Ricky Hatton and Claire Sweeney’s romance was the talk of the town after the boxing legend and the Coronation Street actress seemingly fell in love across an ice rink

Ricky ‘The Hitman’ Hatton’s whirlwind eight-month romance with Coronation Street actress Claire Sweeney was the talk of the town, as the Manchester and Liverpool-born stars found love on an ice rink.

The world boxing champion, who tragically passed away at the age of 46 on Sunday (September 14), reconnected with the actress, best known for her role as Cassie Plummer in ITV’s Corrie, while participating in Dancing on Ice early last year.

Despite their long-standing acquaintance, it was only after their stint on the now-axed ITV competition show that rumours of a budding romance began to swirl, following a series of pub dates spotted in Stockport.

Their first public appearance as a couple came in May 2024, when they graced the red carpet at the grand opening of the £365m Co-op Live Arena in Manchester.

The world boxing champion reconnected with the actress while participating in Dancing on Ice early last year(Image: Ricky Hatton (Instagram))

Both stars shared snaps from the event on their Instagram accounts, posing together at the press boards for celebs and VIPs at the new arena’s welcome event, reports the Manchester Evening News.

Soon after, the lovebirds were spotted soaking up the sun on a holiday in Tenerife, before jetting off for a long weekend in Mallorca with Ricky’s family.

In July of the same year, Ricky confirmed that he and Claire had been dating for five months. In an interview with Prime Casino, Ricky admitted that he didn’t join the ITV show in search of love, but rather with the hope of avoiding any injuries.

The Hattersley-born star opened up about his relationship, saying: “I’ve known Claire for a while. I’ve met her at a few functions and at different events over the years. Every time we’ve spoken we’ve hit it off and got on with each other.” He revealed that during ice skating training they clicked “straight away” and their bond deepened when the show started.

 Their first public appearance as a couple came in May 2024(Image: Ricky Hatton Instagram)

Ricky believed he had “half a chance” of winning Claire’s heart due to their instant chemistry every time they met. He admitted knowing she was single and said: “I knew how we had got on so well every time we met each other. I probably thought I had half a chance.

“It’s amazing [to find] someone you’ve probably known for 25 years. I’ve been in relationships and she’s been in relationships. I’ve had my kids and she’s had her kids. And then 25 years later we found each other. It’s quite a nice story.”

He also quipped to the Mirror after his brief appearance on Dancing on Ice: “I got knocked out in the first round, but I was able to meet Claire. I was always a Billy no mates at these things before Claire.”

Claire Sweeney’s final show of support to Ricky Hatton before shock death(Image: Getty Images for Co-op Live)

He then spoke about their relationship: “No, it’s great! Me and Claire have been together about five months now,” before adding: “Long may it continue!”.

It came after Claire had told ITV’s Lorraine: “I’ve known Ricky for, like, 25 years. We always passed each other at events.”

She continued at the time: “We did a TV show together. First of all I met him in the early 2000s, then we did Dance for Comic Relief together in 2013. Then met on Dancing on Ice and it’s great..”

The former Brookside actress then revealed: “He makes me laugh, and we both like Only Fools and Horses, so what’s not to like?”.

However, it was in December that reports emerged suggesting Ricky and Claire had parted ways. The split occurred prior to Christmas and when questioned about the separation during a red carpet event, Claire informed MailOnline: “I’m great – we’re still friends, we were friends, we dated and now we’re friends again. It’s all good!”.

The former pair maintained their public backing for each other. Prior to Ricky’s devastating passing, it had been revealed that he was scheduled to take on UAE fighter Eisa Al Dah at middleweight on December 2 in Dubai.

The Stockport-born boxer was meant to travel out for a press conference to publicise the match, but was forced to stay at home following an eye injury he suffered during an Oasis reunion gig in Cardiff.

Although he couldn’t be there physically, he joined via video link, stating: “I’m very much looking forward to it myself, to be honest with you. What you’re trying to do there for boxing in Dubai is fantastic.”

At the time, showing her backing, his ex-partner Claire posted a video of the announcement on Instagram, writing alongside it: “This is brilliant.”