Claire Sweeney engaged to her toyboy lover, who is 14 years her junior

By
Fay Strang

00:19 GMT, 14 January 2013


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00:19 GMT, 14 January 2013

She once admitted she suffered from ’emotional infertility’ but it seems Claire Sweeney has well and truly moved on from that stage of her life.

The 41-year-old has got engaged to her toyboy lover Daniel Riley on Christmas Eve and she plans to wed the 27-year-old in the House of Lords.

Former Brookside star Claire revealed that she was ‘thrilled’ after finally getting a ring on her finger. 

He out a ring on it: Claire Sweeney has got engaged to Daniel Riley after he proposed on Christmas Eve

He out a ring on it: Claire Sweeney has got engaged to Daniel Riley after he proposed on Christmas Eve

She told Hello! Magazine: ‘The reason I’ve never married or had children is because I take it very seriously and I hadn’t met the right person.

‘I’m a workaholic. I’ve had a great life and a fabulous career. It would take a very special man to make me stop and want to be with them.

‘Daniel is that person. I was thrilled when he asked me to be his wife.’ 

Toyboy: Daniel is 14 years younger than Claire who is 41 while he is 27, which took her some time to get used to

Toyboy: Daniel is 14 years younger than Claire who is 41 while he is 27, which took her some time to get used to

Claire revealed that the 14-year age gap did not make any difference to her, saying:  ‘When we first met, the age gap did hold me back.

Tell all: Claire and her fiance open up about their future wedding in Hello magazine

Tell all: Claire and her fiance open up about their future wedding in Hello magazine

‘But the age difference is about the same between my parents. I felt it was about finding things in common, where you have the same values and morals.

‘That happened over time and now I never notice the age difference. I’m actually surprised when people mention it.’

The couple admit they are planning to have a baby which is one reason they got engaged and are also thinking about an unusual wedding venue – The House of Lords – which they can organise through a friend they share with fellow scouser Cilla Black.

Claire gushed: ‘The Lord, as Cilla calls him, is such an incredibly generous man and has become a very good friend.

‘He said he will arrange it so that we can have all my showbiz mates perform. The House of Lords will never have had so much showbusiness in it.’

In the past Claire admitted that Daniel had helped her restore her dream of having children.

Speaking at the time, she said: ‘I definitely want to have children, that’s still part of my plan, so hopefully watch this space. I believe in fate but I think you do start thinking; yes I am at an age now where I do have to think about it and consider it.

‘But then a friend of mine has just got pregnant at 46. She had been trying for years for a baby and then got pregnant naturally at 46’.

At the time Claire believed she suffered from what is known as ’emotional infertility’, she said:‘I read an article about “emotional infertility” which is where you’re just so busy you never bother to think or make space for having a family and I can relate to that definitely.

‘I’ve suffered from putting my career first like a lot of women. When I was coming up to forty it did cross my mind – oh blooming hell here’s another job that’s going to take me away for the year and before you know it more times goes by’.

Read the full interview in Hello! out now