The Sinbad star spoke to the ECHO in an exclusive interview at the big Brookside reunion
15:16, 27 Jan 2026Updated 15:17, 27 Jan 2026
Sinbad star Michael Stark spoke to the ECHO in an exclusive interview(Image: Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)
It was a joyous evening on board the Daffodil at the weekend for the biggest gathering of the Brookside cast and crew since the show went off the air in 2003. Michael Starke, who is renowned for his role as Sinbad in the soap, was in attendance and was keen to pay tribute to the late Brookside stars we have lost who made the show so great.
Speaking to the ECHO at the event, he hailed the late Dean Sullivan, who was renowned for his role as Jimmy Corkhill. The 68-year-old said: “He was a tremendous lad. He flew the flag for the show. He really did. You could rely on him. If we went to season launches with Channel 4, we’d all push Dean to the front. He didn’t take much pushing but he’d be the one that said the right thing.
“He would have loved this and would have been right at the heart of this. He often talked about [Brookside] and I saw him all the time.” Michael was part of the cast who reprised their famous role for the one-off Brookside crossover episode with Hollyoaks, which aired last October.
A subtle tribute was paid to Dean during the episode as a portrait of Jimmy was visible on screen. Michael said the Brookside legends we have lost were at the forefront of everyone’s mind during filming.
Michael Starke with Dean Sullivan, Claire Sweeney and Sue Jenkins in 1999(Image: PA)
He added: “It was sad. I’m not that spiritual, but there was a feeling that he was around because he was in everyone’s thoughts. None of the conversations didn’t include him. So he was sadly missed. So was Gladys Ambrose.
“They were all the people we were thinking about when this was happening because that was were our memories went back to.” Michael shared some fond memories of Dean, who died in 2023, as he said he told the soap star they needed to stop socialising after some wild nights out.
He laughed: “Me and Dean had a few social nights, which were the strangest. I said to him I’m not going out with you anymore.” Michael was one of many Brookside alumni to turn out to Canning Dock on Saturday night.
The Sinbad star was joined by familiar faces such as Louis Emerick, Claire Sweeney, Suzanne Collins and Jennifer Ellison. He said it was a privilege to be reunited as he reflected on what made the Channel 4 soap so special.
Michael Starke with members of the Brookside cast and crew on board the Daffodil on Saturday(Image: Liverpool Echo)
He added: “Everyone looks amazing and it just goes to show what a family we were. We knew that we had it good when we all worked there.
“Working at home, being able to pay your bills. Raise your kids, not many actors get the chance to get to do that. The crew were all local and it grew and grew.”
Michael said the show meant so much to Liverpool as it gave the city a voice and provided young Scousers with an opportunity to forge careers in entertainment. He added: “The city needs a voice.
“A lot of other places set the narrative for us and we always seem to get the wrong end of it. I did a film and two young lads had their own lighting company.
“One of the lads said, ‘Mickey you won’t recognise me but we came out of college and our first work experience was on the camera department of Brookside’ when they were 17/18.
“They had the time of their lives and they remembered it. They got together, started their own company and now they’re right up at the top.”
The cast and crew of Brookside at a show reunion on The Daffodil(Image: Liverpool Echo)
It is for this reason why Michael said he hopes the recent hype around Brookside since the crossover leads to a full scale reboot. He added: “For us older cast members, the nostalgia is nice. I think we could do maybe four specials a year and find all the cast to see where they are now.
“For a new Brookside, you’d need a new cast and a new set of people. There are tons of great actors in this city and it would be great for them to get a go and experience what we did. To have someone at the reins [like Sir Phil Redmond] who would be adventurous.”
For now, Michael is enjoying playing Sinbad in Hollyoaks and vowed to not leave it so long for the next big reunion with the Brookside stars he continues to hold so dearly.
He said: “There are so many faces from the past here. A tiny bit of Brookside is here tonight so we’re having another one in the summer. That will be brilliant. I’ve been looking forward to it and I’m just having a great time.”
You can read the full inside story about how the Brookside reunion came about here