Hollyoaks star Louis Emerick has revealed that he thought his time was on up on the Channel 4 soap after being summoned for a chat with boss Hannah Cheers.
The actor, who plays detective Donny Clarke on the long-running soap, spoke of his fears after being ‘taken to a park’ for the secret meeting earlier in the year.
‘I thought I was getting my P45!,’ he exclaimed.
But what followed was very unexpected as he was notified of the plans to bring Brookside back for a special crossover episode with Hollyoaks to celebrate the latter’s 30th anniversary.
‘We walked and talked and she explained the story,’ continued the star, who played Mick Johnson on Brookie. ‘At the time I thought it was an April fool! She was so excited and I got swept away with it. This will be fun for the viewers.’
Brookside Close will return to screens next week for the first time since the popular series was controversially axed in 2003. A number of famous faces are set to stage a comeback, including legendary star Sue Johnston, who played Sheila Grant.
Describing what it was like to step foot onto the Close once more and film such scenes, Louis said: ‘It sounds corny but everyone was great to work with, it was like a school reunion as we relived the anecdotes.
‘I loved every minute of Brookside. When I saw Sue Johnno for the first time on the Close I thought: “Oh this is real, it’s happening!’”
While anticipation is at an all-time high, what exactly the catalyst is that leads to Brookside’s on-screen comeback remains a mystery.
What we do know, however, is that Donny will play a huge role.
‘The character of Froggy Black recently arrived and is rattling Donny’s cage because he knows a big secret Donny’s been hiding,’ teased Louis.
‘All is not as it seems and we can safely say it’s connected to the Brookside crossover. The house of cards is going to start collapsing…’
Upcoming scenes will see Donny get in touch with taxi driver mate ‘Benny’ (played by Brookie legend Michael Starke), asking him for a lift to the iconic Close.
When Donny sets foot in Brookside, he’s confronted by Sheila, who is not pleased with him at all.
The question is: why?
It’s not just Brookside’s comeback that has Hollyoaks fans talking as beloved late-night spin-off Hollyoaks Later will also be staging a return.
And it will follow on from the Brookside crossover episode, with Donny and renowned village gangster Warren Fox (Jamie Lomas) forced to flee amid serious danger.
Hollyoaks streams Mondays to Wednesdays from 6am on Channel 4’s streaming platform, or catch episodes on TV at 7pm on E4.
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