Hollyoaks return for soap legend as he reunites with Brookside co-star on soap – after ‘huge cast cull’
BROOKSIDE legend Michael Starke is returning to Hollyoaks.
The veteran actor, 66, previously landed himself a role on the Channel 4 show for two episodes as a cab driver.
The news will be greeted well by soap fans, as Michael will get to share a scene with his former Brookside buddy Louis Emerick, who is also making a return to Hollyoaks.
Announcing the news actor Michael would be heading back to Chester, his agent tweeted: “@MichaelStarke57 has been busy filming @Hollyoaks @LimePictures Casting by the wonderful team
Michael is most well-known for playing Thomas ‘Sinbad’ Sweeney in the Merseyside soap, as well as his year-long stint on Corrie as kebab shop owner Jerry Morton.
While Louis is known for his role of Mick Johnson on Brookside.
Announcing the news he would be working with his pal Michael again he said: “Good morning all,exciting day ahead,its been along time comin..24yrs.
“I get to share a scene with my bruva from anuva…my No1 #soulbruv #TheLegend that is…. @MichaelStarke57 as Edwin Hawkin sang..Oh Happy day.. [sic].”
Meanwhile, actor Michael was last on Hollyoaks in 2021, where he played a cabbie.
He certainly made a lasting impression as it’s been reported that his alter-ego is returning to the famous village for more episodes in weeks to come.
Michael played the window cleaner in Brookside from 1984 to 2000.
During a previous chat with the Metro, the soap star confessed: “That was the good thing about Brookside, it was just round the corner.
“That’s how Sinbad started out, he was just a recurring character but gradually he became more central and I ended up staying 16 years!”
Michael’s character Sinbad was involved in a range of shocking storylines over the years.
Some include him being left partially deaf after being attacked by a gang of racists, and also being accused of abusing a young boy called Andrew who he met at a deaf school.
Although the loveable rogue was found not guilty, he decided to leave the close to help him move on from the damaging claims.
After leaving Brookside, Michael appeared in a number of pantomimes including Cinderella and Aladdin.
He also had a role in ITV‘s Coronation Street as single dad Jerry Morton.
Meanwhile, his casting comes after it was revealed that Hollyoaks icon Stephanie Waring confirmed that she has been axed from the soap after a whopping 28 years on screen.
She is the latest in a long-line of stars to leave the Channel 4 soap amid a cast cull after the show was cut to just three episodes per week on sister channel E4.
Taking to Instagram she revealed that show bosses had made the decision to axe her from the soap.
The actress shared a lengthy post in which she admitted she was “heartbroken” over the news.
Hollyoaks has been under pressure over the last few months with a string of high-profile exits amid the show’s biggest ever budget cut.
The Sun exclusively revealed how the E4 show is axing a whopping 20 actors and introducing a bizarre ‘time-jump’ that will see the action move forward by a whole year.
