the show. The pair split after several months but remained on friendly terms; friends and sources told media outlets they continued to remain close.
Hatton had retired from professional boxing and moved into coaching, but promoters had announced a planned return to the ring with a fight scheduled for December. In the weeks before his death Sweeney posted a message of support after announcements about his return to the sport.
Friends reportedly raised the alarm when Hatton failed to appear at an event involving one of the boxers he worked with. Hatton had been open in the past about struggles with mental health and drug addiction, matters that drew public attention during and after his sporting career.
News of his death prompted tributes from figures who worked with him on Dancing On Ice and from the wider sporting community. Olympian Greg Rutherford, a fellow contestant, called the news "utterly heart breaking," and described Hatton as kind and supportive during conversations about mental health. Hatton’s skating partner on Dancing On Ice, Robin Johnstone, said she was "devastated" and recalled him appearing to be in good form while training and enjoying time with his children.
Other colleagues and celebrities also posted condolences. Amber Davies described Hatton as "one of the sweetest" on the show. Oti Mabuse, who served as a judge on Dancing On Ice, wrote that her heart went out to him and called him "the kindest heart and sweetest man." Former England footballer David Beckham posted a photograph from Hatton’s boxing career and described the news as "just heartbreaking."
Details about the circumstances of Hatton’s death remain limited. Greater Manchester Police reiterated that there are not currently believed to be any suspicious circumstances. No further information about the cause of death was released by the force.
Hatton rose to prominence as a professional boxer and remained a prominent figure in British sport as a coach and public personality. His death has prompted an outpouring of memories from friends, former opponents and people who worked with him on television projects.
Sweeney’s public appearance at Victoria Station underlines the close personal connections formed between participants in reality and entertainment programming, and the attention such relationships receive when a public figure dies. Media requests for comment to representatives for Sweeney and Hatton were not immediately returned.