WE’RE a nation of soap lovers and for 21 years, Brookside was one of our favourites.
First airing in November 1982, the Channel 4 soap was set in Liverpool and had some iconic storylines before it came to an end in November 2003.
Here is what some of the most memorable stars of the show have been up to since.
Jimmy Corkhill – Dean Sullivan
Dean was the longest serving cast member on Brookside, which is impressive considering he was originally only supposed to be in six episodes as a recurring character.
Jimmy famously found Trevor Jordache’s body under the patio with Eddie Banks, and he also battled drug addiction during the show’s run.
Since Brookside ended, Dean starred in sitcom Terry Across the Mersey and hosted a daily radio show.
In 2019, Dean revealed he has battled prostate cancer but thankfully has been given the all-clear.
However, he must administer hormone injections every six months for three years in order to prevent the cancer from returning.
Sheila Grant – Sue Johnston
Sue played Sheila in Brookside’s first ever episode in 1982 and carried on until she left in 1990.
Since then, Sue went on to find even bigger fame as Barbara Royle in the hit BBC comedy, The Royle Family, from 1998 to 2012.
She returned to soapland in Coronation Street as Gloria Price, a role she played from 2012 to 2014.
She was most recently seen in BBC drama Unprecedented last year.
Beth Jordache – Anna Friel
While Anna didn’t star in Brookside for long, her character Beth played a part in two of the show’s most iconic storylines.
The first was the murder of her dad Trevor, with Beth stabbing him before helping her mother bury him under the patio in their garden.
The second was Beth’s lesbian kiss with Margaret Clemence, which was the first of its kind to be aired before the watershed on British TV.
Since leaving Brookside Anna has starred in a number of dramas including Pushing Daisies and Marcella, for which she has won an Emmy Award.
Off-screen, Anna’s love life has caught the attention of the media, particularly when former boyfriend Darren Day revealed on Celebrity Big Brother that Robbie Williams had tried to steal her away from him during their relationship.
While she didn’t succumb to the pop star’s charms while with Darren, Anna and Robbie did briefly date following her break up from Darren.
Thomas ‘Sinbad’ Sweeney – Michael Starke
Michael played the popular Sinbad from 1984 until 2000.
After leaving the soap, Michael landed roles in Casualty and Benidorm.
He also joined the cast of Coronation Street in 2007 as Jerry Morton, however the character and his family were written out in September 2008 after new producers came on board.
Anthony Murray – Ray Quinn
Ray appeared on Brookside from 2000-2003 before finding further fame as runner-up on The X Factor to Leona Lewis in 2006.
He went on to release a swing album that same year and became a popular face on TV, boosted by his winning run on Dancing on Ice in 2009.
Ray returned to his soap roots in 2018-2019 when he joined the cast of Hollyoaks before releasing a second album last year.
However the coronavirus pandemic halted all of his gigs and so Ray decided to work as a Hermes delivery driver in the meantime.
Lindsey Corkhill – Claire Sweeney
Claire had two stints on Brookeside as Lindsey, first from 1991-1992 and then again from 1995-2003.
After the show ended, Claire starred in a number of theatre productions as well as hosting ITV daytime show 60 Minute Makeover from 2004–2006.
The actress also took part in Strictly Come Dancing in 2004 and has been a Loose Women panelist.
Barry Grant – Paul Usher
Paul played Barry in Brookside from the first episode in 1982 to 1995. He then returned for guest appearances, including the final episode in 2003.
After Brookside, Paul joined ITV cop drama The Bill as PC Des Taviner.
In March 2019, he joined EastEnders as Danny Hardcastle in a recurring role until September 2020.
