Claire Sweeney thought iconic soap Brookside was "dead and buried", but now isn't so sure, as calls continue for the show to come back.
The Channel 4 soap broke boundaries when it aired in 1982, tackling social issues, including rape, bullying and incest, but came to an end in 2003 amid plummeting ratings.
Earlier this year it was announced diehard fans can stream all the episodes again on STV Player after a deal was struck with distributor, All3Media International. The announcement has increased calls for the show to return.
Speaking exclusively to the Mirror about a possible return, former star Claire Sweeney said: "Who knows? I was surprised, I thought it was dead and buried really."
Claire, who played Lindsey Corkhill, daughter of popular couple Jimmy and Jackie, said: "There's been talk for years and years, saying 'bring it back, bring it back', and it's just really gathered momentum and then they announced it was coming back and I couldn't believe the response."
Speaking at the Together for Short Lives Ball, a charity fundraiser, Claire said: "Brookside was a groundbreaking drama. They were so ahead of the game for storylines. It's great that people are going to see it all over again."
When asked how Brookside should adapt, if it were to return with new episodes, Claire said: "The beginning of Brookside was all about poverty, about strikes, about the cost of living. That was in the eighties.
"How would it have to adapt? You tell me, it's very relevant isn't it."
The soap was one of the first programmes to share helpline details on screen as its groundbreaking storylines aired - including British TV’s first lesbian kiss as well as the ‘body under the patio’ storyline.
At the height of its popularity the show, which launched the careers of stars including Anna Friel and Sue Johnston, had massive audiences of 8 million viewers, peaking at 9 million in January 1995 when Trevor Jordache’s body was discovered at the back of Number 10.
Claire previously told the Mirror the show "should never have been cancelled."
Recalling her fondness for Brookside, she said: “I had a ritual with my mum where we’d go to the market and come home to watch the Saturday omnibus every week. We loved it.”
Speaking at the ball, the former Strictly Come Dancing star said she was "thrilled" at how her career is going at the moment.
Last year she filmed in the Mediterranean for new Channel 5 thriller The Good Ship Murder, and she will provide commentary on Eurovision for BBC Radio Merseyside.
It's brilliant news for Claire after taking "forced time off" during Covid, admitting that apart from a radio series with the BBC, she didn't work, but did enjoy spending time with her son, Jaxon, seven.
Since Brookside, Claire has appeared on Celebrity Big Brother as well as Strictly, and was a regular panellist on Loose Women until 2005.
