The cast of Brookside made the show the soap to watch back in the 1980s and 1990s, with storylines that never failed to push boundaries – but who were its biggest stars?
The Channel 4 soap launched in 1982 and catapulted some seriously good actors into the limelight.
Can you believe that TV legend Amanda Burton, who recently returned to Silent Witness, made her acting debut on Brookside?
Or that Sue Johnston, who played Sheila Grant, also made her first-ever TV appearance on Brookside?
Here’s a run down of the biggest stars to come out of Brookside, from 1982 to 2003.
Brookside cast: Amanda Burton starred as Heather Black
Actress Amanda Burton made her TV debut in Brookside in 1982.
She starred in 143 episodes, until she left in 1985 under a cloud of hairspray and failed romance.
Amanda portrayed unlucky-in-love Heather Haversham – also known as Heather Black and Heather Huntington (we told you she was unlucky in love!).
Heather was one of the show’s original characters. And she starred in the first-ever episode which was broadcast on November 2 1982.
Heather and her husband at the time, Roger Huntington, were young professionals – or “yuppies”.
Actress Amanda later described her first significant TV role as life-changing.
She told the The Independent: “Suddenly, I had a sense of belonging.
“Brookside really was like a family. And it gave me so much confidence.”
Of course, the actress went on to become one of the UK’s best-loved stars.
She went on to appear in the likes of Inspector Morse, Boon, Peak Practice, Minder and Lovejoy.
She is probably most famous for her portrayal of Sam Ryan in the BBC crime drama Silent Witness, a role she played from 1996 to 2004.
The actress went on to star in The Commander, before winning the role opposite Tom Hardy in the 2008 film Bronson.
More recently, she has portrayed Karen Fisher in Waterloo Road, Cherie Le Saux in The Level and June Bamber in White House Farm.
In 2020, she played crime boss Katherine Maguire in series three of Marcella on ITV.
Amanda, now 65, also starred as Lady Shelton in the 2021 TV series Anne Boleyn.
She also made a very popular return to Silent Witness in 2022 for the show’s 25th anniversary.
Ricky Tomlinson portrayed Bobby Grant
Former plasterer Ricky Tomlinson portrayed Bobby Grant in Brookside from 1982 to 1988.
And, it’s fair to say, he had a pretty torrid time of it on Brookside Close.
His wife Sheila was raped, his son Damon was stabbed to death and his adopted son was eternally dodgy Barry Grant.
Unsurprisingly perhaps, the pair finally split in May 1988 with Bobby taking the decision to leave Sheila.
Fans were saddened to see Bobby leave the Close, but it certainly wasn’t the last we saw of actor Ricky.
Ricky, now 82, went on to become a big star of TV and film.
Of course, The Royle Family fans will know he went on to reunite with his Brookside screen wife Sue Johnson in the comedy series.
Ricky played Jim Royle, opposite Sue Johnston’s Barbara from 1998 to 2012.
Some of his most popular roles have also included DCI Charlie Wise in Cracker, Ronnie Anderson in Clocking Off, Jim Pratt in Playing the Field and Eddie McMullen in Nice Guy Eddie.
Film roles have included the lead role in Mike Bassett: England Manager, Paedo Pete in Grimsby, and Leopold Durant in The 51st State.
He’s still acting, and recently popped up in The Witchfinder, Tales of the Creeping Death and TV movie Matopulas.
Brookside cast: Sue Johnston played Sheila Grant
Sue Johnston played Sheila Grant in Brookside from the very first episode in 1982, until her departure in 1989 (one year after her screen husband).
One of her most horrific storylines saw the character raped in 1986.
Sheila later discovered she was pregnant as a result of the rape but had a miscarriage.
Everyone was a suspect, including family friend Matty Nolan, and most residents of Brookside Close.
It was later revealed that a taxi driver raped Sheila.
After the breakdown of her marriage, and the death of her son Damon, Sheila eventually left Brookside.
But not before marrying Billy Corkhill.
As well as her beloved role in The Royle Family opposite Brookie co-star Ricky Tomlinson, Sue is well known to TV viewers.
Sue, now 78, is a brilliant litmus test of whether a drama is any good.
If she’s in it, it’s safe to watch!
