Brookside's 'Tinhead' to appear in soap revival

Actor Philip Olivier has said he is "surprised and delighted" to be reprising his role as "Tinhead" when Brookside returns to the screen later this year.

Filming is set to start in the famous Liverpool cul-de-sac as part of a one-off special crossover episode to mark Hollyoaks' 30th anniversary.

Liverpool-born Olivier will reprise the role of Timothy O'Leary, alongside Suzanne Collins as Nikki Shadwick.

"I remember my time on Brookside with great affection and will relish returning to the close," said Olivier, who has since gone on to star in Holby City and Benidorm.

"When I was first cast in Brookside aged 15, I would never have thought that 30 years on, people would still be calling me 'Tinhead', he added.

Collins said it had been "life changing getting cast in this role all those years ago".

"I've been lucky to work for nearly 30 years, all over the world with wonderful people, but nothing comes close to my Brookside family," she said.

"I feel like I'm going home.

Nikki Shadwick lived in Brookside from 1998 until the final episode in 2003.

Her father figure was Jimmy Corkhill, played by the late Dean Sullivan.

"It will be emotional without our darling Dean, but I think he will be looking down, beaming with pride and smiling down on us," Collins added.

Tinhead first came to screens in 1996.

He was the son of Carmel and Tommy O'Leary and brother to Ben and Melanie.

Tinhead developed a complex bond with Sinbad, played by Michael Starke, who became a positive influence.

After causing a near-fatal accident that almost killed his sister, Tinhead began to turn his life around.

Tinhead later found love with Nikki's sister Emily, played by Jennifer Ellison, and the pair married in 2001.

Fiercely protective of her, Tinhead's world unravelled when Emily drew him back into crime, leading to her tragic death during a 2002 robbery.

The actors will join Sue Johnston, who will return as matriarch Sheila Grant, later Corkhill, John McArdle as Billy Corkhill and Paul Usher as Barry Grant.

Conceived by Grange Hill and Hollyoaks creator Sir Phil Redmond, Brookside drew audiences of nine million viewers at its peak, before finishing on 4 November 2003.

The show, set in Liverpool, was known for its hard-hitting storylines and took on issues like rape, bullying and incest.

The final episode ended with Sullivan's Jimmy Corkhill daubing a "d" on the street sign so it read "Brookside Closed", before driving out of the cul-de-sac.

Filming is set take place in September on the close in the West Derby area of Liverpool.