Nikki Shadwick

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Nikki Shadwick
Brookside character
Portrayed by Suzanne Collins
Duration1998–2003
First appearance27 March 1998
Last appearance4 November 2003
Classification Former; regular
Crossover
appearances		 Hollyoaks (2025)
In-universe information
OccupationStudent
Father Greg Shadwick
Mother Margi Shadwick
Brothers Jason Shadwick
Sisters Emily Shadwick
GrandfathersTommy Shadwick
Grandmothers Jessie Hilton

Nikki Shadwick is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Brookside , played by Suzanne Collins. The character debuted on-screen during the episode broadcast on 27 March 1998. Collins made her final appearance as Nikki in Brookside on 4 November 2003, which was the show's final episode. Collins will return as Nikki in a 2025 Brookside and Hollyoaks crossover episode as part of latter's 30th Anniversary.

Contents

Casting

Collins was advised to audition for the role of Nikki by a drama teacher. She had no previous acting training and had only appeared in amateur school plays. Collins was invited back to five further casting sessions until she secured the role. Collins recalled disbelief when she was informed had got the part. [1]

Development

When Nikki is first introduced into the series, she is portrayed as a "carefree teenager from a close knit family." A writer from the show's official website described her as a university student who is "enjoying life". [2] Her personality changed as writers created traumatic storylines for her such as being raped and grieving family deaths. She was then written as a character on a journey to rediscover the person she was before her trauma. Nikki eventually regains her "positive outlook on life" and becomes "determined" to move on. [2]

Nikki remained a part of the show's regular cast until the final episode of Brookside, which was broadcast on 4 November 2003. [3]

On 1 September 2025, it was announced that Collins had reprised her role for a Brookside and Hollyoaks crossover episode as part of latter's 30th Anniversary. Of her return, Collins stated "I'm honoured and privileged to be part of this special episode and to play Nikki again, I feel like I'm going home." She added it would be "emotional" returning without her co-star Sullivan, who had died in 2023. [4] She added that securing the role was "life-changing" and despite being a working actress after Brookside ended, "nothing comes close to my Brookside family". [5]

Reception

For her portrayal of Nikki, Morgan Cormack from Radio Times branded Collins a "Brookside legend". [6] Angela Hagan from Daily Mirror described the character as "tragic Nikki Shadwick" who is "a young girl who has suffered bereavement, date rape, alcoholism and betrayal." [1]

References

  1. 1 2 Hagan, Angela (8 December 2001). "How my dad was nearly killed; Life imitated TV when Brookside actress Suzanne Collins had to cope with her father being in a tragic accident". Daily Mirror . Retrieved 2 September 2025– via The Free Library. Lock-green.svg
  2. 1 2 "Nikki Shadwick played by: Suzanne Collins". Brookside.com. Archived from the original on 19 October 2002. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  3. ↑ Rajput, Priyanca (5 March 2022). "Hollyoaks brings in Brookside star Suzanne Collins for upcoming episode". Digital Spy . Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  4. ↑ Hughes, Johnathon; Kilkelly, Daniel (1 September 2025). "Exclusive: Hollyoaks confirms fourth and fifth Brookside returnees for soap crossover". Digital Spy . Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  5. ↑ Hirst, Lauren (2 September 2025). "Tinhead to appear in Hollyoaks' Brookside special". BBC News . Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  6. ↑ Cormack, Morgan (18 January 2025). "Brookside legend cast in new Coronation Street role for Abi Webster storyline | Radio Times". Radio Times . Retrieved 2 September 2025.
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