Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton’s whirlwind romance with Coronation Street actress Claire Sweeney became one of last year’s most talked-about showbiz stories. The unlikely pairing of the Manchester-born boxing legend and the Liverpool actress blossomed on the ITV show Dancing on Ice in early 2024.
Although they had known each other for more than two decades, it wasn’t until the skating show that sparks truly flew. They were first spotted on cosy pub dates in Stockport, before making their official debut as a couple in May at the £365 million opening of Manchester’s Co-op Live Arena. The pair proudly shared photos of themselves at the event, cementing their relationship in the public eye.
From there, their romance took them to sunny Tenerife and Mallorca, where Ricky introduced Claire to his family. By July, Ricky confirmed they’d been dating for five months. “I’ve known Claire for a while. Every time we’ve met, we’ve hit it off,” he explained. “On the ice we got on straight away, and when the show started, we got on even better. It’s amazing to find someone you’ve known for 25 years and finally connect like this.”
Claire, meanwhile, told ITV’s Lorraine: “I’ve known Ricky for, like, 25 years. We did a TV show together in the early 2000s and even Dance for Comic Relief in 2013. He makes me laugh, and we both love Only Fools and Horses, so what’s not to like?”
But by December, just before Christmas, the couple quietly parted ways. Claire later admitted: “We’re still friends. We were friends, we dated, and now we’re friends again. It’s all good.” Despite the split, the bond remained, with Claire continuing to publicly support him.
That support became particularly poignant before Ricky’s tragic death at 46. When the boxer announced his planned Dubai comeback fight against UAE star Eisa Al Dah—appearing via video call after injuring his eye at the Oasis reunion gig—Claire shared the clip on Instagram, proudly captioning it: “This is brilliant.”
It was her final gesture of encouragement to the man she once called her partner, just months before the world would mourn his sudden passing.
