Exclusive: Holby star Rosie Marcel on Charlie's Casualty exit 'It would be a mistake to kill off such an incredible character'

Jac Naylor (Rosie Marcel) opens up to Fletch - but is it enough?.

This weekend marks a milestone moment in Casualty as the legendary Charlie Fairhead (Derek Thompson) bows out of the show after an amazing 38 years on our screens. 

After last week’s dramatic stabbing, the veteran medic’s life hangs in the balance in an episode poignantly and simply titled Charlie on Saturday, March 16 at 9.25pm on BBC1.

But, while fans are desperate to learn Charlie's fate, one person who knows all about iconic characters leaving much-loved shows more than others is former Holby City favorite Rosie Marcel. 

Charlie Fairhead is at death's door in his final Casualty episode. Will he exit Holby ED alive or dead? (Image credit: BBC Studios)

Rosie played top surgeon Jac Naylor for 17 years, and when the show was sadly cancelled back in 2022 the decision was made to kill off the character after she suffered a terminal brain tumour.

We caught up with Rosie for an exclusive chat about her latest project that will see her reunite with her Holby co-stars Guy Henry (Henrik Hanssen), Bob Barrett (Sacha Levy) and Sarah-Jane Potts (Eddi McKee) on a trip to Romania to make a documentary for a charity very close to her heart called The Pack Project UK.

The Pack Project UK is a charity that takes unwanted stray dogs and cats off the streets in Romania, houses them, gets them better and then finds loving homes for them in the UK or Germany, and Rosie is proud ambassador for the cause.

Rosie Marcel is an ambassador for The Pack Project UK. (Image credit: The Pack Project UK)

But while we were chatting to Rosie, we couldn't resist asking her thoughts on Charlie's Casualty exit this weekend. 

Although we are yet to find out if Charlie lives or dies, Rosie reflected on her own character's fate: "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.

"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."

Look out for our full chat with Rosie about The Pack Project and the amazing work they do next week. For more information on The Pack Project UK and how you can get involved, visit their website or check out their Instagram pages @thepackprojectuk and @thepackprojectukcats.