Characters of Casualty

Casualty is the world's longest running television emergency medical drama, first broadcast in 1986 and transmitted in the UK on BBC One. The show's characters are all staff within the fictional Holby City Hospital, composed of doctors, nurses, paramedics, and hospital management. The only current character remaining from the show's conception is nurse Charlie Fairhead, played by Derek Thompson. The following characters appear regularly in the programme as of 2010.

Main characters

Charlie Fairhead

Charlie is the longest serving member of the Casualty team, having appeared from 1986–2004, 2005–2007 and 2008 onwards. He is portrayed by Derek Thompson, and is described by the BBC as "the lynchpin of Holby's ED. [...] an indispensable, trustworthy and diplomatic member of the team." Series producer Oliver Kent has described Charlie as "by far our most important character" and "absolutely core to the show's success". Charlie appears in the first episodes of both Casualty spin-offs Holby City and Holby Blue. He has various relationships over the course of the show. The most notable is with Barbara "Baz" Wilder - another original character. Baz leaves Casualty after the first season but returns nearly a decade later. Trapped in an unhappy marriage, she pursues a relationship with Charlie, ultimately becoming pregnant with their child Louis. Baz divorces her husband and marries Charlie. The marriage however is later dissolved after Baz takes a job in Canada. She briefly returned to the series to be by the bedside of her ill father, but ends up dying after being involved in a road accident. Charlie himself brushes with death on several occasions including a shooting, a hit and run involving a stolen ambulance, a pulmonary embolism, attempted drowning and a heart attack.

Charlie's son Louis sets him up with colleague Maggie Coldwell, who he admits having feelings for, and he later proposes to Maggie. She turns him down as she is leaving for Thailand, but agrees to stay in contact. At the beginning of series 22, Charlie celebrates his thirty fifth year in nursing. However, throughout the course of the series, he struggles with childcare issues, as well as the news that either he or Tess Bateman will have to be made forcibly redundant. Although Tess volunteers for the redundancy, Charlie becomes involved in a fight with a patient and is asked to leave the department. He returns to the show several months later, after working in the private sector in the interim.

Charlie became a grandfather after Louis had a brief relationship with Shona Wark, the alcoholic sister of a patient, and got her pregnant. Shona gave birth to a baby girl, during a power cut, with the assistance of Yuki Reid and Lenny Lyons. Charlie was later left holding the baby when Shona did a runner. Charlie named the baby girl Megan, after the death of his dear friend, Megan Roach.

Charlie, while searching the hospital for his missing granddaughter (whom a mentally ill patient has taken), witnesses Ruth's husband kissing his gay lover James. Charlie debates whether or not to tell Ruth but ultimately confesses when comforting Ruth. Hurt and humiliated by the fact he did not tell her, Ruth takes revenge and has Charlie sent to another department.

Nick Jordan

Main article: Nick Jordan

Nick Jordan (portrayed by actor Michael French in Casualty in 1998 and then from 2008 onwards) originates in Holby City as a registrar on the show's cardiothoracic ward. He later returns as a general surgical consultant, before transferring to Casualty to run the Emergency Department. Following Nick's 2006 departure from Holby City, the series' official website described him as: "decisive, confident, charismatic and passionate. He was constantly striving for the top and wanted to emulate Meyer." Michael French, discussing his character shortly after the show's 1999 conception, asserted that: "Like most blokes, he sometimes treats women as playthings – if they’re willing. A little bit of hanky panky is part of the human condition, after all!" Of his decision to transfer to Casualty, French explained: "The BBC came up with the idea [...] At first, I wasn't sure about him moving away from heart surgery, but we soon thrashed some ideas around and I realised it would work. It's certainly great to play Nick again and I'm having a fantastic time on the show." Both The Guardian and the Sunday Mirror have likened Nick to George Clooney's ER character Doug Ross - "the one everyone fancies", but while Andrew Billen for the New Statesman agrees that Nick is "good-looking", he suggests French's playing another "love rat" character after his EastEnders role as David Wicks to be type casting. More recently, Nick has been involved in a storyline where he was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour, but, with intervention from Zoe Hanna, he then had an operation to remove most of the tumor and how now returned to the ED in a part time administrative role. After Jessica's crash on her wedding day, he was appointed Acting Clinical Lead, to take pressure off Adam.

Tess Bateman

Title: Clinical Nurse Manager

Tess Bateman (played by actress Suzanne Packer from 2003), is described by the BBC as "a traditionalist [...] dedicated [and] well-balanced". They expand: "She may be viewed as a kill-joy and inflexible but her immaculate, business-like front masks a wicked, dry, sense of humour. She's a control freak, not to be messed with.". Since Martina Laird, who played Paramedic Comfort Jones, left the show in 2006, Tess is the longest serving female character. Following her husband's paralysis and their subsequent separation, she struggles to come to terms with her son Sam's bi-polar condition, and is reluctant to see him gain his independence. She has a strong friendship with fellow nurse Abs Denham. After budget cuts, Tess considers taking redundancy, leaving Charlie Fairhead to run the department, but these plans are stymied when Charlie temporarily leaves the department after attacking a patient. Over the course of the show, Tess has several near-fatal encounters. In series 20, she is drugged and left for dead by Sam's unstable girlfriend, Fleur. In series 22, she is injected with a paralysis drug by Bank nurse Lewis, and in series 23, she trips in a building site, impaling herself through the abdomen on a metal pole.