She played Grace Foley in the BBC drama Waking the Dead, Gloria Price in the ITV soap Coronation Street and Miss Denker in the ITV drama Downton Abbey.
Recently, she starred in the C5 thriller Witness Number 3.
Anna Friel starred as Beth Jordache
Actress Anna Friel was catapulted to fame after her stint on Brookside.
She played Beth Jordache between 1993 and 1995.
Although she was only in the Channel 4 soap for two years, she certainly made an impact.
Fans will know she was involved in the explosive ‘body under patio’ storyline.
Beth helped her mum Mandy cover up the murder of Trevor Jordache, after she stabbed him to death in self defence.
Of course, Anna’s character Beth was also one half of the very famous gay kiss, which is still one of the most-talked-about soap storylines of all time.
Beth died in jail after being sent down for her part in the murder.
Anna’s career went from good to even better after she left the soap.
She’d already starred as Susan Nelson in G.B.H., Belinda Johnson in Corrie and Poppy Bruce in Emmerdale before appearing in Brookside.
She went on to play Prue in the film Land Girls, Maddy in Mad Cows, Holly Cantrell in Land of the Lost and Melissa in Limitless.
TV series roles have included Lisa in Deep Water, Vicky Duffy in Butterfly and Charlotte ‘Chuck’ Charles in Pushing Up Daisies.
Anna is now 46, and her career continues with big hitting TV series like Marcella, The Box and Deep Water, as well as films Charming the Hearts of Men, Books of Blood and Sulpher and White.
She enjoyed a fair amount of success in the States, too.
Brookside cast: Simon O’Brien portrayed Damon Grant
Actor Simon O’Brien, now 57, played teen heart-throb Damon Grant in Brookside from 1982 to 1987.
Damon was the son of married couple Bobby and Sheila.
He was also the first-ever Brookside character to get his own spin-off show as a result of his popularity.
In 1987, Damon and girlfriend Debbie – played by Gillian Kearney – appeared in the three-parter Damon and Debbie.
The lovebirds ran away to get married, but their happiness was tragically cut short when he was stabbed to death.
Actor Simon went on to play the Lighthouse Keeper in a British version of Jim Henson’s children’s telly classic Fraggle Rock for a year until 1990.
Following a spell presenting football show Standing Room Only and a role in US sitcom Out All Night, he moved away from showbiz.
The cycling fan went on to open to open a vegetarian cafe and cycle shop as he moved into property development.
However, in 2003, he returned to TV as a caretaker in Grange Hill. And for several months in the mid-noughties he was a host for BBC Radio Merseyside.
2022 has seen him return to soapland. He is currently guest-starring as Frank Bardsley, Sean Tully’s love interest – and a childhood nemesis of George Shuttleworth – in Corrie.
Paul Usher played Barry Grant
Another Brookside original, Barry Grant was the only character to appear in the soap’s debut and final episodes.
The hard man rogue became a murderer when he bumped off Sue Sullivan and her son Danny for a 1,000th episode whodunit storyline.
But despite his crimes, the ruthless businessman always doted on his mum Sheila. He was shown to be concerned and considerate in the wake of her rape ordeal. Indeed, Barry was so protective it caused ruptions in his relationship with his dad Bobby.
However, the character’s popularity was tested when he threatened to kill a dog, generating complaints and news coverage.
Barry later struck up a relationship with Tracy Corkhill. But that came with plenty of complications as by that time his mum was involved with her dad.
Actor Paul had several regular and guest stints on the soap throughout Brookside’s run. He first took a break in 1984 to concentrate on his music career – and that saw Barry moving to Wolverhampton.
But before too long, Barry was back and he hung around until 1995. Paul reportedly moved on at that point due to disagreements with bosses over his character’s development.
However, Paul returned as Barry once again a couple of years later, messing Lindsey Corkhill about in the process.
Nonetheless, by the time it came for the final episode, Barry was back on the scene. And he patched things up with Lindsey off screen.
Other telly roles Paul has portrayed include a gangster in Z Cars. He also played PC Des Taviner in The Bill between 2001 and 2004.
