Charlie Fairhead leaves Holby City however was he a Casualty of BBC cuts?
- Sources ay his wage could have been too excessive for BBC bosses to justify
For 38 years, he has been the stalwart of BBC drama Casualty. No longer.
Senior cost nurse Charlie Fairhead left viewers in tears as he lastly departed the accident and emergency division of the fictional Holby City Hospital after a close to four-decade shift. But it might have been worse.
Fans had been left fearing Charlie, performed by Derek Thompson because the present’s inception in 1986, would die after he was stabbed within the earlier cliffhanger episode by a medicine supplier. Instead, he survived – and promptly retired.
Sources say Thompson’s destiny was sealed as a result of his wage – between £349,999 and £399,999 a yr – was too excessive for BBC chiefs to justify after axing Casualty spin-off Holby City and Doctors.
Now The Mail on Sunday can reveal the BBC is to show to the favored Barney Walsh to fill the void left by Thompson, 75. Walsh, the son of actor and presenter Bradley Walsh, joined the present final yr, enjoying hapless employees nurse Cameron ‘Cam’ Mickelthwaite.
Senior cost nurse Charlie Fairhead (Derek Thompson) left viewers in tears as he lastly departed the fictional Holby City Hospital
Sources say Thompson’s destiny was sealed as a result of his wage – between £349,999 and £399,999 a yr – was too excessive for BBC chiefs
Thompson will now be part of one other BBC drama, Blue Lights, which follows a bunch of rookie law enforcement officials in Northern Ireland
Bosses imagine they will money in on his excessive profile. He presents Gladiators on the BBC, and has appeared on ITV productions Breaking Dad and The Larkins alongside his father. In Charlie’s absence, Cam would have larger storylines and, executives hope, he would pull in youthful viewers. Walsh, 26, can be in talks to star on this yr’s Strictly Come Dancing.
A BBC insider stated: ‘Charlie was a little bit of a garbage nurse when he first arrived, as is Cam, which is why this makes all of it such a stunning concept from the bosses. They suppose that turning Cam into the ‘face of the nurses’ in lieu of Charlie is a no brainer. His reputation has soared a lot since Gladiators so it could imply he can be given larger storylines and he can be used extra, to cease anybody else grabbing him.’
On final evening’s episode, Cam was an integral a part of saving Charlie’s life. He discovered him gravely sick and alerted his colleague Stevie Nash – portrayed by actress Elinor Lawless – who carried out life-saving surgical procedure on him.
After coming spherical, Charlie was joined at his bedside by his finest good friend, Josh Griffiths – performed by actor Ian Bleasdale. He stop the present in 2007, showing solely sometimes since then.
The pair then drove off in a yellow Beetle, together with cans hooked up to it and an indication within the again window that stated: ‘Just retired.’ Fans additionally realized that Charlie saved the lifetime of Stevie’s father when she was a younger lady.
Speaking of his departure, Thompson stated: ‘I by no means envisaged that I’d keep 38 years. I initially signed up for 3 years, nevertheless it quickly grew to become obvious what an incredible character he was to play.
‘Medicine and tv have each modified loads since I began. But the fundamentals are nonetheless there – the reception space and desk the place folks roll up remains to be performing the identical operate it did on my first day.’
Thompson will now be part of one other BBC drama, Blue Lights, which follows a bunch of rookie law enforcement officials in Northern Ireland.
