It has been announced that Casualty icon, Derek Thompson will be leaving the BBC drama after 37 years in the role of Charlie Fairhead.
The news was announced today, Tuesday, May 30, that after appearing in nearly 900 episodes Derek will be hanging up his scrubs later this year as Charlie bows out of the show as part of a huge exit storyline.
Details of Charlie's dramatic departure are being kept tightly under wraps for now, but it has been confirmed that Derek will be filming until the autumn, and his final scenes as Charlie will air next year.
Show insiders have also promised that Charlie will be going out with a bang, which only seems fitting seeing as Derek is Casualty’s longest-serving cast member and has played a central part in the drama since it launched in 1986.
Speaking of his decision to leave Casualty, Derek Thompson 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 judgement 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.”
Jon Sen, Executive Producer of Casualty for BBC Studios, says: “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.
"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. 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.”
Casualty airs on Saturdays on BBC One — check out our guide to every episode for all the latest news and spoilers.