And in 2019, Paul returned to his soap roots as EastEnders‘ Danny Hardcastle. A money-laundering associate of Phil Mitchell, Danny ordered the trafficking of Phil’s daughter Louise as their feud escalated.
Brookside cast: Bryan Murray starred as Trevor Jordache
Trevor Jordache’s unforgettable Brookside legacy often belies the fact Irish actor Bryan Murray didn’t play him for very long.
Even in 2022, nearly 30 years later, Trevor’s murder and subsequent disposal under the patio is still celebrated in the annals of soap history.
Ex convict Trevor – sentenced for assaulting wife Mandy, but not for sexually abusing teen daughter Beth – turned up on the Close in March 1993.
But just under two months later he was bumped off by Mandy and Beth in the most brutal fashion.
Their plot to poison him with weed killer and painkillers didn’t hit the spot. But when he attacked Beth, Mandy finally finished him with a kitchen knife.
Trevor’s body lay undisturbed for two years until a leak meant the patio was dug up. However, Bryan’s career was far from buried.
Now 73, viewers already knew him for playing Shifty Boswell in 49 episodes of another show set in Liverpool – BBC sitcom Bread.
And following his stint on Brookside, he appeared in The Bill twice as two regular characters. Bryan also played James Roberts in five episodes across Casualty and Holby City in 1998 and 1999.
Other TV showings have included roles in Silent Witness and The Tudors. And away from the box, Bryan is an esteemed stage actor, commanding roles in Dublin’s Abbey and Gate Theatres, as well as in London’s West End and for the RSC.
Michael Starke played Sinbad
Loveable window cleaner and sometime blagger Sinbad first popped up in 1984. Actor Michael Starke, however, was an extra on Brookside before the part was created by Jimmy McGovern.
A stint working in Mick Johnson’s fish and chip came to premature end due an unfortunate food poisoning outbreak involving a stale pie.
And Sinbad’s gaffe-prone ways later took a turn very much for the worse when indecent pictures of children were discovered on his computer.
Even though Sinbad wasn’t at fault, other Brookside Close residents were not quick to accept the hapless character’s innocence. And so, 16 years after his debut, Sinbad departed in 2000.
Michael’s acting career – particularly after he reportedly initially admitted to not having a clue how TV performances worked – continued to flourish, however.
Shortly after leaving Brookside, he appeared in the Christmas 2000 special of Casualty. He also went on to play Kenneth Hopkirk in The Royal and also had a memorable part in Benidorm.
Soaps have really continued to be a home for the telly fave. Michael spent 18 months as the original Weatherfield kebab shop proprietor Jerry Morton in 2007 and 2008. And he has also turned up in Doctors and he played a Hollyoaks taxi driver on a few occasions in 2021.
Additionally, Michael – who is now 64 – has appeared in several pantos and enjoyed roles in touring productions of musicals Hairspray, Sister Act, Anything Goes and Our Day Out. Furthermore, Michael has also performed in cabaret on cruise ships.
Brookside cast: Dean Sullivan was Jimmy Corkhill
Jimmy Corkhill, often regarded by fans as the beating heart of Brookside, ended up as its longest-tenured character.
He was introduced in 1986 as the shifty brother of Billy Corkhill, eventually convincing him to wreck his house and claim on the insurance.
Within a few years, Jimmy became a lynchpin character. And actor Dean Sullivan gained plaudits for his partnership with on-screen wife Jackie (played by Sue Jenkins).
Jimmy took on a variety of jobs, including working for Mick Johnson, and as a barman and bouncer. He was also a school caretaker and a history teacher. But addiction often interrupted his life – and his relationship.
Indeed, in 1994, Dean is believed to have suggested Jimmy could be killed off after taking ecstasy as a warning to younger viewers.
But Jimmy remained in Brookside. And other memorable plots saw him wear a Gestapo uniform to mark the anniversary of the Normandy Landings and his convict son being murdered by drug dealers.
He also suffered with manic depression, nearly took his own life until daughter Lindsey talked him out of it and slept with younger neighbour Nikki Hardwick following the second siege experienced by residents.
Dean has remained a dedicated standard-bearer for Brookside in the years following its cancellation. He even reportedly attempted to buy the Brookside Close set in 2008, with the hope of reviving the soap.