Kathleen "Dixie" Dixon

Title: Operational Duty Officer

Kathleen "Dixie" Dixon (played by actress Jane Hazlegrove from 2006) arrives in series 21, having transferred from another hospital alongside her close friend Cyd Pyke. When senior paramedic Josh Griffiths takes a six month sabbatical to travel the world, Dixie becomes Operational Duty Officer. She forges a friendship with new recruit Jeff Collier, to whom she admits she is a lesbian. Believing Cyd's life is in danger following a venomous snake bite, Dixie confesses her love for her friend. When Cyd recovers, their friendship becomes strained by this revelation. Cyd decides to transfer to another hospital. In series 23, Dixie accidentally runs a girl over whilst driving the ambulance. Hazlegrove assess that this incident "dictates what happens to Dixie over the course of [series 23] - the wheels fall off." Dixie requires counselling after the accident. The victim's family burn her house down in revenge, and she moves in with Jeff. Dixie asks Jeff to marry her, to make her father proud. her father is unaware that she is a lesbian. Her father who is on his deathbed catches Dixie kissing another woman and suffers a heart attack.

Jeff Collier

Title: Paramedic

Jeff Collier (played by actor Matt Bardock from 2007) born 1971, is a paramedic. He becomes good friends with Dixie, and when she is told budgetary constraints mean she must have one of her team transferred to another hospital, Jeff volunteers to go. He returns several months later, following the departure of Cyd Pyke. He discovers that fellow paramedic Snezana is stealing hospital equipment to help illegal Serbian immigrants, and reluctantly agrees to keep it a secret when she swears not to do it again. Jeff's wife leaves him and begins seeing another man. He sees his children infrequently, and offers Dixie his spare room when her house is burnt down.
In November 2009, Jeff was struck on the back of the head by Alistair MacCormack, who believed that Polly (who he deludedly regarded as his "girlfriend") was seeing Jeff. Alistair also thought that Jeff had got a restraining order against him, but it was really Polly, who had gone to the police to report Alistair. Jeff was admitted to the ED but was not able to see his attacker, who came at him from behind. Dixie asks Jeff to marry her, to make her father proud. her father is unaware that she is a lesbian. Her father who is on his deathbed catches Dixie kissing another woman and suffers a heart attack. During a call to a College shooting, jeff witnesses the death of a student that leaves him mentally disturbed and threatened his job. He has since made a recovery.

Ruth Winters

Ruth Winters (portrayed by actress Georgia Taylor from 2007) is one of three new characters to join Casualty at the beginning of its twenty second series. It was first announced on 18 July 2007 that Taylor had been cast in the role of Ruth. The BBC describe the character as "clever, hardworking and focused", stating that she has wanted to be a doctor since she was eight, and graduated top of her class - working hard at the expense of her personal life. Taylor herself has commented: "Ruth's very responsible and articulate, and seems pretty confident. But underneath it all, she's something of a troubled soul which hopefully we'll find out later on. She's very self-critical and won't allow herself to make any mistakes. But, for a junior doctor, the whole first year in a hospital is about making mistakes and learning from it. Ruth won't accept help from anyone; she thinks she knows it all."

During her first few months in the show, Ruth misdiagnoses a patient with severe stomach pains, missing a ruptured ectopic pregnancy. She blames her mistake on a nurse in order to preserve her reputation. Ruth is shocked when her alcoholic father is admitted as a patient. She reluctantly fakes a blood alcohol test so he will not be prosecuted for causing an accident, but is devastated to realise he has manipulated her into this. Ruth goes on to administer a patient with the wrong medication, and order a nurse to remove another patient's neck brace, leaving them paralysed as a result. She lies about her culpability, and later accidentally gives a patient a morphine overdose. When a suicidal patient dies in her care, Ruth confesses her mother committed suicide when she was a child. When Ruth misdiagnoses yet another patient, resulting in his death, she hangs herself. She is in a coma for a month, but eventually recovers.

She becomes close to colleague Toby de Silva, and they assume what Taylor has described as a "brother/sister relationship where they love each other [sic] but they can't stand each other." Ruth later sleeps with new department head Nick Jordan, only to be rejected by him the next morning.

