More than 100 guests gathered aboard the MV Royal Daffodil on Saturday night, June 27, as former stars of the iconic Channel 4 soap Brookside reunited for a private celebration. The event brought together cast members and invited fans for an evening of live music, food, and memories, highlighting the soap's lasting cultural impact on Liverpool more than two decades after its final broadcast.
Renewed interest after crossover episode
The reunion comes amid renewed buzz around the Sir Phil Redmond-penned soap after Brookside returned to screens last year with a one-off crossover episode with Hollyoaks on October 22. Since the two soaps collided, actors Philip Olivier and Suzanne Collins have continued their Brookside roles as Tim "Tinhead" O'Leary and Nikki Shadwick in Hollyoaks. They joined fellow Brookside stars Louis Emerick and Michael Starke in the Cheshire village, whose characters Mick Johnson and Thomas "Sinbad" Sweeney set the crossover storyline in motion.
Second reunion hosted by Phillip
This reunion is the second to take place after the first party, hosted in January by Phillip, who owns the MV Royal Daffodil. He purchased the vessel in 2018 and transformed it into a bar and restaurant. Among those invited was 39-year-old Brookside fan Lee Brady from Huyton, who described the evening as "fantastic". He told the ECHO: "It was brilliant. I loved it. It's very rare we get invited to things like that, so it was really nice."
Fan's long-standing campaign
Lee was invited after years of campaigning to keep Brookside's legacy alive. He previously helped with the show's DVD campaign and has continued supporting fan efforts in recent years, including those surrounding the soap's return to streaming on STV Player. Speaking about the atmosphere on board, he said: "Everyone was coming in, all in good spirits, hugging each other and just having a laugh. They probably don't see each other that often nowadays because they're all doing different things."
Emotional reunions and familiar faces
The evening featured live entertainment, food, and drinks, with guests remaining on board from around 6:30pm until after 11pm. Lee noted some of the most touching moments came as cast members who had spent years working together on the famous close embraced once again. He said: "There were a couple of emotional reunions. When the Dixon family cast members got together, that was really nice. You could see everyone laughing, taking photographs, and catching up. It was lovely to see." The reunion welcomed a host of familiar faces from the Channel 4 soap, including Jennifer Ellison, Suzanne Collins, Sarah White, Louis Emerick, Philip Olivier, Robert Beck, and Robert Smith, alongside many other former cast members.
Enduring legacy of Brookside
For Lee, the event highlighted why Brookside continues to hold a special place in Liverpool's heart more than two decades after it left television screens. He said: "It's a big part of the history of the city. It tackled real issues and spoke about what was happening in the country. Shows aren't really like that anymore. I think because it's such a big part of Liverpool's heritage, people still want to see something happen with it. It'll always mean a lot to fans."
