Claire Sweeney’s message to Ricky Hatton is now heartbreaking to read after the former world champion boxer was found dead at his home in Hyde on 14 September
15:09, 14 Sep 2025Updated 15:11, 14 Sep 2025
The pair previously dated for eleven months(Image: Claire Sweeney Instagram)
Ricky Hatton’s ex Claire Sweeney‘s public message to the star will leave a lump in your throat.
The message of support now carries a heartbreaking weight following the tragic discovery of The Hitman dead at his home today. Greater Manchester Police confirmed the sad news that Hatton was found at his Bowlacre Road residence in Hyde.
A spokesperson for GMP said: “Officers were called by a member of the public to attend Bowlacre Road, Hyde, Tameside, at 6:45am today where they found the body of a 46-year-old man. There are not currently believed to be any suspicious circumstances.”
Despite officially retiring from boxing in November 2012, Hatton had announced his return to the ring back in June.
The pair noticed a spark after competing on Dancing On Ice 2024(Image: INSTAGRAM)
His ex-girlfriend, Coronation Street star Claire Sweeney previously shared a message of support as the English boxer was scheduled to go up against UAE fighter Eisa Al Dah in a middleweight bout in Dubai on 2 December. However, an eye injury sustained during an Oasis reunion concert in Cardiff meant Hatton couldn’t fly out for the press conference announcing the fight.
Although he couldn’t be there physically, Hatton joined via video call and expressed his excitement about the upcoming match: “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,” reports the Mirror.
The couple split at the end of 2024(Image: Getty Images for Co-op Live)
Coronation Street actress Claire Sweeney showed her support by sharing a video of the announcement on Instagram, captioning it: “This is brilliant.”
Hatton and Sweeney’s romance blossomed when they both participated in Dancing on Ice in 2024. The pair were then seen enjoying several holidays together, but their relationship ended in December.
Despite their split, Claire reassured MailOnline last winter: “I’m great – we’re still friends, we were friends, we dated and now we’re friends again. It’s all good.”
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