She goes on to begin a tentative relationship with nurse Jay Faldren. Series producer Oliver Kent commented on their pairing: "Ruth's never allowed romance into her life, but when she starts to get close to Jay, the possibility of happiness with another person suddenly presents itself to her. But the question is, will she allow herself? Or will his laddish ways get in the way? She's so obsessed with her career that she's always tempted to put that first." As of Series 24, the first episodes display that Ruth and Jay are continuing their relationship - only to be keeping it from their colleagues for her benefit, which later annoys Jay giving her the ammunition to kiss him in public but, when they head home Ruth realises she has forgotten to take some pills and worries she could be pregnant. She soon finds out her suspicions are correct, she is pregnant and soon takes the pill to terminate the pregnancy without telling Jay. On her birthday, Jay presents her with a necklace for their date at the surgeon's dinner. Ruth's happiness is short-lived when senior medic Sarah Evans warns her that Jay is bad news and that she'll think twice about recommending her for the surgical training post if she continues to see him. Feeling unwell, Ruth cancels their date, but is confronted by Jay at the dinner. As Ruth leaves in embarrassment she collapses, haemorrhaging. Taken into casualty, Ruth is mortified to have to be treated by her colleagues. She swears Tess to secrecy over the abortion pill, despite knowing that Jay is panic-stricken. When her condition stabilises, Ruth admits that she was pregnant and she and Jay share a tender moment. But when Sarah Evans tells Ruth that she must remain focused if she wants to work as a surgeon, Ruth dumps Jay for the sake of her career.

In Series 24 episode 14, her brother Jonathan, the black sheep of the family, makes an unwelcome visit to Holby City Hospital, fresh from serving a prison sentence. Ruth is horrified when Jonathan turns up in the Emergency Department looking for her help much to Jay's surprise, who didn't even realise she had a brother. Jonathan swears to Ruth that he has turned over a new leaf but she sees the track marks in his arms and refuses to believe that he's changed. Later, a group of hard-drinking homeless men cause havoc in ED when they start stealing bottles of alcohol-based hand sanitiser from the wards and take it back to an unsafe hospital annexe to enjoy in private. Tragedy strikes when young security guard Mick, desperate to win Ruth's approval, confronts the homeless men on his own, but Jonathan, who has seen the commotion, is quick to get help. Ruth looks forward to celebrating Christmas with her brother when she notices an heirloom has gone missing from her flat. As she's plunged into a world of stolen phones, heroin overdoses and male prostitution, Ruth realises that she's likely to face Christmas alone. Days after a lonely Christmas, Ruth and Jay are thrown together to work on a medical case and Ruth finally admits that she's lonely after another family disaster. Letting down her guard, she accepts Jay's comfort and the pair head home together. However this is short lived, when Ruth later admits at New Year that she terminated the pregnancy, not that she miscarried leading to Jay dumping her. This leads to her to build the courage to admit she loves him, but he walks away anyway.

Months later, Ruth has a big presentation that goes horribly wrong. But when conference organiser and big name doctor Edward takes an interest in her anyway, she's incredibly flattered and a little bit smitten. Ruth married Edward Thurlow, Clinical Director of Neurosurgery on the 26th June 2010, making Jay too late when he pleads his undying love at the registry office, leaving Ruth to reveal that she has already married.

Despite marrying Edward Thurlow, it is hinted that Ruth still has feelings for Jay and that he feels the same. However Ruth's feelings are spurn when she discovers Jay is in a relationship with Polly. She makes an effort with her marriage only to be neglected and ignored by Edward. While waiting for Edward to return home from work she discovers that Edward is having a gay affair. She confronts him and makes an agreement with him. For the sake of their reputations, they will stay married given that he can be with any man (except his lover) and as long as he helps her career. This agreement seems to suit them both until Ruth realises that She still loves Jay. She tries to break off the marriage but Edward says that he loves her and that she is enough for him which makes her reluctant to change the situation.

However, in Episode 17 Series 25, Edward's boyfriend begins working near to Ruth in the Emergency Department. This is then followed by Ruth's realisation that he is still seeing her husband. Later Edward leaves Ruth for his boyfriend. Later in Episode 21 Series 25, Ruth is sectioned after trying to operate on someone in the on-call room.

Adam Trueman

Title: Consultant

Adam Trueman (portrayed by actor Tristan Gemmill from 2007) is a consultant in the Emergency Department. Gemmill spent 8 hours shadowing a real Consultant on an ED shift as research for the role. Describing his character, he assessed: "Adam is self-confident, witty and brash, an excellent doctor who cares deeply about his job. He presents a strong exterior to the world but perhaps has issues and vulnerabilities that suggest there is more to him than you might first expect." Upon his arrival, Adam clashes with Clinical Lead Harry Harper, however they come to appreciate one another more with time. On Harry's last day, he offers Adam his job but Adam refuses and Zoe Hanna is given it instead. At a party, Adam meets Jessica Harrison and they have a one night stand. He was shocked to find that she is the department's new nurse when he arrives at work the next morning. He and Jessica begin an affair, but she breaks up with him when her son Lucas is injured in a road accident while they are together.

