Soap actor Dean Sullivan – who starred as Jimmy Corkhill in Channel 4’s iconic soap Brookside from 1986 until 2003 – passed away last November after battling prostate cancer
Late Brookside star Dean Sullivan has left a huge sum of money to his family after passing away last year.
The soap icon was 68 when he died after battling cancer in November 2023. Now details of his will have become public, revealing he left a considerable amount to his sister, Joy.
Dean, who played Jimmy Corkhill in the Liverpudlian soap from 1986 until 2003, also took action to ensure his organs could be donated, offering a lifeline to other people in need after his death. The star was born and raised in Liverpool and was the fourth of seven siblings – with brothers named Alan, Brian, Derek and Neil as well as their sister Joy.
He was only intended to play Jimmy as a recurring character across six episodes of Brookside, but went on to become the longest-serving member of the soap – which was cancelled by Channel 4 in 2003 after 2,915 episodes. Dean battled prostate cancer ahead of his sad death last year.
The Sun reports: “[Dean] bequeathed £660,000, including properties, bank accounts and royalties from re-runs of the show, to his sister Joy. The will, signed off only a day before he died, also told of his wish to be an organ donor – helping others in need of life-saving transplants.”
The report adds: “His total worth was £757,000, but nearly £100k was spent on settling mortgages, paying lawyers and his funeral – attended by a dozen co-stars.” The actor was not married when he died and he had no reported children.
Dean’s passing was announced last November. A statement given from Hamilton Management and his family read: “”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.”
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In an interview he shared while battling the disease, the soap star urged fans to “listen to their bodies” as he shared his early symptoms. Explaining he noticed a change when urinating, he said: “The strength of my flow when I used to go to the loo to have a pee was reduced. The first time I went to the doctor’s surgery he said, ‘we’ll just keep an eye on it and see how you go on’. It was a few weeks later, I just knew that wasn’t right.”
Dean added: “When I went back I saw a doctor who specialised in prostate treatment. He gave me a quick examination and within two weeks I was at the hospital speaking to the consultant. If I’d have listened to the first doctor, it might have been a different story so always trust your gut. 11 times out of 10, you’re right. We’ve still got that fight or flight instinct,” the Liverpool Echo reported at the time.
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