Doreen Corkhill is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Brookside, played by Kate Fitzgerald.

Doreen was introduced as part of the new Corkhill family consisting of herself, husband Billy (John McArdle) and their two children Tracy (Justine Kerrigan) and Rod (Jason Hope).

Her behaviour causes her family many problems, Billy begins committing fraud and robberies to fund their lifestyle.

She wants to resume her marriage, but Billy began a relationship with Sheila Grant (Sue Johnston) in her absence.

Matt Wolf from The Sacramento Bee stated that the Corkhills accurately portrayed the British working class.

In an interview about his casting, Hope recalled that he had to meet with Fitzgerald and McArdle "to make sure we could pass of as family members.

Billy's brother, Jimmy Corkhill (Dean Sullivan) convinces him to stage a burglary at his home and steal from the Collins family.

[9] The Corkhills struggle with Billy's unemployment and then he becomes angry with his neighbours for driving over his lawn to avoid a hole in the road.

[10] McArdle told Graham Kibble-White, the author of 20 Years of Brookside, that his character was reacted badly because his "family were falling down" and he suspected Doreen of having an affair with her dentist.

The director of the episode, Ken Horn added that it was a well-remembered Brookside moment and credited its success to Fitzgerald and McArdle's "terrific" acting.

[13] Fitzgerald told Anthony Hayward from TVTimes that "I was very, very tired, part of that was, I think, because I'd never played a character for that length of time.

"[13] The actress also felt guilty about leaving because she believed that Doreen's absence destroyed the Corkhill family.

For Doreen to then put her family into debt was "out of character", but she praised the writers who "worked hard" to make it believable.

[16] Writers reintroduced Doreen back into the Corkhill household, despite Billy now being in a relationship with Sheila Grant (Sue Johnston).

[16] Doreen accuses Sheila of being desperate and uses her older age as a "weapon" in her bid to snare Billy.

[17] In 1994, it was revealed that Doreen was still living in Bristol and worked in a shoe factory, regretting losing Billy and having never found anyone to replace him.

Gareth McLean opined that Doreen and Billy were a true reflection of "the aspiring lower-middle-class" living in Liverpool.

[22] Matt Wolf from The Sacramento Bee stated that Brookside's characters, such as the Corkhills, represent the British working class and their problems.

Tracy's job is in the balance, Billy is unemployed and Doreen bets on horses to make ends meet.

Author Geoff Tibbals quipped "the natural starting point for any tour of the Close is the Corkhills' house, which, in the days of Doreen and Billy, was the only residence a brick through the window qualified as a home improvement.

Soap Operas Around the World, Christine Geraghty wrote that Doreen was an example of one of Brookside's early authentic female characters.

Geraghty branded Doreen a "strong mother" and assessed that she was someone "who controlled and negotiated family life within the home."