Big Red Book
Celebrating television's This Is Your Life
Claire SWEENEY (1971-)
THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Claire Sweeney, actress and singer, was surprised by Michael Aspel while recording an album at the Abbey Road Studios in London, having been led to believe she was being filmed for a documentary.
Claire, who was born in Walton, Liverpool, first began performing in local clubs as a teenager before training at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts in London. Between working in pantomime, summer seasons and a stint with P&O cruises, Claire secured her first acting job in the Channel Four soap opera Brookside, initially for just two episodes in 1991, then as the regular character Lindsey Corkhill from 1995.
Her appearances on ITV's Celebrity Stars In Their Eyes in 2000 and Channel Four's Celebrity Big Brother the following year highlighted her talent for singing, which led to her playing the role of Roxie Hart in the revival of the musical Chicago in London's West End.
"I haven't got my lippy on!"
programme details...
- Edition No: 1103
- Subject No: 1079
- Broadcast date: Wed 8 May 2002
- Broadcast time: 8.15-8.45pm
- Recorded: Tue 12 Feb 2002
- Repeated: Wed 2 Oct 2002 7.00pm
- Venue: BBC Television Centre
- Series: 42
- Edition: 24
- Code name: Todd
on the guest list...
- Shaun - brother
- Mel - Shaun's fiancée
- Kathleen - mother
- Ken - father
- Sam - grandfather
- Frances - grandmother
- Margaret - grandmother
- Tom O'Connor
- Ian 'H' Watkins
- Sue Jenkins
- Terry Lyons
- Maureen McKinn
- Jerry Robinson
- Kerry-Jane Beddows
- Tim Clark
- Catherine Howard
- Mal Young
- Linda Lusardi
- Sam Kane
- Louis Emerick
- Michael Starke
- Dean Sullivan
- Jonathan Shalit
- Anthea Turner
- Wendy Darlington
- Ruthie Henshall Filmed tributes:
- Ken Dodd
- Wally Mills
- Tricia Penrose
- Phil Redmond
related appearances...
- Sue Johnston - Dec 1998
- Sue Jenkins - Feb 2001
production team...
- Researchers: Deborah Cowan, Alex Renton
- Writer: Ian Brown
- Director: John Gorman
- Associate Producer: Helen Gordon-Smith
- Executive Producer: John Longley
- Series Producer: Jack Crawshaw
- Producer: Sue Green
- names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life
spotlight on the stars
the iconic titles and theme tunes
Screenshots of Claire Sweeney This Is Your Life
Liverpool Post 16 February 2002
Claire Sweeney burst into tears when Michael Aspel surprised her with the famous words: "This is your life".
The 31-year-old former Brookside star had been lured to the Abbey Road studios in London to record a song when Aspel struck.
The This Is Your Life host crept in and tapped her on the shoulder before presenting her with the famous red book.
Ms Sweeney, who starred as Lynsey Corkhill in the Mersey soap, shot to fame during Celebrity Big Brother last year.
She has gone on to present her own TV show, Challenge of a Lifetime, and has been lined up to host a new BBC series interviewing the stars of theatre and musicals.
She is currently starring as Roxie Hart in the West End musical, Chicago.
Daily Mail 19 November 2013
ALL BAR ONE
I was at London's Abbey Road studios recording my album Claire in 2002 when Michael Aspel ambushed me with the big red This Is Your Life book.
I was shocked as I had no idea, and it was so emotional as it featured people I'd known from singing on cruise ships to starring as Lindsey Corkhill in Brookside to all the friends I've made in the West End.
The only person missing was my school music teacher Elsie Kelly, who was the first person to tell me I could sing - they couldn't track her down.
Series 42 subjects
Michael Winner | Shaun Williamson | Paddy Ashdown | Tim Smit | Babs Powell | Saeed Jaffrey | Paul Young | Julian ClaryJonah Lomu | Rosemary Conley | Ian Woosnam | Bill Oddie | Fern Britton | Nick Ross | Ray and Trevor Powles
Stephanie Cook | Ian Lavender | Jenny Seagrove | Anita Dobson | Henry Sandon | Linda Barker | Brigit Forsyth
Christina Noble | Claire Sweeney | Lloyd Scott | Julian Fellowes