Brookside, the iconic Liverpool soap that aired from 1982 to 2003, is set for a special return later this year in a crossover episode with Hollyoaks, marking the latter's 30th anniversary. The episode, airing in October, will pay tribute to creator Sir Phil Redmond and bring back some of the show's most memorable characters.
The Corkhill family, one of the soap's most famous clans, moved to The Close in the 1980s, initially comprising Billy, his wife Doreen, and their teenage children Rod and Tracy. As Brookside prepares for its comeback, we revisit the Corkhills and their current whereabouts.
Billy Corkhill, played by John McArdle, struggled with financial woes and mental health issues. After leaving the soap in 1990, John appeared in series such as Merseybeat, Heartbeat, Casualty, The Bill, Holby City, and Waterloo Road. He also performed on stage and joined Emmerdale in 2016 as Ronnie Hale, with recent appearances in Doctors.
Doreen Corkhill, portrayed by Kate Fitzgerald, had a dramatic exit storyline involving a broken marriage and abandoning her children. Kate is also known for playing Nancy Tinker in Coronation Street and appeared in Benidorm from 2017. Her other credits include The Bill, Casualty, Queer as Folk, and a Cilla Black biopic.
Rod Corkhill, played by Jason Hope, earned the nickname 'Rod the Plod' after joining the police force. After leaving Brookside, Jason reportedly worked as a hairdresser and appeared on the ITV programme 'After They Were Famous'. Tracy Corkhill, played by Justine Kerrigan, featured in a 'soap bubble' mini-series titled South in 1988, which followed her character and Jamie Henderson trying to start anew in London. Justine has since reconnected with former colleagues on social media.