At the beginning of series 23, following Jessica's discovery that her husband was also having an affair, Gemmill explained: "Adam is hopeful they will get together again but Jessica has a more realistic approach because obviously she doesn't want to abandon her children. She's having troubles with Sean, and she sort of more or less decides that actually 'no this is not going anywhere' and she has got to get over it, forgive Sean and move on with her life, which leaves Adam quite smacked in the face really. He has a bit of an unstable time of it." Gemmill added that: "Adam's state of mind is not helped by the arrival of Nick Jordan who comes into the department as Clinical Lead and has very definite ideas of how to run the place. Adam clashes with him almost straight away and they stay at loggerheads for some time." Furthermore, Adam's brother, Alex, who was paralysed in an accident when they were children, begins to deteriorate from a resultant illness. Adam is devastated when his brother dies, and channels his anger towards Nick, who helped Alex sign an advance directive requesting not to be resuscitated. When Adam discovers Jessica's new son Harry could be his, the two renew their relationship. He is angry when she uses Harry as bait to get her other children, Lucas and Amelia, back from their father who has taken them to Saudi Arabia. They later reconcile, and Adam proposes. Although Jessica turns him down, they stay together, and a DNA test confirms Adam is Harry's father. Jessica then later accepts Adam's proposal, and a wedding is being arranged for the New Year. Adam, Jessica and the three children are now all living together, with Adam taking an active role as father. Their New Year's Eve wedding is aborted when they are called back to the ED to deal with a major accident, and have to settle for a blessing in the hospital chapel. However, returning to the wedding venue to sign the legal papers, their car skids onto an icy lake and plunges in, ultimately leaving Jessica in a coma and Harry dead. Jessica gradually recovers but she and Adam drift further apart, leading to her departure to America with an old school friend, which leaves Adam devastated. He becomes increasingly reckless, having a one night stand with young vulnerable nurse Alice and inviting himself into a patient's house after work one night. Adam then begins a false relationship with the patient's mother, hoping to relive the paternal feelings he had for his own son, Harry, and Jessica's two other children. After this relationship disintegrates, Adam spirals further into depression.

Big Mac

Title: Porter

Mackenzie "Big Mac" Chalker (played by actor Charles Dale from 2007) is the department porter. The BBC describe him as "lonely" and "vulnerable" stating that he "hates himself" and "spends his days loathing the world and his nights gorging on comfort food, escaping into James Bond films." An episode of series 23 devoted to the character sees him assume a vigilante role on the city's Farmead Estate. Dale states that the episode causes Mac to realise: "it's time he stood up for himself and that he can't run from things that happened in the past all his life." Describing Mac's personality, Dale appraised that Mac is "deeply introverted" and struggles to accept that his colleagues actually like him. He explained that although Mac occasionally acts pompously, this approach is "a mask that he puts on to keep people at distance when he gets afraid or embarrassed". He expanded that Mac has: "been scared to go out and he’s terrified of life. But because of people in the hospital he’s slowly discovering it." Mac is a British Sign Language interpreter, which according to the website is because his mother Vera was profoundly deaf.

Zoe Hanna

Title: Consultant

Zoe Hanna (played by actress Sunetra Sarker from 2007) is a Consultant in the Emergency Department. Prior to appearing in Casualty, Sarker had played a guest role in spin-off show Holby City. Sarker describes Zoe as: "strong, cheeky and rebellious", as well as "very selfish, very righteous, very rude and self-centred". She has an affair with Orthopaedic Consultant Sean Anderson, unaware he is the husband of her colleague and friend, nurse Jessica Harrison. In series 22 episode 29, she is promoted to Clinical Lead of the department, over colleague Maggie Coldwell. When Maggie appears at a tribunal for negligence, hospital manager Marilyn Fox asks Zoe to lie in court, condemning Maggie. She blackmails Zoe, threatening to expose her affair with Sean. Zoe disregards her threat, clears Maggie's name, and admits to the affair herself. Zoe is dismayed when she discovered she cannot have children. She becomes close to Abby, a patient of hers who is being abused by her husband and his father. She takes in Abby and her daughter Sharice, and when Abby and her husband are both killed in a fight, begins fostering Sharice. She takes steps towards adopting her, however comes to realise that she is struggling to balance her work and childcare, and allows Sharice to live with her maternal grandparents.

Sarker commented that although Zoe initially began fostering Sharice out of guilt, as the story progressed, she adapted to the role more easily than she had expected, and: "underneath all the Zoe layers, I think there's quite a decent human being. She's just layered by a lot of selfishness, a lot of righteousness, a lot of pigheadedness, and those traits don't lend them to being a mother very easily. I think that once she's peeled off a few of those layers, she's quite liking being a mum." Having given up Sharice, Zoe then embarks on a relationship with department head Nick Jordan. Sarker explained that Zoe and Nick have a very interesting dynamic" and that: "You can see that they're very similar people which would make them allies or enemies. [...] Zoe's the first female to meet Jordan's professional standards. She's no pussycat and Jordan knows that. He's got a certain amount of respect for her, as she has for him." Characterising the relationship, Sarker explained: "They've both been single for a very long time through their own choices and neither of them feel any pressure or expectations, which is a good combination for something to happen. I think this is the grown-up version of a flirtation. It's a bit more factual with these two; there isn't much softness or gooeyness to them. They are more like steel on steel!"

