Casualty is airing Charlie Fairhead’s last ever episode tonight (March 16), as Derek Thompson has bowed out after 37 years on the medical drama.
The previous episode saw Charlie’s life hang in the balance after he was stabbed by a troublesome patient, and it’s all hands on deck to save him.
Fans haven’t got long to find out whether Charlie lives or dies, but Rose Marcel – whose character Jac Naylor died in the last ever episode of Holby City – really hopes he doesn’t kick the bucket.
Related: Casualty confirms double episode after Charlie Fairhead exit
“I think it’s always a mistake to kill off such an incredible character like Charlie, but if they do it in the right way, then it could be really spectacular,” Marcel told What to Watch.
“I always felt it was a mistake to kill Jac off, but we did it in such a brilliant way that, in the end, I was so pleased with it. Everything comes to its natural end and Derek’s landed straight into another job, which I think is wonderful because I think he’s a very talented actor.”
Sunetra Sarker has returned as Zoe Hanna for the storyline, and while she’s said fans won’t want his fate to be spoiled ahead of the episode’s airing (no early iPlayer release this week), she called it an “emotional end story”.
One way the episode will do that is by flashing back to moments throughout Charlie’s life, with EastEnders and Ted Lasso’s Annette Badland making a cameo appearance.
And as mentioned by Marcel, Thompson indeed has another role lined up already, in multiple episodes of season 2 of BBC drama Blue Lights, which sees him return to his hometown of Belfast to film.
