The cast of Brookside gathered on the MV Royal Daffodil on Saturday night (June 27) for a spectacular reunion, marking 23 years since the beloved Channel 4 soap went off the air in 2003. More than 100 guests attended the private event, hosted by Sir Phil Redmond, the show's creator, who owns the vessel and turned it into a bar and restaurant in 2018.
Star-studded guest list
Among the attendees were Louis Emerick, Michael Starke, Jennifer Ellison, Suzanne Collins, Sarah White, Philip Olivier, Robert Beck, and Robert Smith. Many of these actors have reprised their roles in recent years, including Philip Olivier and Suzanne Collins as Tim "Tinhead" O'Leary and Nikki Shadwick in Hollyoaks, and Louis Emerick as Mick Johnson, who was retconned as Dee Valley police officer Donny Clarke.
The reunion featured live music, food, and drinks, with guests aboard from 6:30pm until after 11pm. Super-fan Lee Brady, 39, from Huyton, described the evening as 'fantastic' in an interview with the Liverpool Echo. 'It was brilliant. I loved it. It’s very rare we get invited to things like that, so it was really nice,' 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 lasting legacy
Lee noted emotional moments when cast members from the Dixon family reunited, sharing laughter and photographs. 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.'
Brookside, created by Sir Phil Redmond, was known for hard-hitting storylines such as the infamous body under the patio and the first pre-watershed lesbian kiss on British TV between Beth Jordache (Anna Friel) and Margaret Clemence (Nicola Stephenson). The soap also featured a gripping hospital hostage situation that earned cult status.
Lee, who has campaigned for years to keep Brookside's legacy alive, including helping with the DVD campaign and supporting its return to streaming on STV Player, emphasized the show's importance to Liverpool. '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,' he said. '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.'
The reunion is the second such event, following a party in January hosted by Sir Phil Redmond. The MV Royal Daffodil, purchased by Redmond in 2018, serves as a bar and restaurant. The evening was a celebration of the soap's enduring impact, with cast and fans alike reveling in memories of the iconic series.
