Sweeney was born in Walton, Liverpool, the daughter of a butcher who had a shop in Toxteth. She trained at the Elliott-Clarke Theatre School in Liverpool, and worked at weekends in her father's shop.
Her first sin… See more

Sweeney's first major role was as Lindsey Corkhill in the soap opera Brookside, initially as a recurring character from 1991 and then as a leading character from 1995 until the programme ended in 2003.
In 2001 Sw… See more