Inside Brookside legend Suzanne Collins' life as Nikki Shadwick set to return

Suzanne Collins is making a comeback to Brookside as Nikki Shadwick for a special crossover episode with Hollyoaks.

Production is due to commence in the iconic Liverpool closeas part of a one-off special crossover instalment celebrating Hollyoaks' 30th anniversary next month.

Nikki was a resident of Brookside from 1998 through to the programme's final episode in 2003. Her surrogate father was Jimmy Corkhill, portrayed by the late Dean Sullivan, with whom Suzanne shared one of Brookside's concluding scenes.

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Discussing her return, Suzanne revealed: "I'm so honoured and privileged to be part of this special episode and to play Nikki again. It was life changing getting cast in this role all those years ago, and I'm eternally grateful.

"I've been lucky to work for nearly 30 years, all over the world with wonderful people, but nothing comes close to my Brookside family, many I still see and work with and who have become like real family. I feel like I'm going home.", reports the Liverpool Echo.

"It will be emotional without our darling Dean, but I think he will be looking down, beaming with pride and smiling down on us.

"I think it's wonderful what Hollyoaks are doing, such a fitting tribute, and a heartfelt thank you to Phil Redmond, our boss, whose genius vision changed all our lives and to whom we are all eternally grateful."

Suzanne is an acclaimed performer with nearly 30 years of expertise across television, cinema, stage and radio. She's graced our screens in numerous TV shows and taken the lead in films that have been showcased at international festivals like Cannes, and broadcast globally on platforms such as Amazon and Netflix.

On stage, Suzanne has shown her versatility by performing in theatres nationwide in a variety of genres from comedy to psychological thrillers, the latter earning her a Best Actress gong.

Two decades ago, she became a regular at Liverpool's Royal Court Theatre with the runaway success Brick Up the Mersey Tunnels and has also collaborated with Willy Russell on Stags and Hens and Educating Rita.

Suzanne is wedded to football coach and ex-Premier League footballer Stephen Clemence. The first-team coach at Blackpool took to Twitter, now known as X, to share a snap of their special day with the caption "Introducing Mrs Suzanne Clemence", a love-heart emoji and the hashtag #happy.

The pair, who tied the knot in Ibiza, have been an item since they were set up on a blind date in Marbella by mutual pals in 2013. Clemence popped the question to the actress during a family holiday in Florida.

The Brookside and Hollyoaks crossover episode is set to air in October