Ricky Hatton, a former professional boxer, participated in Dancing on Ice on ITV in 2024, and struck up a romance with fellow contestant Claire Sweeney, who is in Coronation Street
Ricky Hatton has sparked rumours he is back with his soap star ex – two months after their split.
The former professional boxer struck up a romance with actress Claire Sweeney when the two of them competed in Dancing on Ice on ITV last year. However, their whirlwind romance ended suddenly after around eight months, although reports in December claimed the pair hoped to remain good friends.
And now it seems they may have reunited after Ricky, 46, posting on Instagram a glam picture of himself and 53-year-old Claire. It saw radio presenter Peter Price join them in the social media snap.
Claire, who currently plays Cassie Plummer in Coronation Street, knew Ricky for decades before meeting again on the ITV programme last year. The new picture led to a string of messages from fans, who are convinced Claire, originally from Walton, Liverpool, is back with the ex boxer.
One of the star’s followers commented: “Old pic, shame they’ve split up.” Another wrote: “Great photo of the three of you x”. A third penned: “Blimey Claire! Should be criminal to look that good!” While a fourth queried: “They back together?”
Ricky, who is originally from Stockport, Greater Manchester, competed as a boxer from 1997 to 2012, during which time he held multiple world championships in the light-welterweight division. Claire, who has a son with her ex-partner Daniel Reilly, shot to fame as she appeared in more than 1,600 episodes of Brookside as Lindsey Corkhill.
Fans were stunned when Claire and Ricky, who received an MBE in 2007 for his services to sport, went public last year. They did so after a luscious holiday to Tenerife.
But when they went their separate ways in December, a source said: “Claire and Ricky remain good friends, there has been no fallout between them. They decided they’re better off as pals and are no longer romantically together.”
Continuing, the insider said the couple’s different lifestyles ultimately came between them, despite a lot of shared interests.