At one point he hosted a daily radio show in Liverpool and has also appeared in Doctors and 2012 documentary-style drama Crime Stories.
Alexandra Fletcher played Jacqui Dixon
Jacqui and her family – including her two siblings Tony, and Mike (played by Paul Byatt) – arrived on Brookside Close in 1990 when actress Alexandra was 14.
The Dixons went through a torrid time in rapid order as the family collapsed following dad Ron’s affair with Bev McLoughlin.
However, Bev ended up getting pregnant by Mike. And after Ron and DD rowed at a neighbour’s wedding because Bev turned up, Jacqui’s other brother Tony ended up dying in a car crash as he tried to get away from his feuding folks in a prang caused by a coked up Jimmy Corkhill.
Of course, many more disasters would befall the Dixons. But incredibly, all of them – Tony aside – would make it into 2000s alive, with only DD departing before the soap ended in 2003.
Jacqui became a mum in 1998 to son Harry, who she shared with Max Farnham, originally as a surrogate. However, she later married Max – whose previous wife died after he pushed her down the stairs – in 2001.
After Brookside ended, soap work set in the north west continued to feature in Alexandra’s career.
That’s because she became a Hollyoaks regular in 2010 – and she still plays Diane O’Connor in 2022.
She is perhaps most associated with the storyline regarding her character’s IVF treatment. But she was also a suspect in the ‘who shot Mercedes McQueen’ plot.
Elsewhere, Alexandra – who trained as a fitness instructor during a break from acting in the 2000s – has also been a Loose Women panelist and a Celebrity Masterchef contestant. She participated in 2010, the year Lisa Faulkner won.
Brookside cast: Louis Emerick played Mick Johnson
Mick Johnson was introduced to Brookside viewers in April 1989 and, in all, enjoyed a 12-year stint on the soap.
Viewed as dependable, the taxi driver character played by Louis Emerick still struggled with an obsession with steroids and a love triangle that included his brother Ellis.
Mick was also stalked by Jenny Swift and was central to an euthanasia storyline concerning his mother- in-law Gladys.
Louis has hardly stopped working since he moved on from the role in August 2001.
Corrie fans will immediately recognise him for playing retired teacher and French-speaking taxi driver Mike Thornberry, who fancied Liz McDonald but backed off due to Johnny Connor’s interest.
But Louis also enjoyed run in Last of the Summer Wine as PC Walsh and Casualty as Mike Bateman. Indeed, he reunited with Suzanne Packer to play Tess Bateman’s husband on the BBC hospital drama – and Suzanne previously played his on-screen Brookie spouse Josie Johnson!
Louis has also had memorable parts in the likes of Cold Feet, Merseybeat, Doctors, Waterloo Road, Holby City, Zapped, Vera and The Outlaws, as well as appearing in slick Daniel Craig gangster flick Layer Cake.
Gillian Kearney starred as Debbie McGrath
Debbie McGrath and her boyfriend Damon were dubbed in the press at the time as ‘Romeo and Juliet in trackies’… not least because she was underage at the start of their young love affair.
First appearing at the end of 1986, Gillian played Debbie until September 1989. Her relationship with Damon was a constant source of difficulty with both of their parents. It also spilled over into a spin-off mini series where they eloped.
However, Damon ended up murdered during the five-episode run. And Debbie – now pregnant – returned to Brookie before her final scenes a year later with her baby before leaving for good to make a new life at university.
For Gillian however, Brookside was just the start of her television career.
Other telly career highlights include the lead role in 1999s Sex, Chips & Rock n’ Roll as well as regular role as Sue Garland in Shameless.
Gillian also enjoyed a two-year run in Casualty between 2008 and 2010. And in 2015 she played Emma Barton for two years – and 355 episodes – in Emmerdale.
She has also appeared in the likes of Casualty, Heartbeat, Hetty Wainthropp Investigates and Liverpool 1. Viewers of Hope and Glory, Midsomer Murders, Primeval and Silent Witness will also recognise her.
Additionally, Debbie played a younger version of the titular character in Shirley Valentine very early on in her career and Cynthia Lennon in an NBC TV movie biopic about her character’s husband.
