Brookside icon Anna Friel delivers verdict on revival - and whether she would return
Anna Friel played Beth Jordache in the iconic soap.
Soap fans everywhere are keenly awaiting the Brookside and Hollyoaks special episode, coming later this year to celebrate the latter's 30th anniversary.
Details about the episode have been sparse so far, but we do have a few updates on some of the famous faces from the past we can expect to see again.
So far, Ricky Tomlinson, Sue Johnston, John McArdle, Paul Usher and others are confirmed to return for the special episode. Fans will no doubt be keen to see what they've been up to on Brookside Close since the soap ended in 2003.
Someone also waiting to catch-up with the old gang is Anna Friel, who starred as Beth Jordache in the soap.
RadioTimes.com caught up with the actress at the National Television Award 2025 where she explained that sadly she won't be a part of the revival episode, but will certainly be tuning in.
When asked if she would be back, Friel said: "Well, I'm about to fly to Australia for work and I've just finished a new production called The Dream Lands which comes to the BBC in January. It's a dystopian drama set in 2038 and I'm really proud of it!
"So I'm happy to be doing that, but I wish [the Brookside team] luck and I can't wait to watch what they do and see all the old faces."
Friel praised Brookside for the training it gave her, explaining how it was a "great launch pad" for her.
"It was the best training for a 16-year-old entering the world of television I could ever have had," Friel added. "What was different then is that it was a real location and it was a single camera, and very tight scripts.
"Real location and long, long hours, many pages to learn every single night and five-day weeks... if you can do that at 16, well, you're set up for the rest. Here I am, 30 years later.
"It was the best training in the world, and what a great launch pad."
Friel played Beth Jordache for two years and her character was involved in some of the most memorable Brookside moments ever.
She was responsible for the killing and patio burial of her father Trevor (Bryan Murray) and was famously part of the first ever pre-watershed lesbian kiss on British television.
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Episodes of Brookside are available to watch on STV player. Hollyoaks is available to watch on catch-up on Channel 4.
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Helen Daly is the Deputy Digital Editor for Radio Times, overseeing new initiatives and commercial projects for the brand. She was previously Deputy TV Editor at a national publication. She has a BA in English Literature and an MA in Media & Journalism from Newcastle University.
