Ryken
Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton’s whirlwind romance with Coronation Street actress Claire Sweeney was the kind of story British tabloids dream of: two household names, an unlikely spark on a reality TV ice rink, and a summer of Instagram-worthy holidays. But just eight months after the relationship became official, the fairytale came to an end.
The former world boxing champion — who tragically passed away on September 14 at the age of 46 — first reconnected with Sweeney while competing on ITV’s Dancing on Ice in early 2024. Despite knowing each other casually for more than two decades, it was during the awkward chaos of skating rehearsals that the two bonded.
From the rink to real life
The connection quickly left the rink. By May, the pair made their red carpet debut at the £365 million Co-op Live Arena in Manchester, a splashy opening that doubled as their public “we’re official” moment. Soon after, Instagram photos showed them soaking up the sun in Tenerife, then jetting off to Mallorca with Hatton’s family.
Ricky, never one to play coy, confirmed their relationship in July: “I didn’t go on the show looking for love,” he told Prime Casino. “But every time me and Claire met over the years, we hit it off. I probably thought I had half a chance.”
Claire echoed the sentiment in a Lorraine interview: “I’ve known Ricky for 25 years. We always passed each other at events… he makes me laugh, and we both love Only Fools and Horses, so what’s not to like?”
A breakup without drama
By December, though, reports surfaced that the relationship had quietly ended. The split came before Christmas — short of a year since their romance began. When asked directly, Sweeney kept things light: “I’m great — we’re still friends. We were friends, we dated, and now we’re friends again. It’s all good.”
In the notoriously messy world of celebrity breakups, the Hatton–Sweeney story reads more like a clean chapter break than a tabloid scandal. There was no public fallout, no bitter accusations — just two people whose timing didn’t quite line up after decades of almost-crossing paths.
Support even after the split
Even after their relationship ended, the mutual respect stuck. When Hatton prepared for a scheduled Dubai fight against UAE’s Eisa Al Dah, Sweeney reposted his video announcement with the caption: “This is brilliant.”
It was a small but telling gesture — proof that while the romance may have cooled, the connection remained intact.
So, why did they break up?
The short answer: sometimes, life just doesn’t sync. Hatton had his boxing commitments, his family, and a body battered from years in the ring. Sweeney had her ongoing acting career on Coronation Street and her own responsibilities. Their story was less about a feud or fallout, and more about a brief intersection of two long, separate lives.
For fans, the relationship might always carry a “what if” quality — a nostalgic spark that came and went quickly. But for Ricky and Claire, it seems to have been exactly what they needed at the time: a moment of laughter, companionship, and lightness in two very public lives.