{"id":87221,"date":"2025-08-23T10:36:09","date_gmt":"2025-08-23T10:36:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/87221\/"},"modified":"2025-08-23T10:36:09","modified_gmt":"2025-08-23T10:36:09","slug":"one-of-brooksides-biggest-legends-is-returning-for-the-hollyoaks-crossover-episode","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/87221\/","title":{"rendered":"One of Brookside’s biggest legends is returning for the Hollyoaks crossover episode"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hollyoaks spoilers<\/a> follow.<\/p>\n

The exciting Brookside news just keeps coming \u2013 legendary character Sheila Grant will arrive back on our screens as part of the show’s surprise return<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Royle Family star Sue Johnston has agreed to reprise her role as Sheila \u2013 35 years after the soap matriarch’s original departure.<\/p>\n

What to Read Next<\/p>\n

The acclaimed actor and national treasure is the first cast member confirmed for the upcoming Brookside and Hollyoaks crossover episode, which will hit screens in October.<\/p>\n

As first announced last week, Hollyoaks bosses have decided to incorporate Brookside into the show’s 30th anniversary celebrations.<\/p>\n

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Channel 4<\/p>\n

Related: 9 huge Hollyoaks spoilers for next week (25 to 27 August)<\/a><\/p>\n

A special storyline, exploring the two shows’ shared universe, will be filmed on location on Brookside Close in Liverpool next month.<\/p>\n

Speaking about the incredible news for the first time, Sue commented: “It’ll be so lovely to go back and be Sheila for a day as it was such a big, enjoyable part of my life.”<\/p>\n

Sue played Sheila from Brookside’s launch in 1982 and was central to the Channel 4 soap’s gritty, groundbreaking storylines in the early years.<\/p>\n

Sheila was part of the working-class Grant family, who moved into Brookside Close in the first episode.<\/p>\n

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Mersey Television \/ STV<\/p>\n

Related: These classic Hollyoaks favourite characters are returning very soon<\/a><\/p>\n

Four years later, an important storyline explored the issue of rape as Sheila was attacked by a taxi driver. The plot explored the long-term impact on a survivor, including how Sheila’s ordeal affected her marriage to Bobby, played by Ricky Tomlinson.<\/p>\n

Sheila bowed out as a show regular in 1990, leaving the Close with second husband Billy Corkhill. She later made returns in Brookside video specials The Lost Weekend and Friday the 13th in 1997 and 1998 respectively.<\/p>\n

Further returns will be announced in the coming weeks. Hollyoaks bosses have promised that the crossover episode will feature comebacks for “iconic, heritage Brookside characters as a treat for the audience and to mark the milestone of Hollyoaks’ 30th anniversary”.<\/p>\n

Special permission has been granted for Hollyoaks to film on Brookside Close, the Liverpool cul-de-sac which was the focal point of all the drama for 21 years. Previously used exclusively for soap filming until Brookside ended in 2003, it’s now home to real-life residents who live in the famous houses.<\/p>\n

\"brookside\"<\/p>\n

Lime Pictures\/STV Player<\/p>\n

Related: Hollyoaks killer Jez hunts down Sienna in 30 new spoiler pictures<\/a><\/p>\n

Hollyoaks’ executive producer Hannah Cheers previously said: “Brookside gave birth to Hollyoaks \u2013 it grew up on the same site and eventually took over its sets.<\/p>\n

“For everyone at Lime Pictures (originally Mersey TV), Hollyoaks’ history is deeply rooted in Brookside, and its legacy lives on through our crew and, of course, some of our cast.<\/p>\n

“This special feels like both a moving and fitting tribute to our origin story and a chance for fans to revisit much-loved Brookside characters in honour of that legacy.<\/p>\n

\"brookside<\/p>\n

Lime Pictures\/STV Player<\/p>\n

Related: Will Sienna die? Hollyoaks’ Anna Passey reacts to fan theories over Jez’s next victim<\/a><\/p>\n

“These iconic Brookside characters are soap archetypes that helped define British TV \u2013 soap archetypes that new generations are still discovering now through Hollyoaks.<\/p>\n

“As a lifelong soap fan who grew up watching with my mum, I was passionate about revisiting Brookside for the anniversary.<\/p>\n

“Writer Steve Hughes, who began his career on Brookside, has reimagined where these characters are more than 20 years on. We hope audiences will enjoy welcoming these old friends back into their homes once again.”<\/p>\n

Hollyoaks airs on Mondays-Wednesdays with its Channel 4 streaming<\/a> premiere at 7am, then an E4 broadcast the same night at 7pm. Full episodes are also released on YouTube a week after their Channel 4 release.<\/p>\n

Selected omnibus episodes are available via Prime Video<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Read more Hollyoaks spoilers on our dedicated homepage<\/a><\/p>\n

Digital Spy’s new print issue is here! Buy Oasis – Live in ’25<\/a> in newsagents or online<\/a>, now priced at just \u00a38.99.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Hollyoaks spoilers follow. The exciting Brookside news just keeps coming \u2013 legendary character Sheila Grant will arrive back…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":87222,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[379,43796,381,96,2788,1156,43795,391,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-87221","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tv","tag-content-type-news","tag-contentid-1d1d6e85-c211-42f3-9064-4174f9f8450d","tag-displaytype-standard-article","tag-entertainment","tag-hasproduct-true","tag-locale-gb","tag-shorttitle-hollyoaks-signs-up-brookside-legend-for-crossover-ep","tag-tv","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87221","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=87221"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87221\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/87222"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=87221"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=87221"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=87221"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}