Brookside legend Claire Sweeney told not to take photos of soap's set by resident - until actress was recognised
Claire Sweeney recalled an emotional return to Brookside Close with her son - where she was initially told by a resident on the iconic cul-de-sac not to take photos until the star was recognised.
Claire Sweeney was initially told by a Brookside Close resident not to take pictures of the houses when she visited the former soap's set - until the actress was recognised.
After the Channel 4 show ended in 2003, the iconic West Derby, Liverpool, cul-de-sac - the setting for the programme - was sold to an anonymous purchaser at auction in December 2008, and the 13 houses were later turned from sets into habitable properties.
Earlier this year, Claire - who played Lindsey Corkhill on Brookside from 1991 until 2003 - visited the Close to show her son Jaxon, 10, where she once worked, and Claire, 54, wanted to capture her return by taking photos.
Despite initially being told to stop taking snaps by a female resident, the woman changed her mind when she realised it was Claire - who has her son with her ex-partner, Daniel Reilly - and even offered to take a picture for the actress.
Claire told the new issue of Woman magazine: "We were out shopping, and I went on a whim to show him where I used to work. We pulled into Brookside Close, and I became a bit emotional.
"I got out of the car with my camera, and a lady from one of the houses said, 'Sorry, luv, no photos, this is private property...'
"Then she did a double-take and said, 'Oh, hello, Claire! Do you want me to take a picture for you?'"
In October, Brookside Close was back on TV screens as part of a Brookside/Hollyoaks crossover episode to celebrate the latter Channel 4 soap's 30th anniversary.
Brookside stars Sue Johnston (Sheila Grant), Ricky Tomlinson (Bobby Grant), John McArdle (Billy Corkhill), Paul Usher (Barry Grant), Philip Olivier (Tim 'Tinhead' O'Leary), Suzanne Collins (Nikki Shadwick) and Michael Starke (Sinbad Sweeney) reprised their roles.
Claire was not involved due to her work on Coronation Street as Cassie Plummer, but she loved seeing Brookside back on TV.
She said: "I thought it was wonderful how much love there still is for Brookie. When the theme music came on, I had a little cry."
And Claire got even more emotional when she spotted the picture of Jimmy Corkhill - Dean Sullivan, who played Claire's on-screen dad Jimmy Corkhill, and died in 2023 - in Billy and Sheila's house.
She said: "Dean Sullivan was a huge part of Brookside."
