Ricky Hatton's ex Claire Sweeney breaks down in tears at boxing star's funeral

Claire Sweeney has been photographed in tears as she attended her ex-boyfriend Ricky Hatton's funeral today.

The boxing legend has been laid to rest today as family and friends gathered for an emotional funeral in Manchester. The streets of his home city were lined this morning as his coffin made its way to the cathedral. There, friends, family and celebrities alike gathered to pay their respects.

Rocker Liam Gallagher, football great Wayne Rooney and his wife Coleen, comedian Paddy McGuinness, darts star Phil 'The Power' Taylor and boxing icons Tyson Fury and Frank Bruno were among the mourners. So was actress Claire, who dated the tragic former world champion who was found dead aged 46 at his Hyde home on September 14.

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She broke down as his coffin arrived at Manchester Cathedral. The star, who was dressed in black, said she will "always love" Ricky in an emotional post days after his death last month.

The Coronation Street favourite shared a touching tribute to Ricky in which she told fans she "adored" the boxing legend. The post included a video montage along with the soundtrack of Elvis Presley's If I Can Dream.

Ricky and Claire went from being friends to lovers and back to being friends again following a whirlwind eight-month relationship. They dated last year before things cooled between them just before Christmas - but it is clear they stayed close.

Despite knowing each other for many years, it was only after their stint on ITV 's Dancing On Ice last year that rumours of a budding romance began to swirl, following a series of pub dates spotted in Manchester. Their first public appearance as a couple came in May 2024, when they graced the red carpet at the grand opening of the £365m Co-op Live Arena in the city they both loved.

Ricky, a former light welterweight champion, met Claire during rehearsals for the ITV reality show and quickly began to win her over. A source told the Mirror at the time: "The chemistry was electric. Ricky went out of the show early on but he contacted her afterwards and let's say he started wooing her. They've been out on several dates."

They added: "They've been seeing each other quite a bit. He is completely besotted. It seems like an unlikely match but he's always had a way with women. They fall for his personality, and Claire has. He knows her number one priority is her son so they are being very careful. Let's watch this space."

She was left broken when his body was found at his home in September. Today, Claire said goodbye and the 18-mile memorial route began at 9:45am Cheshire Cheese pub on Stockport Road in Hyde before stopping off at the Harehill Tavern in Hattersley.

The procession then continued at The New Inn on Mottram New Road – a pub that Hatton’s parents used to own – where a dove release took place. The cortege paused at Hatton's Gym and passed by before it moved on to Betta Bodies Gym in Denton, where Hatton trained for his world title fights.

After that, the procession made its way to the Cathedral for the funeral - which was an invitation-only service. The cortege then made its way to Manchester City's Etihad Stadium shortly after 1:15pm UK time. Fans once again had the chance to pay their respects. After passing through the Etihad, there will now be a private service for the legendary boxer.

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