Brookside cast: Jennifer Ellison portrayed Emily Shadwick
Emily was the rebellious 15-year-old daughter of Greg and Margi Shadwick when she arrived on Brookside in 1998. She had two elder siblings, too – Nikki and Jason.
Her best pal was Kelly Musgrove, despite the fact her older brother was accused of drugging and raping Nikki.
In 1998, an explosion at the Millennium Club killed both her dad and Jason. At the time, Greg was having an affair with Susannah Farnham, and he was found naked in the shower. Jason, meanwhile, died trying to reach his dad and was squashed by rubble.
Margi moved away to Brussels following the dramatic blast – while Emily started a hate campaign against Susannah, who survived.
Elsewhere, Emily got together with Tinhead O’Leary (played by Philip Oliver). But sadly there would be no happy ending for Emily.
Following the second armed siege on Brookside, when bank robbers took residents hostage, Emily fell from a bedroom window when trying to escape. She ended up in a coma and died several weeks later.
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Jennifer’s profile, however, flourished after she moved on from Brookside in 2003. She soon appeared alongside Gerard Butler in a film version of The Phantom of the Opera. Jennifer also appeared – and won – the 2004 series of Hell’s Kitchen.
A pin-up career in lads’ mags also took off, and Jennifer also covered Transvision Vamp’s Baby I Don’t Care, reaching number six in the singles charts.
She also had a run on Loose Women as a panelist and acted in Hotel Babylon and New Street Law.
Now a mum of three, Jennifer also fronted two fitness DVDs and placed fourth in the 2012 series of Dancing On Ice.
She has also enjoyed a busy stage career, particularly in the decade following her time on Brookside. This included runs in the West End and touring productions of Chicago, Boeing-Boeing, Calendar Girls, Legally Blonde and Singin’ In The Rain.
Nicola Stephenson starred as Margaret Clemence
Nanny Margaret, who was a character in Brookside between 1990 and 1994, was a lodger with the Farnhams.
Forever known as the other half of that groundbreaking TV kiss with Beth Jordache, Margaret also had a relationship with priest Derek.
He was DD Dixon’s brother – and DD did her best to split them up. The relationship eventually went down after Derek went to Bosnia and Margaret moved onto an affair with married Carl Banks.
But the pull of Bosnia and Derek was too strong – and so Margaret departed Brookside looking to revive her relationship with him.
Actress Nicola was just 19 when she joined the Brookside cast. Two years beforehand she had a three-episode role on Coronation Street as Priscilla Millbanks. She also had a recurring role on Children’s Ward as Amanda.
After Brookside, Nicola has gone on to numerous lead TV roles. This includes runs in Holby City, Clocking Off, Christmas Lights and Dead Man Weds.
She has also portrayed central characters in the likes of Wokenwell, The Chase, Superstorm, City Lights and Homefront.
Furthermore, Nicola has also appeared in Casualty, The Bill, Waking the Dead, Lark Rise to Candleford, Law & Order: UK and Jimmy McGovern’s Moving On.
And in the last decade or so she’s also been in New Tricks, Waterloo Road, Agatha Raisin and Silent Witness.
She’s starred in children’s shows All at Sea and The Dumping Ground, as well as The Worst Witch between 2017 and 2020.
Soap fans will also remember her five-month stay on Emmerdale as Tess Harris in 2015 and 2016. Teaching assistant Tess – married to Pierce Harris – was dramatically killed off in a hit and run accident. Until her abrupt death she was having an affair with Paddy Kirk.
Nicola is also an esteemed stage actress, with credits for the Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theatre and London’s West End.
Brookside cast: Claire Sweeney played Lindsey Corkhill
Lindsey Corkhill first popped up on Brookside as a recurring character in 1991 and 1992. She then became a regular from 1995 until 2001 and occasionally appeared until the show’s end in 2003.
Lindsey had a bit of a superior attitude towards the rest of her family, and neighbours. But her husband Gary undercut any pretensions she may have, as he was a drug dealer. He also neglected her – and Lindsey soon fell in love with Brookside neighbour Mike Dixon.
However, strife between the Corkhills and Dixons still existed from the time Lindsey’s dad was involved in the car crash that killed Tony Dixon. This being Brookside, things could – of course – still get worse.
