Dean Sullivan: former Corrie star Vicky Entwistle pays tribute to her friend, aka Jimmy Corkhill in Brookside

Liverpool born Dean, best known for playing Jimmy Corkhill in Brookside between 1986 and 2003, passed away on Wednesday, November 29 aged 68.

The Lancaster University graduate had been privately battling with prostate cancer since 2018, only revealing his diagnosis in August 2023.

Numerous tributes have since poured in from stars across the country, including from his close friend, Vicky Entwistle, who played Janice Battersby in Coronation Street between 1997 and 2011.

The former Corrie star from Accrington told ITV on Thursday: "Today is a sad day, we’ve just learnt of the passing of Dean, Dean Sullivan”

Vicky, who also attended college in Blackpool, added: "I just wanted everybody to know what a lovely man he was, and that when my husband was diagnosed with prostate cancer, he messaged him constantly, lifted his spirits, making him laugh, trying to get him through one of the most difficult times in his life, when all the time, Dean was going through his own battles with prostate cancer and that just shows the measure of the man, that he is, loving and kind, and thinks of everybody else instead of himself – there’s another diamond in the sky."

Dean was once one of the best-known faces on British TV, portraying the beloved character of Jimmy Corkhill in the hugely popular Channel 4 soap from 1986 until its cancellation in 2003.

During his time on Brookside, Dean picked up two British Soap Awards including a Special Recognition gong, and was invovled in many major storylines – including the memorable time when Jimmy discovered the body of soap baddie Trevor Jordache and his dog under a patio, two years after his murder.

Dean’s agency Hamilton Management paid tribute to him in a newly released statement, saying: "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."