Noel Garcia

Title: Receptionist

Noel Garcia (portrayed by actor Tony Marshall from 2008) is the department receptionist. He is described by the BBC as "the practical joker of the bunch", who believes he is only working on the reception as a stop-gap before his big break. Noel is "very much a people person", and "the Laurel to Big Mac's Hardy". Marshall was cast in the role having been out of work for six months, and admitted to being nervous about joining, but commented: "it is such a well run show that on my first day, I felt like I'd always been here." His character Noel knew his father was in a care home but discovers at the end of 2009 that he has serious dementia.

Jay Faldren

Title: Staff Nurse

Jamshid "Jay" Faldren (portrayed by actor Ben Turner from 2008) is a nurse, described by the BBC as "a young Charlie Fairhead". Despite being a "prankster" and a "restless soul", Jay is "a brilliant nurse. Potentially, one of the best to ever step through the doors of ED." Jay believes he is "God's gift to women" and has three rules of romance: "never lie, never make a promise you can't keep, and always stay for breakfast." However, Jay then falls for doctor Ruth Winters, and "everything change[s]". Turner had previously guest-starred in Casualty as a male rape victim, and believes that this role aided his casting as Jay, explaining: "They sort of had me in mind and because the last story I did on Casualty was quite strong in terms of storyline, they really liked it and when I auditioned they were in full praise of that previous episode." He visited a real hospital as research for the role, to gain an understanding of what the job is like for real-life medical staff. Series 23 saw him out in a relationship with Ruth Winters, after meeting her alone at a bar in "True Lies". Although rejected, the doctor later asks him to be her "plus one" to the surgeons dinners. He accepted and they attended together, which resulted in them getting closer, and eventually starting a relationship. In series 24, they continued in their relationship, though kept it secret until episode 5 "Not Forgotten" in which Jay grew annoyed and gave her an ultimatum. She decided to g public with a kiss in front of her colleagues. There relationship then ended when Ruth took an abortion pill behind his back. They got back together in the Christmas episode "Tidings Of Comfort and Joy" but quickly ended once more when Ruth came clean to Jay and told him that it was really an abortion and not a miscarriage. Episode 42 "Die and Let Live" saw Jay through one his worst days, as he is told that the drugs trial he was part of for money could have landed him with the "crypto virus". The moment the blood test results put his mind at ease however, Nick Jordan delivers the bombshell that Ruth was getting married that very day. He ran through the streets of Holby to plead his undying love to her, but was too late, as she was already married. Single at the start of series 25. Ruth tells Jay that she is leaving the ED, so when Jeff tells Jay in episode 3 that Polly likes him, he kisses her. They started a relationship in episode 8 although Polly claimed that they had already been in a "relationship" for a "couple of months" Will Polly and Jay last or will his relationship with Ruth rekindle? His nan, Maryam Shakiba, played by Souad Faress, appeared in Series 25, episode 10 "Hands On" in which she believes Jay is a doctor, so he manages to persuade Ruth to perform a job swap...

Polly Emmerson

Title: Ambulance Technician

Pauline "Polly" Emerson (portrayed by actress Sophia Di Martino from 2009 to 2011) is an ambulance technician. She's described by the BBC as: "a superhero; she wants to save the world. The only problem is Polly is young, idealistic and needs to learn that the world is a complicated place and not everyone wants to be healed." Di Martino had previously appeared in supporting roles in both Casualty and spin-off Holby City. She auditioned three times for the part, and had to cease studying for her Masters degree in Applied Theatre when cast. She commented on her casting: "I feel very lucky to be joining such a long-running and well-established drama. I'm looking forward to Polly bursting onto screens, and hope viewers find her as much fun as I do." Series producer Oliver Kent added: "Sophia is a brilliant actress and we're very excited that she's joining us. We can't wait for the audience to see her - they're going to love her." Di Martino describes Polly as "very optimistic. She sees the best in everyone. She's fun, opinionated, brave and sometimes gets a little bit too close to her patients." After the suicide of homeless man Alistair MacCormack, who was infatuated with Polly, Polly was suspended while a full inquiry into his death was undertaken, after evidence given against her by Alistair's best friend, Abe, who believed that Polly should lose something that she really loved - her job - as revenge.

Polly, despite Abe's threat, keeps her job. It's revealed that she is in love with Jay and has a short fling with him. He quickly ends it, as he wishes to only be friends and because he still has feelings for Ruth. She leaves in Series 25 to become a counsellor after admitting that she would rather be helping those with phsycologial problems rather than physical. On her last day at Holby, she is stabbed by Hannah Fleet and dies.

