Sheila Corkhill (also Grant) is a fictional character from British soap opera Brookside, played by Sue Johnston. Sheila appeared in Brookside from the first episode in 1982 until the character's departure in 1990. Her most famous storyline was in 1986, when the character was attacked, raped and beaten by an unknown assailant. Everyone was a suspect, including family friend Matty Nolan (Tony Scoggo). It was later revealed that the taxi driver raped Sheila.
Characterisation
The Grant family consisted of Bobby (
Ricky Tomlinson), Sheila,
Barry Grant (
Paul Usher),
Karen Grant (Shelagh O'Hara) and
Damon Grant (Simon O'Brien). The Grants appeared in the first episode (although Karen's appearance was fleeting and uncredited) and were the first to move into the new houses on Brookside Close. Prior to moving onto Brookside Close, the Grant family were from a run-down inner-city council estate, however through Bobby and Sheila's thrift they had managed to move to the 'middle class' Brookside Close.
Sheila was portrayed as a devout Roman Catholic, and as such her views were often to come into conflict with the socialist views of her husband.
Storylines
After Bobby had spent his first months of Brookside Close fighting to save his job and 200 others at Fairbanks Engineering, Sheila is the one made redundant in 1983. In an attempt to occupy herself she joined Annabelle Collins' (
Doreen Sloane) Ratepayers Association and forged an unlikely friendship with her.
The two however disagree when Sheila nominated
Roger Huntington (
Rob Spendlove) as chairman instead of Annabelle and when they clash over what type of group it should be with Annabelle wanting it to be an apolitical group bringing issues such as hedges and refuse collection to the attention of the council while Sheila wanted to use it to campaign about the poor standard of schooling in the area and the lack of jobs for their children. Later, in an attempt to make a living, Sheila establishes a non-registered employment agency. This has the unfortunate result of having friend
Matty Nolan (
Tony Scoggo) prosecuted for benefit fraud.
In 1984, Sheila became pregnant with her and Bobby's fourth child, despite both of them being well over 40. Their daughter Claire (Amy Lynch) was born on 8 January 1985 - the very first baby to be born in the series, more than two years after its inception.
Rape
In 1986, the most notable story line regarding Sheila was broadcast. The story was written in order to keep Sue Johnston on the soap, who had previously expressed an interest in leaving.
In 1986, Sheila was raped after getting out of a taxi. Following her ordeal she bathed, removing any evidence that could have incriminated her attacker. There were three suspects: former friend Matty Nolan, who was furious with her for wrecking his marriage by telling his wife he'd been having an affair; neighbour Pat Hancock (
David Easter), who had gotten drunk after a violent argument with his girlfriend and couldn't remember what he'd been up to; and lecturer Alun Jones (
Norman Eshley), who had unsuccessfully tried to initiate an affair. However it soon emerged that none of them were guilty, and the rape had been committed by the taxi driver who had just dropped Sheila off. Sheila later discovered she was pregnant as a result of the rape but had a miscarriage.
Billy Corkhill
Sheila spends Christmas 1988 with Billy and the two get on well. Later when
Debbie McGrath (
Gillian Kearney) comes around with Simon, Sheila's grandson (whom Sheila thought was miscarried due to a lie from Debbie's father), Sheila, Billy and Debbie take him to the park and Sheila and Billy grow closer. On Christmas evening, Billy gives Sheila her present, some rosary beads which he had bought from the
Cathedral, knowing how important her Catholic religion was to her. Billy also buys a set for Claire.
Sheila goes to confide in a priest she does not know about her failed marriage with Bobby, her repossession and meeting Debbie (whom she refers to as Damon's wife) and her grandson Simon. She does not mention Billy to him, although infers his presence. That night Sheila goes missing from Billy's house and he finds her having broken into her boarded up old home, sitting in Damon's old room remembering him and the happy times she had had in that house.
Feeling she is still married to Bobby in the eyes of the church and her growing relationship with Billy is sinful, Sheila insists in leaving, although Billy tells her that his home is her home and tells her she is more than welcome. Nonetheless, Sheila is intent on leaving. On New Year's Eve, however, Sheila slips out of a party early to be with Claire. Billy follows her and the two kiss, starting a relationship between them.
Departure
Sheila and Billy marry in September 1990 and left Brookside to live in
Basingstoke,
Hampshire with Sheila's sister Margaret, eventually selling No.10 to Billy's son Rod (Jason Hope) and his wife Diana (Paula Frances).
By 1994, Sheila and Billy were still in Basingstoke where Sheila worked as a part-time school receptionist. However, her and Billy were going through a rough patch, as she was hearing rumours about Billy having an affair with a woman whose house he was re-wiring.[Tibballs 1994, p.108.]
Return
Sheila Corkhill returned, without Billy, in the straight-to-video special
The Lost Weekend in 1997. She returned again the following year another straight-to-video special,
Friday the 13th, to attend the wedding of her niece-in-law
Lindsey Corkhill (
Claire Sweeney) and Peter Phelan (
Samuel Kane), however she became caught up in trouble when her brother-in-law
Jimmy Corkhill (
Dean Sullivan) is pursued by drug-dealers intent on killing him. Here, she reveals to sister-in-law
Jackie Corkhill (
Sue Jenkins) that she and Billy have split up after an argument over Billy's ex-wife Doreen (
Kate Fitzgerald) but Sheila explained that as soon as she arrived back from Tracy's wedding, Billy had sent her a bunch of flowers from her flower shop and she left, making her final appearance, to go back home and reconcile with Billy. In 2001, Jimmy mentioned that Billy and Sheila were "still together" in a conversation with neighbour Diane Murray (
Bernie Nolan). This proved they had reconciled.
Reception
The character was selected as one of the "top 100 British soap characters" by industry experts for a poll to be run by
What's on TV, with readers able to vote for their favourite character to discover "Who is Soap's greatest Legend?"
A writer for
Inside Soap branded the character "St Sheila" and said she "endured tragedy after tragedy".
They praised Johnston's performance in the wake of Sheila's rape, calling it "the soap's greatest moment."
Paul Brooks from
Soaplife included Sheila and Billy in his list of "dream lovers". He assessed that love grew in an unlikely couple: Sheila "a devout Catholic" and Billy "a reformed scally" who committed electricity bill fraud.
Francesca Babb from
All About Soap included Sheila's rape in their "most memorable moments" of
Brookside feature. She branded it "gripping stuff" and noted "an army of soap fans were stunned" by the "horrific rape" of the "Close's matriarch".
