Brookside
On November 4, 2003, we bid goodbye in a tearful manner to the world’s greatest cul-de-sac-based soap opera. And it continues to hold a particular place in the hearts of UK soap opera enthusiasts. Despite a long and prosperous run, the series was canceled in 2003 due to low ratings when its viewing rates reached a tipping point in 2000. If you are also a fan of the show, you must be wondering what the cast members of the show are up to now. In this article, we will cover everything you need to know about the Brookside cast members and where they are now.
Brookside Cast Where Are They Now?
| Cast | Characters |
| Sue Johnston | Sheila Grant |
| Ricky Tomlinson | Bobby Grant |
| Dean Sullivan | Jimmy Corkhill |
| Simon O’Brien | Damon Grant |
| Elizabeth Avis | Laura Stevens |
| Ray Quinn | Anthony Murray |
| Brian Regan | Terry Sullivan |
Where Is The Cast Of Brookside Now?
Sue Johnston as Sheila Grant
Sue Johnston began her television career as Sheila Grant in Brookside, but it’s probably accurate to say that most people will remember her for playing Barbara Royle in the BBC series The Royle Family. In addition to Coronation Street, where she played Gloria Price for two years, the Warrington actress later starred in Waking the Dead. She made cameos in Downtown Abbey’s sixth season. She has advocated for gay rights and been a vocal supporter of the Labour Party. In the Queen’s Birthday Honours of 2009, the actress received the OBE designation. She is recognized as a national treasure and still works in both TV and movies. Her most recent appearance was in Unprecedented on BBC Four, a collection of 14 short plays that aired last year.
Ricky Tomlinson as Bobby Grant
Ricky Tomlinson is someone who inevitably went on to co-star with Sue as Jim Royle in The Royle Family. He later rose to fame as a comedian and appeared in a number of movies, notably Mike Bassett: England Manager. Additionally, Ricky has starred in a number of commercials for British Gas, Farmfoods, and McCain. Ricky has been a staunch supporter of the Socialist Labour Party for a long time. He has had two heart attacks and has advocated for men to receive free screenings to help fight the growth in heart disease. He received the Freedom of Liverpool in October 2014. A trip show named Ricky & Ralf’s Very Northern Road Trip for Gold was shown in 2020 and included Ricky and his Royle Family co-star Ralf Little.
Dean Sullivan as Jimmy Corkhill
Given that he was only meant to appear in six episodes as Jimmy Corkhill, a recurrent character, Dean Sullivan, age 66, served as Brookside’s longest-serving cast member. Jimmy battled drug addiction throughout the length of the show and is best known for helping Eddie Banks discover Trevor Jordache’s body under the patio. Dean has presented a daily radio show since Brookside concluded and appeared in the sitcom Terry Across the Mersey. Dean disclosed in 2019 that he had battled prostate cancer but was fortunately given the all-clear. But to stop cancer from coming back, he must give hormone injections every six months for three years.
Simon O’Brien as Damon Grant
Simon left Brookside and went on to host children’s television and football before starting a vegetarian café and bike shop in Liverpool. Simon started hosting the reality TV program, My Dream Derelict Home in 2014. O’Brien and Henry Cole co-present the Channel 4 TV show Find it, Fix It, Flog It more recently. He currently hosts The Great House Giveaway on Channel 4, a do-it-yourself show for beginners where two strangers have six months to renovate a house.
Elizabeth Avis as Laura Stevens
From 2002 to 2003, Elizabeth Avis portrayed Laura Stevens on Brookside. Even though she is no longer in the spotlight, the 38-year-old was charged with affray barely four years after quitting the show for spitting out of a car window during a road rage incident. When Elizabeth and her mother, who is also named Elizabeth, got into an argument with some people in the car next to them, Elizabeth Snr. punched one of the other people. Elizabeth Snr. was selected from an identity parade, and the Brookside actress was connected to the event when her saliva was later discovered on the front passenger window. The actress received a conditional discharge for two years and was sentenced to pay £200 in legal fees. However, her mother was given an eight-month prison term with a two-year suspension, 150 hours of unpaid labor, and a £200 fine.
Brian Regan as Terry Sullivan
After leaving Brookside, Regan’s acting career came to an end, and he descended into a life of drug use and addiction. He was given a four-year, ten-month prison term in 2012 for drug sales and lying to authorities about his involvement in the death of Iranian doorman Bahman Faraji in Aigburth. After it became evident that Regan had lied to police when he was originally detained, he was found not guilty of murder but found guilty of perverting the course of justice.
Ray Quinn as Anthony Murray
The fact that Ray Quinn, 33, finished second to Leona Lewis on The X Factor in 2006 perhaps makes him best known. However, from 2000 to 2003, he lived in Brookside as a young Anthony Murray. After winning the X Factor, he went on to record a swing album and rose to fame as a TV personality thanks to his victory on Dancing on Ice in 2009. In 2018 and 2019, Ray returned to his soap opera beginnings by joining the cast of Hollyoaks before putting out a follow-up album. Ray’s gigs were all put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic, so he chose to start out as a Hermes delivery driver before switching to the carpet fitting industry.
Brookside
A British television soap opera called Brookside is based in Liverpool, England. The show aired for 21 years, from 2 November 1982 to 4 November 2003 on the channel’s opening night. The show, which was initially going to be called Meadowcroft, was created by Phil Redmond, the creator of Grange Hill and Hollyoaks, and it was made by Mersey Television (now known as Lime Pictures). In the middle of the 1980s, Channel 4’s Brookside frequently had audiences in excess of eight million viewers and saw great popularity.
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