Philip Olivier and Suzanne Collins will reprise their roles in Hollyoaks after the incredible response to last year’s crossover episode
Suzanne Collins and Philip Olivier will be reprising their Brookside characters in Hollyoaks(Image: Liverpool Echo)
Brookside stars Philip Olivier and Suzanne Collins were thrilled as they joined the cast of Hollyoaks. The two actors reprised their roles from the classic Liverpool set soap for the special crossover episode that was broadcast in October last year.
Philip, known for his role as Tim ‘Tinhead’ O’Leary, and Suzanne, known for her role as Nikki Shadwick, shared the screen together during their appearance in the crossover episode. It has now been confirmed that Tinhead and Nikki will be making the move to Hollyoaks as the lines between the two soaps continue to blur.
A trailer has been released for the episodes, which teases a burgeoning romance with Tinhead and Hollyoaks character, Liberty Savage, played by Jessamy Stoddart. Reacting to the career news, Philip said: “I’m so happy to be back in the building. Tinhead’s got a new fling this time around but he’s also got some unfinished business lurking in the background.”
In the trailer, Nikki is seen to be making friends with Mercedes McQueen, played by Jennifer Metcalfe, at a rehab facility. Suzanne is thrilled to be sharing the screen with a fan favourite on the show.
She said “I couldn’t believe my luck when I saw Nikki has a friendship with the iconic Mercedes. I’m a huge fan of Jen, always have been. She’s an incredible actress.
“The response to the crossover was incredible, so warm and positive. I’ve been sworn to secrecy, but since getting the news that Nikki would be returning I’ve been floating around on cloud nine with the biggest secret smile on my face.”
Hollyoaks is available to stream from 7am Monday to Wednesday on Channel 4 or watch live on E4 at 7pm. The trailer for the upcoming episodes is available to watch now on YouTube.
Suzanne spoke to the ECHO on the set of Brookside Close on an historic day when filming resumed for one day only last September. She said in an exclusive interview: “I just did not sleep a wink last night with absolute excitement and giddiness with coming back here. Being with all the cast and the crew and the makeup and the wardrobe. I feel like I’m dreaming.
“It feels very surreal seeing everyone again. All’s we’ve done is cuddle and cry, but it’s been lovely.” Nikki explained how Brookside is the site of so many special memories for her and was even where she discovered she was pregnant with her first child.
Pointing to one of the famous houses on the close, she said: “I fainted just there. I was doing the last scenes with [late Jimmy Corkhill star] Dean Sullivan. Apparently, I was talking as I fainted. That’s how I found out how I was pregnant.
“When people say Brookside, she [her daughter Mya, 21] doesn’t have a clue so it’s so nice that I can say: ”This is it, babe.'”
Nikki made made her debut in the L12 cul-de-sac in 1998 and was one of the key characters in the show until it came to an end in 2003.
Although Brookside ended over two decades ago when Jimmy daubed a ‘d’ onto the sign, leaving it as ‘Brookside Closed’, the show remains a cultural cornerstone in Liverpool.
Suzanne told the ECHO this is emblematic of how special the soap was to the city as she said: “It’s so special.”
She added: “Even before I was in it. When you were away from home, you’d see Brookside, you’d see home and you’d hear our voices. That was the biggest thing. It was just ours.”
Brookside made waves with the way it was unafraid to tackle sensitive issues and Suzanne said this is why it continues to resonate. She said: “My drug rape storyline was massive.
“It was so hard hitting. When you see the disclaimer on the telly, ‘if you’ve been affected by this storyline, please call this number’. We were the first to do that.
“No one had actually been arrested for it. It was weird because Phil Redmond always knew what was going to happen in the future. With this drug rape thing, there was a DJ who got arrested for it. The letters and people who stopped you to say that storyline helped them was just mad.”