Lenny Lyons

Title: Junior Doctor

Lenny Lyons (played by Steven Miller) was one of eight new Foundation House Officer Year 2 doctors joining the department at the start of Series 24.He was tutored by Nick. He appears insensitive and unsuited to working as a doctor, but deep down he harbours secrets about his past. He grew up in a children's home, which his childhood friend Davey later went back to and torched. Lenny always puts his foot in it, and is constantly getting dismissed from resus after inappropriate behaviour. He grew a close friendship with Yuki and helped Yuki grow a relationship with colleague May. Lenny was a foster child and never knew his father but saw his mother rarely, in series 25 episode 1, Lenny got a memo from his mother but chose to ignore it. But after a massive tragedy he was appointed as the one who spoke to relatives, and realised it was time to see his mother, unfortunately when he rung up he found out the memo was actually from a staff member trying to inform him that his mother had died two weeks earlier in a hospice. He later began a relationship with Chrissie. However it was later revealed that she was working undercover to get some information on Holby, following the recent College shootings. In series 25 it is revealed that Lenny has a younger sister, Helen Lyons, who has Aplastic Anemia and needs a bone marrow transplant. Lenny showed that he has feelings for Nurse Durrani and invited her out on a date, however she stood him up. He then started to ignore her but his feelings grew for her and they were about to kiss. He finds out that Nurse Durrani is going to Pakistan for her brother's wedding and is quite angry. At the end of the episode, he runs out to say goodbye to her but she has already gone and she isn't going to come back for three weeks.

Yuki Reid

Title: Junior Doctor

Yuki Reid (played by Will Sharpe) is an F2 Junior Doctor. He was one of eight new Foundation House Officer Year 2 doctors joining the department at the start of Series 24. He had known May since the beginning of medical school and helped her out with work, secretly smitten with her. However May leaves the series after she frames Yuki for the death of a patient, resulting in Yuki running away and ending up being admitted to hospital after sleeping rough. After the breakdown of Yuki and Mays relationship, he became very close to fellow F2 Lenny. Yuki and the F2s spent the majority of the series competing for the JAFA award, but on the day of the award ceremony he finds out that Lenny has been guaranteed the award in return for keeping quiet about a botched medical trial. After the reveal, the JAFA is cancelled, but Mr Jordan brings both doctors back. In the same episode, 'What Tonight Means to Me - Part One', a series of flashbacks explained that Yuki's brother had Cancer and had passed away, explaining his real reasons of becoming a doctor, rather than because of his relationship with May, as previously believed. In terms of personality, whilst he is a young, intelligent and handsome man, Yuki suffers from social anxiety, low confidence and self esteem, the tendency to obsess over detail and shyness. Still, he has shown that he can rise to the situation when needed, and his ability to diagnose patients is outstanding.

He left the show in Series 25.

Kirsty Clements

Title: Staff Nurse

Kirsty Clements (played by Lucy Gaskell) since May 2010, is a Senior Staff Nurse. After a challenging upbringing she studied hard to become a highly trained and skilled Mental Health Nurse, though, for reasons that become clearer during Series 25, she is often late for shifts and is somewhat a maverick, believing strongly in bending the rules and going the extra mile to help a patient if it makes a difference to them when they leave the ED, leading to clashes with her more traditionalist boss Tess in Series 24. Her home life is apparently complicated, with a sick husband - her childhood sweetheart, Warren - and their teenage daughter Nita, with whom Kirsty became pregnant with aged 16.

In Series 25, Kirsty helps Simone Lewis, a patient left severely traumatised and with Conversion disorder by the Holby College shooting, recover, despite threats from her infuriated mother. Kirsty grows closer to Adam as the troublesome nature of her relationship with Warren is slowly revealed. In Series 25 episode 7, Adam invites Kirsty out for a drink, impressed by her role in the Simone Lewis case. The pair become drunk on tequila shots and with their attraction undeniable, she throws herself upon him in the pub toilets, but he rebuffs her, pointing out that this is uncharacteristic behaviour. Embarrassed, she flees, arriving home to find Warren waiting with her mobile phone that she left behind in an attempt to escape his phone calls. He throws the phone across the room and it shatters, a hint of the violent behaviour to come.

In Episode 9, Kirsty has trouble sleeping, and eventually takes diazapam in an attempt to get some rest. However, she is quickly woken by a phonecall from work - she has her shifts mixed up, and is already due in. Bruising can be seen on her back as she gets dressed and rushes to work. The drugs take effect during her shift and barely able to keep her eyes open, she tricks Adam into pescribing Ritalin to counteract the effects. However, she reacts badly to this cocktail of drugs and collapses in the shower, leaving Adam and Mads forced to secretly defibrillate her heart. Later, a concerned Adam holds Kirsty's hand as she finally drifts off to sleep in the on-call room, but her sleep is soon disrupted as Warren arrives to take her home. Back in her own bed, Warren watches over her as, despite being exhausted, she again lies wide awake.

In Episode 11, Adam notices bruises on Kirsty's arms. Kirsty returns home mid-shift to check on Warren, who at this points seems to be suffering from myalgic encephalomyelitis leaving him unable to work, and it appears the bruises come from helping her husband stand up. However when she tries to go back to work, Warren steals and hides her car keys. Frustrated, she borrows Adam's car to take Nita to school. Again their attraction to each other is strong but the moment ends abruptly when Adam raises his voice at Kirsty in jest and she breaks down, seemingly frightened.

