Paul Burrell prepares to pay tribute to Brookside star Dean Sullivan as he arrives at Liverpool Parish Church for late actor’s funeral

Paul Burrell prepared to pay tribute to Brookside star Dean Sullivan as he arrived at Liverpool Parish Church for the late actor's funeral on Tuesday.

The actor, known to millions as drug dealer Jimmy Corkhill in Channel 4 soap opera Brookside, died last month at the age of 68.

Dean publicly confirmed he was living with the disease in May earlier this year, five years after his original diagnosis.

Princess Diana's former butler Paul once claimed that Brookside was her favorite TV show.

Prior to the 1:00 p.m. service Our Lady and Sinterklaas, photos of the soap star, were shown on screens in the parish.

An order of service featured a recent photo of Dean with the caption, “In thanksgiving for the life of Dean Sullivan.”

The service, which will take place at 1 p.m., will be followed by a private cremation.

A funeral notice published in the Liverpool Echo asked for donations to Prostate Cancer UK.

Dean was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2018 and spoke to the Mirror about his treatment and diagnosis in 2019.

A statement from Dean's family confirmed the sad news of his death on Thursday. “It is with great sadness that we have to tell you that actor Dean Sullivan passed away peacefully on November 29, 2023 after a brief illness.

'To millions of people he was and still is remembered as 'Jimmy', to family and friends he was 'Dino'. Dean's family would like to thank Arrowe Park Hospital for their continued and consistent support.”

“We ask that you respect their privacy in times of mourning,” read the message from Hamilton Management and his family.

His cause of death has not been confirmed.

Sullivan was due to appear in a Southport production of Jack And The Beanstalk from December 7, but withdrew on November 17 due to 'unforeseen circumstances'.

The former Brookside actor was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2018 and was eventually discharged by his consultant last year after undergoing radiotherapy treatment.

Reflecting on his battle with the disease in August, Sullivan talked about how he put himself “in the hands of fate” during his ill health and tried to get on with his life.

He told the Liverpool Echo: 'The way I dealt with it was I put myself in the hands of fate. If this was my time, then this was my time, so I was actually quite philosophical about it.

'I know people would throw themselves into an early grave, so to speak, but I'm not that kind of person. I try to stay positive and just get on with my life.”

Liverpool-born Sullivan said he did not show most of the symptoms of prostate cancer, apart from reduced blood flow.

However, he felt something was wrong and went to the doctor, who only told him to keep an eye on it, but a few weeks later he returned to another doctor.

He said: 'If I had 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 still have that fight or flight instinct. '

The Atkinson Theatre, where he was expected to perform for three weeks, confirmed his departure in a tweet shortly after his withdrawal.

They wrote: 'There has been a change to the line-up for this year's Jack and the Beanstalk pantomime.

“Dean Sullivan will no longer be reprising the role of Fleshcreep, as previously announced, and the role will now be played by Mark Paterson.”

The actor admitted that early detection was key to his successful radiotherapy treatment and urged other people to get checked if they were concerned.

In 2019, Sullivan opened up about his diagnosis with “shell shock” cancer, admitting that he never thought he had a problem with his prostate because he didn't show many of the typical symptoms.

He told The Mirror at the time: 'I remember being a bit shocked because even though we know today that one in three of us will be diagnosed with cancer, you never think it will be you.'

Sullivan admitted that he didn't immediately share the news with his loved ones or friends because he's not the type of person to “elicit” support from their friends.

He broke the news to a few close friends and family members, explaining, “You're the one living with it and dealing with it, and my way of dealing with it was not to let it become a major part of my life.”

He added: 'There's also the situation where you think, 'I don't want to tell this story again,' so only my closest family and friends knew. It was one of those moments where I thought: 'just keep going and it will happen'.”

Sullivan, from Liverpool, joined Brookside in 1986, four years after its launch, and remained in the soap until it was axed in 2003.

He was at the center of many of the soap's most memorable storylines, including the moment when Jimmy discovered the body of villain Trevor Jordache under a patio two years after his murder.

Dean won two British Soap Awards during his time on the show, including a Special Recognition, and held the record of filming more episodes than any other actor on the show.

He also appeared in BBC's Doctors, ITV's The Royal and ITV's Crime Stories. One of his most recent roles was an appearance in the 2022 Netflix short film Forgotten Word.

The actor has also appeared on stage, playing Scullery in the North West premiere of Jim Cartwright's Road in Bolton, and starring in a one-man monologue tour of Alan Bennett's Chip In The Sugar.

In June, Dean reunited with his Brookside daughter Claire Sweeney, who played Lindsey Corkhill, and wife Sue Jenkins, who played Jackie, for an appearance at the British Soap Awards.

Claire, who played Lindsey for 12 years, posed for the family reunion and admitted it felt very 'emotional'.

Taking to her Instagram along with the pair, she wrote, “This felt emotional. So happy to see @deansul @susie.jenks #brookside #family.”

Claire led the tribute to her Dean on Thursday, posting on Instagram: 'I will miss you Dean, I love you. It was wonderful to be reunited as a family for the Soap Awards this year. RIP Dean Sullivan.”