Lindsey and Mike settled on moving to Australia – but Gary planted drugs on them and they were arrested while passing through Thailand. A campaign by their parents to release them was ultimately successful. But Lindsey and Mike’s time together was ended after he failed to credit her properly in his book about the ordeal.
Lindsey went on to marry Peter Phelan and have an affair with Barry Grant before Gary comes back on the scene to threaten her for money. However, Lindsey possessed an even bigger threat and saw him off with a gun. Eventually, despite her marriage to Peter, Lindsey moved away for good with Barry and her dad to Newcastle.
From Brookside to Celebrity Big Brother
Actress Claire Sweeney, meanwhile, has become a showbiz and tabloid darling since her time on Brookie.
She was the runner-up in the first-ever series of Celebrity Big Brother in 2001. Remember when Jack Dee won? That was 21 years ago! Also participating in that initial run were Keith Duffy, Anthea Turner, Vanessa Feltz and Chris Eubank.
That year she also presented ITV’s Challenge of a Lifetime and played Roxie Hart in a West End production of Chicago.
Claire’s popularity was also reflected in how many brands she became the face of. She had deals with Marks & Spencer and SlimFast, among others.
2002 saw her release her album, Claire, which made it to number 15 in the charts.
And the next year saw Claire make her debut on Loose Women, as well as competing in the first series of Strictly. Teaming up with John Byrnes, they were the fourth dance couple eliminated.
Claire also fronted 60 Minute Makeover between 2004 and 2006. She is also a panto regular and has also starred in stage productions of Guys and Dolls, Tell Me on a Sunday, Educating Rita and Legally Blonde.
Sunetra Sarker portrayed Nisha Batra
Nisha, played by Sunetra Sarker, appeared in Brookside for two spells between 1988 and 1991, and 2000 and 2003.
She worked in a supermarket after school – although her strict parents thought she spent that time studying at the library.
In the summer of 1989, Nisha and pal Sammy Rogers were involved in a car accident after a night out. The driver of their car died and a later inquest revealed a lot of untruths were supplied by witnesses.
This sad event, plus Nisha’s renewed efforts with her studies, saw the friends drift apart.
Nearly a decade later, Nisha turned up again – and was now a nurse. During her second stint, Nisha had affairs with Jermone Johnson and Gary Parr. She also had a notable scrap in a pub with Emily Shadwick after her sister Nikki blasted Nisha at the climax of a dramatic karaoke performance.
Sunetra, meanwhile, appeared in London’s Burning and Cold Feet (which she returned to in 2020) during her time between Brookside stays.
She then went on to command roles in Playing the Field, No Angels and Ideal, as well as appearing in Emmerdale and Doctors.
Sunetra is also familiar to telly viewers for her lengthy run as Dr Zoe Hanna in Casualty. She has also directed two episodes of the hospital drama.
Appearances in Doctor Who, Death in Paradise, Broadchurch, The Bay and Ackley Bridge have also earned her deserved plaudits, lead roles and an increased profile.
And, as herself, she’s been a regular Loose Women panelist and was a 2007 Celebrity Masterchef contestant.
Plus, in 2014, Sunetra teamed up with Brendan Cole for Strictly Come Dancing. The series was won by Caroline Flack and Pasha Kovalev. But Sunetra made it to the latter stages of the competition before being eliminated in week 10.
Brookside cast: John McArdle starred as Billy Corkhill
John actually played two characters in Brookside. He is best remembered as sparky and factory worker Billy Corkhill, who suffered with mental health and money problems.
But the most ardent Brookside devotees will also recall he played Mr Todd early on, alongside his 83 appearances as Billy between 1985 and 1990.
Married to Doreen and father to Rod and Tracy, the family’s trouble with debt saw their utilities cut off and TV repossessed.
Billy also ended up serving time behind bars after smacking Tracy’s geography teacher with whom she was having an affair.
He was also convinced by his brother Jimmy Corkhill to stage a burglary and wreck his own home for an insurance payout.
When a huge hole appeared in the middle of the Close, neighbours took to driving over Billy’s garden to avoid it.
This, along with other issues, led to his wellbeing becoming increasingly strained and Billy suffered a dramatic breakdown.