In Episode 13, Kirsty is thrown into panic as Warren and Nita are involved in a car crash. Both come out with only superficial injuries, but Warren becomes aware of the tension between Kirsty and Adam, especially when Nita recognises him as the owner of the car Kirsty borrowed to pick her up from school. Uncomfortable, Adam shies away from further intimacy with Kirsty. In Episode 16, Warren arrives in the ED having fainted. Nita later tells Kirsty that before his faint he had been smashing up Kirsty's things. Adam comforts a tearful Kirsty and they share a kiss. Later, however, Warren is diagnosed with Muscular dystrophy. Kirsty is torn between her feelings and her duty, and resolves that she must stand by Warren to look after him as he becomes iller, telling Adam that nothing more can happen between them. Back at home, Warren discovers an apologetic text sent to Adam on Kirsty's phone and subjects her to a violent beating. In Episode 17, a bruised and unhappy Kirsty rejects her colleague's sympathy and kind words over Warren's diagnosis. She is particularly awkward with Adam after their previous talk, and struggles to work with him on a professional level, ignoring his every attempt to help her out throughout the shift. She eventually softens when he offers her a lift home. Back home, she smiles as she secretly opens her Christmas gift from Adam.

In Episode 19, Kirsty tries to put on a brave face following Warren's latest beating. Adam is concerned but she refuses to tell him the real reason for her aching back, blaming the pain on a tussle with Nita. In increasing pain, she suspects possible fractures and secretly arranges to have a X-ray taken. Adam discovers the results first, however, and confronts Kirsty about Warren's abuse. She admits the truth and reluctantly lets Adam examine her injuries - including several broken ribs - struggling to keep up her strong front as the true extent of her bruising is revealed.

Later, Warren arrives at the ED with flowers for Kirsty, who is busy treating a patient. Adam takes the flowers and there is a great deal of tension between the two men as Adam hints that he knows what has been going on. Warren leaves without seeing Kirsty. Later, Adam warns Kirsty of Warren's visit and she panics, knowing that she can't be late home. Adam worries about her returning home, suggesting that Kirsty and Nita should leave Warren that night and come and stay with him, but for Kirsty there is no choice and she returns home, late, where an angry and suspicious Warren waits alone for her. In the street outside their home, we hear the thuds, shouts and screams as Kirsty suffers another beating from her husband.

Later on in the series, Warren buys Kirsty a pair of bowling shoes for their wedding anniversary and suggests they go bowling like they used to to celebrate. Kirsty agrees and calls in sick to work but their day out turns sour when a worried Adam calls to check up on Kirsty. They return home and tension mounts when Adam turns up at the front door, warning Kirsty that Warren will "cross the line". Warren is furious, and terrified of what is coming sends Nita upstairs where distraught, she listens to her father beat her mother. Bleeding heavily, Kirsty flees to Adam's house: Warren has crossed the line.

The next morning, Adam checks the spare room to find Kirsty has gone. She has returned home where she lies awake next to Nita, planning to leave Warren for good. She digs out her's and Nita's passports but is forced to hide them in the bookshelf when Warren comes downstairs and forces her to promise never to leave him again. Kirsty falsely promises and goes to work as normal, planning to return to pack their things and leave that afternoon, when Warren has a physiotherapy appointment. At work, she hits her head on the monitor, opening up the wound from the previous night, leaving Tess insisting she goes home early. Knowing she has to wait for Warren to leave, she hangs around, subtly saying goodbye to her colleagues, complimenting Tess, hugging Jay for a little too long and slipping a note (reading "Thank you, I could never have done it without you x") into Adam's pocket. Later, she hits her head on the monitor, opening up her wound from the previous night. She rings Nita to tell her to prepare to go, but Adam overhears the phone call and confronts her; they say an emotional goodbye. Kirsty returns home to pack but is terrified when she finds the passports have been found by Warren, who returns home and catches her packing. She takes the beating. Adam receives a phone call from Kirsty, but when he picks up a vicious Warren is on the other end. He rushes over, fearing the worst, to find Kirsty alive but Warren in a deep coma at the bottom of the stairs with Nita at his side.

Three weeks later, Warren comes round. His mother is visiting and reveals to Kirsty that she has known about the abuse all along, but tells Kirsty she must stay with her husband because he is "a good man". She retorts that "good men don't beat their wives." Warren's mother sees Adam comforting Kirsty and jumps to conclusions before telling Warren that Kirsty is having an affair. Warren then goes missing from his bed and is eventually discovered close to collapse in the toilets by Kirsty. She rushes to help him but he verbally assaults her and punches her in the face. This is the final straw and she finally finds the strength to leave, leaving him collapsed. Outside with Nita, she is oblivious Warren is found with a massive DVT and dies, unable to be ressucitated by the team. Adam catches Nita and Kirsty as they are about to leave and delivers the news. New-comer Miriam, was the Doctor who treated Kirsty's daughter Nita when she was born. After Warren's first attack on Kirsty, Miriam warned Kirsty to leave Warren as he will attack her again.

