BBC Casualty star Derek Thompson exits show after more than 30 years

Derek Thompson will be leaving BBC drama Casualty after starring in it for more than 30 years as Charlie Fairhead, it has been announced, as the acting icon decides to hang his scrubs up for the last time as a much-loved character on the show.

The 75-year-old acting star, who is Casualty’s longest-serving cast member, said: “The time has come for me to hang up Charlie’s scrubs after the most wonderful 37 years. Charlie Fairhead was inspired by a real nurse – Pete Salt.

“Together with the writers and producers, I have tried to bring to Charlie the compassion, kindness, heroism and sound judgment that we all see and love in Pete, and I want to say thanks to Pete and everyone else over that time who has inspired me in bringing this character to life.”

Executive Producer, Jon Sen, has promised Charlie's final scenes will be "brilliant," according to reports in the Mirror.

"Derek and I would often joke that, after such a long and dramatic career in the NHS, there was almost nothing that Charlie hadn’t seen. So it was an amazing surprise to me when Derek arrived with a brilliant idea for Charlie’s exit as part of an upcoming storyline, which was too good to pass up," he said.

Casualty stalwart Charlie Fairhead has appeared in the hit BBC show right from the beginning (Bristol Post)

"We will all miss Derek enormously. Over nearly four decades, Derek has crafted an iconic character who is woven into the fabric of British TV history. We will miss his craft, his humour and his on-screen presence."

He concluded: "We’re also going to miss a friend, so for the next few months we’re going to have a ball filming Charlie’s final chapter."

Charlie had been the only original cast member still standing from the show's first episode airing back in September 1986, with his sad exit marking the end of an era for soap fans.

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