Dean Sullivan fans emotional over Brookside star's last ever TV appearance

What did you miss?

Celebrity Antiques Road Trip aired an emotional episode on Tuesday evening featuring the late Dean Sullivan in what is thought to be his final TV appearance.

Brookside star Sullivan died on Wednesday aged 68, leaving fans shocked by his sudden passing. Viewers of the BBC Two show paid tribute to Sullivan on Tuesday as he starred in the episode which was filmed in his home town of Liverpool.

What, how, and why?

Dean Sullivan's sudden death on Wednesday, 29 November left fans in shock as the Brookside star passed away after a short illness aged 68.

So when his episode of Celebrity Antiques Road Trip aired less than a week after his passing on Tuesday evening, it proved an emotional watch.

Sullivan, best known for playing Jimmy Corkhill in the former Channel 4 soap Brookside, appeared on the antiques show alongside his long-time friend Tricia Penrose as they went bargain hunting in their home town of Liverpool.

Ahead of the episode airing, the BBC Two show posted on X that they had got the approval of Sullivan's family to go ahead with showing it.

A statement read: "We were incredibly sad to hear last week of the death of Dean Sullivan, known for his iconic performance as Jimmy Corkhill in Brookside. With the blessing of his family, the episode we recorded with Dean and his long-time friend @triciapenrose will air this evening as planned. We hope you enjoy the programme, and our thoughts are with Dean’s family and friends at this time."

Penrose, who starred in Heartbeat, wrote on X: "This will be a hard watch tonight for myself and Deans family and friends. We had so much fun making this back in July this year."

The episode is thought to be Sullivan's final recorded TV appearance and his fans paid tribute to him.

One person commented on X: "Aww Dean Sullivan (Jimmy Corkhill) is on Celebrity Antiques Road Trip tonight at 7pm. This is probably the last TV show he filmed."

Someone else added: "This will be bittersweet viewing. But I shall certainly tune in, and enjoy the wonderful Mr. Sullivan on my screen, one last time. Good wishes to Tricia Penrose, too. I hope she can "enjoy" the Road Trip memory."

People shared that they had enjoyed watching Sullivan, despite it being emotional. Among the comments, one person wrote: "Always a fan of Dean in the iconic Brookie. What a gent he appears in this episode."

Someone else added: "Lovely to see Dean Sullivan on antique road trip tonight with Tricia Penrose. What a lovely man he was. RIP"

Another fan commented: "Brilliant watching but sadness with the recent passing of Dean."

Sullivan's death was announced by Hamilton Management last week in a statement that read: "It is with deep sadness we must tell you that actor Dean Sullivan passed away on 29th November 2023 peacefully following a short illness.

"To millions he was and very much still is remembered as 'Jimmy', to family and friends he was 'Dino'. Dean's family wants to thank Arrowe Park Hospital for their unwavering and consistent support. We ask that you respect their privacy in their time of grief."

Sullivan's cause of death has not been confirmed, although he had previously shared that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2018.

The actor was Brookside's longest-serving cast member and had talked about still being recognised as Jimmy, as well as the fans' appetite for a reboot of the soap.

"Whenever I go out into the public, every day of my life somebody wants an autograph or a photograph or they want to speak, they want to engage," he told Metro earlier this year.

"They’re always very complimentary to me, they always say we loved Jimmy. And they’re as baffled as anybody, a lot of people are asking those questions as to why did it finish."

He also added that he would "never say never" to a reboot and had even talked to Brookside's creator Phil Redmond about the possibility of a spin-off show catching up with the characters' lives now.

Celebrity Antiques Road Trip airs on BBC Two at 7pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.

Read more: Dean Sullivan

• Brookside star Dean Sullivan remembered as 'soap icon' (PA Media, 2 min read)

• Dean Sullivan as Jimmy Corkhill in Brookside (The Independent, 1 min read)

• Brookside star remembers 'unforgettable adventures' with late Dean Sullivan (PA Media, 4 min read)