Nikki Shadwick star Suzanne Collins spoke to the ECHO in an exclusive interview as she returned to the famous close for the one-off special
18:20, 12 Sep 2025Updated 07:00, 13 Sep 2025
Suzanne Collins and Philip Olivier on set for the return of Brookside(Image: Kerry Spicer/Channel 4 )
Suzanne Collins said it felt like a dream to be back on Brookside Close. The soap star is renowned for her role as Nikki Shadwick on the iconic Liverpool set show.
She 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. The 47-year-old has reprised her role for the special one-off crossover episode, which will be broadcast next month in celebration of Hollyoaks’ 30th anniversary.
Nikki was on set earlier this month when camera crews returned to the residential area in West Derby for one day only. Pictures captured by the ECHO showed a heart-warming scene play out as she embraced co-stars Philip Olivier and Michael Starke. Nikki spoke to the ECHO on set and said she was overcome with excitement to be back in the place where she rose to stardom.
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.'” Suzanne shared sadness that Dean was unable to be a part of the episode after his death in 2023, aged 68.
Nikki Shadwick and Philip Olivier on set in Brookside(Image: Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)
The episode will be broadcast in tribute to the late stars that made Brookside so special as Sir Phil Redmond said in his statement after the announcement: “It is always bitter sweet thinking back to Brookie, the reminders of its success and impact, but the thoughts of many, like Dean Sullivan and Bill Dean, who are no longer with us.
“But it is great that Lime Pictures are paying homage in their Hollyoaks anniversary cross over episodes. I can’t wait to see how all the gardens are coping in the heatwave and, who knows, what might pop up if someone decides to re-lay their patio. I know we left something else down there.”
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.
Jennifer Ellison and Nikki Shadwick in Brookside(Image: Mirrorpix)
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.”
The Hollyoaks/Brookside crossover episode will air next month. In addition to Suzanne, Phil and Michael, Ricky Tomlinson, Sue Johnston, John McArdle and Paul Usher have all been confirmed for the special episode.