Coronation Street star pays loving tribute after deaths of two TV legends

Claire Sweeney 'Good Morning Britain' TV show, London, UK - 04 Mar 2024 — **Claire Sweeney shared a sweet montage of the late Dean Sullivan (Picture: ITV)**

Actress Claire Sweeney of Coronation Street paid homage to her former Brookside co-star Dean Sullivan by posting a series of old pictures.

After a brief illness, the actor, who gained worldwide recognition for his role as Jimmy Corkhill in the enduring Channel 4 soap opera, passed away in peace.

The actress Claire, who portrayed Lindsey Corkhill, the daughter of Jimmy, posted a montage of herself and Dean on Instagram.

“I was sent some photos from Dean Sullivan’s house, thank you Jamie,” she said as the post’s caption.

“They have deeply touched me, particularly the news that four of these exceptional men have departed.”

“I will always cherish these pictures and these memories. RIP, Paul O’Grady, Alan Miller, Gary Lawson, and Dean Sullivan.”

Fans praised Claire’s tweet much, and @shortie_2023 responded, saying, “I loved Dean in Brookside as Jimmy Corkhill.” I grew up seeing it and adored his character. I’ll have to search the internet for some older videos.

“Fab Pics Claire, great to see my darling brother Dean looking so happy in them,” @joysullainsta continued. Missing him terribly!

In an exclusive interview with Metro.co.uk last year, Dean assured us that the show’s devoted and steadfast audience will continue to identify him on a daily basis after the announcement that Brookside would rerun from the start.

Every day of his life, he claimed, “someone wants an autograph or a picture or they want to speak, they want to engage,” whenever he went out in public. They always tell me how much they adore Jimmy and are extremely appreciative to me.

And they’re just as perplexed as everyone else; many people are wondering why it ended. It was among the greatest TV shows ever, and among the greatest soap operas as well.

The actress often spoke about the potential of Brookside coming back to TV, much as Neighbours did when it was cancelled. She assured us that the Channel 4 soap opera would still have value in the modern world even though it first aired in 1982.