BBC Casualty: How long has Derek Thompson played Charlie Fairhead, what’s he said about leaving and what’s he doing next?

This weekend will absolute self assurance be powerful for followers of BBC medical drama Casualty because it be the initiate of the closing chapter for actor Derek Thompson who’s inserting up his scrubs after 37 years as nurse Charlie Fairhead – the stylish display cloak’s longest running solid member. Derek’s exit from Casualty used to be first announced final year, leaving viewers devastated.

In the route of his time on the display cloak Derek has viewed and been a phase of a entire host of dramatic storylines from being shot in the chest by a schizophrenic man to being breeze over by an ambulance on his wedding day, having two stress-precipitated heart attacks and being pushed off a pier.

As properly as medical storylines, Derek’s persona used to be thinking about a will-they-is rarely any longer going to-they relationship that spanned over thirty years. Are you sad to conception him leave the sequence? Convey us in the feedback.

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Talking about his departure, the 75-year-frail Belfast born actor said: “The time has advance for me to hold up Charlie’s scrubs after the most heavenly 37 years.” Shortly ahead of Derek’s closing episode airs, the BBC confirmed that the actor could perhaps be becoming a member of the solid of Belfast police drama Blue Lights – learn more about that here.

Charlie Fairhead used to be, as reported by the BBC, inspired by a accurate-life nurse called Pete Salt, who alongside being an A+E nurse used to be a medical-advisor on the sequence. In an announcement on the display cloak’s Instagram web page, the actor paid homage to Pete and said: “Together with the writers and producers, I safe tried to recount to Charlie the compassion, kindness, heroism and sound judgement that all of us explore and esteem in Pete. I are searching to command because of Pete and all and sundry else over that time who has inspired me in bringing this persona to life.” But why is Derek – and Charlie – leaving the display cloak?

Charlie Fairhead’s exit

It seems Derek got here to the producers with his have understanding for how Charlie must gentle exit the display cloak and, reflecting on this, Jon Sen, govt producer of Casualty, said: “It used to be an fantastic shock to me when Derek arrived with a supreme understanding for Charlie’s exit as phase of an upcoming storyline, which used to be too exact to spin up, we can all leave out Derek very a lot.”

He added: “Over nearly four decades, Derek has crafted an iconic persona who is woven into the fabric of British TV historical past. We can leave out his craft, his humour and his on-cloak presence. We’re also going to miss a chum, so for the subsequent few months we’ll safe a ball filming Charlie’s closing chapter.”

Whereas we do no longer know why Derek is leaving the display cloak nor will all and sundry is aware of on what grounds his persona will deliver the display cloak farewell, in accordance to The Guardian, the broadcaster said it would possibly per chance be a “cease consequence of a moving exit storyline that can explore the persona front and centre of the motion”.

The reliable X legend for Casualty has confirmed that Charlie’s closing memoir, which is a two-parter, will initiate up on Saturday, March 9, at 9.20pm on BBC One. A synopsis for the episode, which is called A Historical past of Violence, has teased: “Charlie vows to instruct there is exact in the world – with disastrous consequences. Stevie is proven exact nonetheless can it set her job?”

How long has Derek Thompson been in Casualty?

Derek Thompson first regarded in Casualty in September 1986 in its pilot episode and remained on the display cloak until Series 18, when he took a 9-month fracture. He returned in January 2005 ahead of taking a four-month fracture in August of that year. Christmas 2005 observed him returning for a Casualty-Holby Metropolis crossover and he’s remainined in the display cloak ever since.

Casualty airs on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. For more showbiz and tv stories get our e-newsletter here.

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