Madiaha Dhurani

Madiaha Dhurani played by Hasina Haque joined the cast of Casualty as a new nurse from Pakistan, who still holds onto her old heritage and tradition. She works in Resus and in CDU, has a very good friendship with Dr Yuki Reid and made a new years resolution to make friends with all the staff, this ended soon as an uproar between Dr Winters and Staff Nurse Dhurani. Was persuaded by Zoe to join the gang at the pub even though she is Muslim. 'Mad's' has recently had feeling's for Lenny and asked him on a date. She did not turn up Lenny was disappointed but still continued flirting with her in the ED as there just about to kiss they get interrupted and later MAD's leaves for her brother's wedding in Pakistan and Lenny is too late to wave her off.

Recurring characters

List includes numorous characters such as sons, husbands, friends and characters who don't work in the ED and appear from time to time

Louis Fairhead

Louis Fairhead (played by Callum Ray, Liam Hess, Jack Dedman and Gregory Foreman from 1996–1998, 2003–2004, 2006 and 2007 onwards) is the son of Charlie Fairhead and Baz Wilder. Born in 1992, he moves to Canada with his mother when she and Charlie split up. He returns in series 18, along with Baz and her new husband. When Baz dies in a car accident, Charlie wins custody of Louis. In series 21, he accuses Charlie's friend Josh Griffiths of hitting him. When Josh is stabbed at Christmas and is in critical condition, Louis admits that he lied. Louis returns in series 22 played by 19-year-old Gregory Foreman. The rapid ageing of the character was criticised on BBC TV observation show Points of View. He becomes a troublemaker, getting a tattoo and smoking marijuana at school. Charlie is invited to travel the world with love-interest Maggie Coldwell, but declines as Louis still relies on him. Foreman has assessed: "Louis is a typical teenager [...] he gets into a bit of trouble and is a bit of a bad boy - but not that bad when it comes to the crunch." In Series 24, Louis had a brief relationship with Shona Wark, the troubled sister of a patient. After they slept together once in the on-call room, Shona came back a few months later announcing she was pregnant.

Sarah Evans

Title: Consultant Neurosurgeon

Sarah Evans (played by actress Julia St. John from 2006) is a Consultant Neurosurgeon in Holby City Hospital, and Trust Doctor Ruth Winter's boss. She appears occasionally in the Emergency Department as a surgeon. She was the consultant who interviewed Ruth for her ST1 surgical rotation after the completion of her Foundation Training in the Emergency Department. She did not approve of Ruth's relationship with Staff Nurse Jay Faldren and was instrumental in splitting them up, citing that Ruth's attentions "would be divided". She then treated a comatose Jessica after the accident at the lake on her wedding day and later had her life saved by none other than Ruth. It has been revealed that in an upcoming episode, she will meet Ruth in the psychiatric ward, where it will turn out she has OCD.

James Molloy

Title: Surgical Trainee

James Molloy (Played by Travis Oliver from 2010) is Edward Thurlow's surgical trainee and boyfriend who appears from time to time. We first meet him when Edward was caught kissing him in a cupboard by Charlie Fairhead. He introduced himself to Ruth Winters after having beat her to the surgical trainee position much to the slight consternation of Edward. As of yet, it is uncertain how he really feels about Edward's impromptu marriage to Ruth. James is assigned to treat a patient with Ruth and is bullied terribly by her, not only leading to the patient dying, but also to Edward leaving her for him.

Henry Williams

Title: Director of Critical Care and Consultant Anaesthetist

Professor Henry Williams (played by Tom Chadbon from 2008) is Holby City's Director of Critical Care and a Consultant Anaesthetist, who is in charge of the hospital's Emergency Department, effectively being Clinical Lead Consultant Adam Trueman's superior. He appointed Adam, though was quite skeptical about his ability to perform as the department's leader.

Robert Ludlow

Robert Ludlow (played by Alec Newman from 2010) is the Hospital's main inspector. Robert started inspecting the Hospital after an incident caused by F2 May Phelps, and ever since has been around. Robert is also looking up on the late drugs cover up involving Lenny Lyons and Yuki Reid.

Edward Thurlow

Title: Clinical Director of Neurosurgery

Edward Thurlow (played by Stephen Billington from 2010) is Holby City's Clinical Director of Neurosurgery. He arrives as the host of a lecture that Ruth was preparing a presentation for which she later messes up. After apologising for his manners, he takes her to dinner. He shortly moves on to become Ruth Winters new husband, although Ruth is disappointed with his lack of affection for her. Charlie has also found Edward in a cupboard kissing another man. It has also transpired that the man he was kissing turned out to be someone called James, Edward's boyfriend. Edward has recently struck a deal with Ruth to stop seeing James in order to to preserve his reputation. Finally though, Ruth has enough and suggests they go their separate ways but Edward is terrified of being ridiculed and persuades her to continue with their sham of a marriage. Finally though, after witnessing Ruth harangue James, Edward has enough and finally finds the courage to leave her for him.

External links

• Profiles at BBC's Casualty homepage
• Profiles at holby.tv database