The stars behind the show spoke to the ECHO about a special reunion party that had been two decades in the making
Cast and crew of Brookside at a show reunion on The Daffodil in Liverpool last night(Image: Liverpool Echo)
Philip Olivier laughs there wasn’t enough time to catch up with his old Brookside co-stars when filming resumed on the iconic close for one day only last year. The 45-year-old actor was one of a handful of stars to reprise his role as Tim “Tinhead” O’Leary for the special crossover episode which aired in October.
Philip was thrilled to be joined by fellow Brookside icons such as Sue Johnston and Michael Starke, two decades after the Sir Phil Redmond penned soap officially went off the air. He told the ECHO in an exclusive interview: “It was hard to film because we were just catching up.” The hype around the crossover led Phil’s onscreen counterpart, Tinhead, to make the move over to Hollyoaks along with fellow Brookside star, Suzanne Collins, who is renowned for her role as Nikki Shadwick.
Louis Emerick’s Brookside character, Mick Johnson, is also now part of Hollyoaks and his character was the story inspiration for the crossover as Mick had been living a double life in the Cheshire village. The three actors were catching up in the green room ahead of Philip and Suzanne’s planned Hollyoaks exits next month when the conversation turned to how it had been too long since there was a proper Brookside reunion.
While only eight actors were part of the TV reunion last year, the stars put their simple plan into action to get everyone together for a proper party to celebrate the show’s legacy and what it means to Liverpool. Philip is also a successful entrepreneur and he had the perfect location for the planned party as he now owns the Royal Daffodil ferry.
Louis Emerick, Philip Olivier and Suzanne Collins put the wheels in motion for the Brookside reunion party(Image: Liverpool Echo)
He said: “When I got the boat in 2018 I didn’t realise that the Royal Daffodil is on the opening credits of Brookside so it’s like full circle. [For the party] The cast and crew are coming home.” He quipped: “But only because their houses [on the L12 Close] aren’t there anymore.”
With the location sorted, the onus was on Suzanne to get everyone together and she set up a WhatsApp group where anyone who had worked on Brookside during its 21 year run could be invited. They were blown away by the response, as Philip said: “It’s gone off. On the chat, everyday, there’s about 184 messages.” Suzanne added: “Everyone is connecting. It’s just been such a beautiful thing. I can’t stop smiling.”
The date for the big Brookside reunion was set for last night and it is likely the largest gathering of cast and crew since Brookside went off the air in 2003. Philip was thrilled to welcome so many familiar faces, as he said ahead of the party yesterday: “We were so thankful that Hollyoaks brought a bit of a resurgence back and we decided we haven’t seen anyone for years so thought we should do a reunion party. It’s going to be a night of nostalgia and just to reminisce.”
Claire Sweeney is one of the show’s main stars and will always be remembered for her role as Lindsay Corkhill. The 54-year-old Scouser jumped at the chance to attend on the same weekend she was going to Pete Price’s 80th birthday.
Coronation Street star Claire said Brookside would always have a special place in her heart, as she told the ECHO at the event: “Words aren’t enough to sum up how special this show was. It was not only a work thing, it was a personal thing too. People cared. Phil Redmond cared.”
Claire Sweeney spoke to the ECHO at the Brookside reunion party (Image: Liverpool Echo)
Claire travelled up from London where she splits her time and said she was overcome with emotion to see so many important people from her past. She said: “I’ve been dying to come on this boat for ages and tonight is so special. I’ve filled up so many times seeing people who have meant so much to me.
“It’s a trip down memory lane. You see someone and you have these vivid flashbacks of moments in time with these people.” Claire was particularly emotional as she paid tribute to one of the Brookside legends who sadly couldn’t be here: the late, great Dean Sullivan.
She said: “We’re really missing Dean tonight, we’re all feeling it. He was amazing and he epitomised Brookside. We all turned up for his funeral and we’re all missing him tonight. He was loved.”
Michael Starke told the ECHO Dean would have loved events like last night more than anybody and Philip said they named a cocktail after his character, Jimmy Corkhill, to make sure his presence would be felt.
Michael is renowned for his role as Sinbad and he told the ECHO it was special to get together with so many familiar faces which showed just how much the show mattered to Liverpool. He said: “This just goes to show what a family we were. We knew that we had it good when Brookside was on. Working at home, being able to pay the bills and raise your kids. Not many actors get to do that. It grew and grew and look at this now.
“The city needs a voice. A lot of other places set the narrative for us and we seemed to get the wrong end of it.”
As the actors walked into the refurbished Daffodil, they were greeted with a complimentary glass of Prosecco as they mingled with familiar faces. Michael wore a name badge as he joked: “My wife insisted I have that so everyone can remember who I was.”
Michael Starke jokingly wore a name tag to the Brookside reunion party(Image: Liverpool Echo)
Ray Quinn, who played Anthony Murray in Brookside, was another of the stars in attendance. He told the ECHO how he was added to the WhatsApp group and wouldn’t miss the chance to reunite with so many important people.
He said: “I’m buzzing to be here. I heard about it a few weeks ago and the chat has been going crazy. About a thousand messages that I didn’t even see. It’s nostalgic to walk into a room and see faces that I haven’t seen for 25 years. It’s a wonderful thing.
“Brookside is a huge piece of history, not just for me but for the city, where I was born and bred. I’m massively proud to be part of it all and tonight is just one of those where we celebrate that. It was a fantastic TV show.”
Stars such as Sue Jenkins, Jennifer Ellison and Tina Malone were also among the over 200 strong that gathered for an emotional night that celebrated what made the show special. As they all gathered for a group photo taken by the ECHO’s Iain Watts, there was a breakout chant of “bring it back” and this is definitely a call that is gathering speed and momentum.
Suzanne put the wheels in motion for the reunion and she said the positive response from the public has meant a great deal, as she hopes this could lead to a full scale Brookside reboot. She said: “I would like to say thank you to every single person who has tuned in and shown the love for something that was so long ago.
“It’s just been magical and it’s just Liverpool isn’t it? That’s what Liverpool does. They’ve welcomed us back with open arms and it’s just been absolutely gorgeous.”
While a Brookside reboot remains up in the air, one thing that’s a guarantee is the cast won’t leave it this long for another reunion party as they shared plans to do it all again on the Daffodil in the summer, when the weather might just be a little warmer.