Two Brookside legends confirmed to reprise beloved roles for special Hollyoaks crossover episode
"I'm looking forward to seeing all of the old faces."
Actors John McArdle and Paul Usher are set to reprise their roles in Brookside for the TV soap’s highly anticipated return to our screens later this year.
The iconic Channel 4 soap is returning for a special one-off crossover episode to mark Hollyoaks’ 30th anniversary, which is set to air in October.
McArdle returns as Billy Corkhill while Usher will be back as Barry Grant in the revival.
They join Sue Johnston, who was previously confirmed to be reprising her role as Sheila Grant, later Corkhill.
McArdle, who plays the on-screen husband of Sheila, said of his return: "It’s going to be a nostalgic visit back to the famous close. Also I’ve got to try and find the character of Billy Corkhill again as I haven’t played him for 35 years!"
Usher added: "I'm looking forward to seeing all of the old faces."
McArdle played Billy in Brookside for five years before eventually departing from the soap in 1990, with the character leaving in the same episode as Sheila.
Usher’s Barry was one of the original characters from the soap’s debut episode in 1982, with the actor appearing on and off until the soap's finale in 2003.
The crossover was announced earlier in August, with executive producer Hannah Cheers calling it "a love letter to both Hollyoaks and Brookside".
She continued: "Brookside gave birth to Hollyoaks - it grew up on the same site and eventually took over its sets.
"For everyone at Lime Pictures (originally Mersey TV), Hollyoaks' history is deeply rooted in Brookside, and its legacy lives on through our crew and, of course, some of our cast."
She added: "This special feels like both a moving and fitting tribute to our origin story and a chance for fans to revisit much-loved Brookside characters in honour of that legacy.
"These iconic Brookside characters are soap archetypes that helped define British TV; soap archetypes that new generations are still discovering now through Hollyoaks."
Episodes of Brookside are available to watch on STV player. Hollyoaks is available to watch on catch-up on Channel4.com.
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Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.