Not only did he get his revenge by taking his car on a rampage over his neighbours’ front gardens, he also took part in the armed robbery of a supermarket.
Billy later married Sheila Grant. But it was hardly a happy ending for Billy. Tracy feuded with his new wife and they ended up moving to Basingstoke.
Actor John has subsequently enjoyed a rich acting career, with plenty of appearances on TV.
Among other roles, he has appeared in Cracker, Wycliffe, Heartbeat, Kavanagh QC, Peak Practice, Vera and New Tricks.
He also made six appearances as Oliver Mead in Waterloo Road in 2010. And between 2016 and 2017, he memorably played Ronnie Hale – former lover of Lawrence White – in Emmerdale for 116 episodes.
Barry Sloane played Sean Smith
After training as both a musician and an actor, Barry Sloane landed his first professional job in a 2000 TV film about John Lennon.
The part of Sean Smith came his way in 2002 – and over the next years he made 65 appearances in the soap.
The violent husband of Ruth Smith was yet another foul neighbour on the Close, being a child abuser to boot.
2003 also saw him in the BAFTA-winning Pleasureland before he played Niall Rafferty in Hollyoaks in 2007 and 2008.
He also turned up in The Bill, Doctors, Casualty and Holby City before some memorable turns on DCI Banks and, most recently, as Chris Fischer in The Bay.
Barry has also enjoyed US TV success with his roles in Revenge, The Whispers, Longmire, Saints & Strangers, Six and LA’s Finest.
He’s also an award-winning performer for video games, having picked up a BAFTA as Captain Price in several Call of Duty games.
And he also bagged a role in one of British theatre’s most lauded plays in Jez Butterworth’s Jerusalem. He appeared in the original run of the play as Tony Whitworth in 2009 and continued in the part when Jerusalem transferred to the West End and Broadway.
Brookside cast: Ray Quinn starred as Anthony Murray
Yes, that Ray Quinn was in Brookside a few years before he was warbling as an ‘unknown’ talent on The X Factor.
Although back in 2000, when he began his three-year stint as Anthony Murray, Ray was credited as Raymond Quinn.
He was just 12 years old when he first played the tormented character. And Anthony certainly went through the wringer.
His storylines included seeing him drown Imelda Clough in 2002 and being hospitalised after overdosing on crack cocaine in 2003.
That’s even more brutal than a tongue-lashing from Simon Cowell. Nonetheless, he’s made it clear he’d be up for reprising his role if Brookside ever has a comeback.
Ray also played a wrong ‘un before being exposed to reality TV viewers as a young criminal on Merseybeat.
However, it was his participation in the 2006 ITV singing series that made his (new) name.
Then 18, Ray sailed through Bootcamp with his renditions of swing songs. He was then mentored for the live shows by Simon.
Despite a wobble in week 5 which saw him in the bottom two, Ray went on to the series final. He finished in second place, after winning act Leona Lewis.
But within weeks Ray signed with Simon’s SYCO label and in March 2007 released Doing It My Way. His swing album – what else? – entered the charts at number one, with sales ensuring it went platinum.
This feat ensured he was the first person ever to have a number one album without releasing a single! And later in the year he embarked on a national tour.
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After X Factor
Since then Ray has had his fingers in many pies. In 2009 he won Dancing On Ice, racking up high scores week after week. He returned to the rink in 2014 for an All Star series – and was victorious, crowned the ultimate champion, once again.
He came in for more reality TV success in 2015 when he took part in celebrity talent show Get Your Act Together. That involved him learning how to do impressions.
Ray has also enjoyed a career on stage. 2009 saw him spend six months playing Danny Zuko in a West End production of Grease. And he has appeared in several pantos across the country.
In late 2018 Ray joined the cast of Hollyoaks as Jonny Baxter, a right-wing extremist. He was part of the soap for a year.
Thirteen years after his first album, Ray released his second album – Undeniable – in 2020.
At this point, during the coronavirus pandemic, Ray shared he was working as a delivery driver.
He also worked as carpet fitter with his brothers. But he has since returned to showbiz and is currently touring with his King of Swing show.
Read more: Brookside fans believe soap predicted the coronavirus pandemic
Select Brookside episodes are available to watch on All 4.
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