Will Arthur say how he feels?

‘Break’ : Ollie is clearly near breaking point but insists he is fit enough to work, forcing Gemma to step in when his erratic behaviour endangers a patient’s life. Will he let his colleague take the blame?

Sacha tries to put things right with Chrissie after deceiving her over Daniel’s operation, while a patient encourages Arthur to finally take the plunge and tell Chantelle exactly how he feels.

Fletch goes out with the paramedics

‘What Goes Up’ : Fletch joins Dixie and Jeff as they are called to a diabetic woman in the city’s highest tower block. However, matters are complicated when the nurse has a run-in with a group of unruly teenagers threatening a man in one of the lower flats – and he ends up having to perform an emergency operation.

Meanwhile, Ella and her friend are caught stealing from a corner shop, so she sprays an aerosol in the owner’s eyes – and when they all end up in the ED, the girl manages to convince her dad she wasn’t to blame, convincing Zoe that Ash is far too soft on his daughter.

Tristan joins The Bodyguard

Former CASUALTY actor Tristan Gemmill is to join the cast of West End musical ‘The Bodyguard’ from September.

Tristan, who played Dr Adam Trueman in the medical drama for four years, will play the role of bodyguard Frank Farmer alongside singer Beverley Knight.

The Bodyguard is adapted from the hit 1992 film starring Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner and features classic Whitney songs including “One Moment in Time”, “Saving All My Love”, “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” and “I Will Always Love You”.

Of his new part, Tristan said “It’s a real thrill for me to be returning to the West End in Thea Sharrock’s production of The Bodyguard. It’s going to be a huge challenge but one I can’t wait to get started on. Being responsible for protecting my co-star, the phenomenally talented Beverley Knight and to hear her performing Whitney Houston’s timeless classics each night, will be something very special and I’m very much looking forward to getting on board and starting rehearsals with this incredible company.”

The Bodyguard had it’s world premiere at the Adelphi Theatre, London in December 2012. It’s now had it’s run extended till March 2014.

James Redmond & Jeremy Edwards

Actors Jeremy Edwards and James Redmond are set to make a return for a sixth series of spin-off Hollyoaks Later.

Former HOLBY CITY actor Jeremy Edwards, who played original cast member Kurt Benson and former CASUALTY actor James Redmond, who played Rory ‘Finn’ Finnegan will appear on our screens this Autumn in five hour long episodes, to be filmed in Spanish and Moroccan locations.

Storylines will feature Tony Hutchinson facing up to his cancer battle which will see Kurt, Finn and also Dom (played by John Pickard) return.

Although it’s unclear how Kurt will be worked into the storyline, as his character was killed off in a jet-ski accident in 1999. However a spokeperson for the show said ‘All will be made clear to the audience when the time comes’.

Lee Mason, Channel 4 Editor, Hollyoaks, also added, ‘We’re thrilled to be bringing back Hollyoaks Later for a sixth series and with it some of our best-loved Hollyoaks faces.’

Michael Obiora Interview

Actor Michael Obiora, who played nurse Lloyd, left CASUALTY last weekend. He kindly talks to holby.tv about his exit and future plans…

You’ve been on Casualty for two years, why have you decided to leave?

I remember growing up watching shows like Eastenders – I’d dip in and out as viewer. So sometimes I wouldn’t watch the show for a six months, or maybe a year. I started to notice that despite sometimes not watching for a while I’d still see a lot of the same characters. I was a child actor so from an early age I was aware of a certain type of snobbery towards soaps, and I was influenced by it. I’d say to myself, “wow, look at that actor playing the same role for years. He or she is lazy!”

Having just finished a two year stint on Casualty, which is the closest to being a regular on a soap I’ve come so far, I can now completely understand why an actor would enjoy that stability. It’s a regular income, which is rare for an actor, great for your profile, and if you have children, or a mortgage, being a series regular on a long-running show can be very attractive. But I am only 26 years old, and while I can afford to I want to chase as varied a career as possible. I’ve been working as an actor for the majority of my life, so I want to do everything I can to avoid any type of laziness setting in. But having said that, I don’t think it’s necessarily lazy to be on a show for a long time. It’s all about where you’re at. I really enjoyed acting pretty much everyday for the two years I was on Casualty. And I have a huge amount of respect for the cast and crew of soaps – the hours are very demanding.

Being a London boy, was it difficult filming in Cardiff on a permenant basis? Did this have any influence on your decision to leave?

The fact that the show films in Cardiff had nothing to do with me leaving the show. As an actor you have to go where the work is. And more and more projects are shot outside of London nowadays. But I really did miss my city when I was in Cardiff. I am very lucky to have travelled a lot, and I can’t help that this is going to sound biased but London is one of the greatest cities I’ve experienced. I love it so much. My favourite thing about it is the diversity. In London I think you can feel at home no matter your ethnicity, and I love that.

Are you pleased with how your character progressed during your time on the show?

In a word: yes. The show is very fast paced, and because it’s an ensemble sometimes it can feel as if your character is being neglected. But when I look back at Lloyd’s evolution I cannot complain. What a way to bow out of the show!

What will you miss most (and least!) from your time working on Casualty?

I will miss the lovely view of the bay I had from the enormous apartment I stayed in! I will miss the lovely costume and make up ladies we had, but one thing I will not miss at all is the rain! As a Londoner I’m not used to good weather, but it really did seem to rain all the time I was there!

Lloyd during the Holby Riot

What have been some of your most memorable storylines/ scenes to work on in Casualty?

My final block was one of my favourites – I really enjoyed my leaving storyline.

But without a doubt my favourite storyline was the Holby Riot two-parter. From a selfish point of view Lloyd had a great arc over those episodes. And I think the choreography and the stunts where impressive. I really enjoyed the night shoots, and it was fun to feel like an action hero for a little while!

My favourite scene was when Lloyd told Scarlett that he no longer recognized her after learning of her involvement in the riots. I thought her performance in that scene was brilliant.

What feedback did you get from viewers about your character?

People would sometimes say things like ‘hello, Mr Judgemental!’ while I would be buying groceries. And with social media it’s quite hard to avoid seeing comments that viewers have left, plus I was quite curious too! But things like that don’t bother me – at the end of the day, no viewers, no show. These people don’t know the actors, they know the characters, and that’s who they are judging. I do think that people can get a little carried away on discussion forums, but remembering that these people don’t know me helps me not to take it personally. And I’d much rather play a character that get’s people talking.

Any chance of returning to Casualty once Lloyd has retrained as a doctor?

I’m very excited to look to the future – there are so many roles out there that I want to play. But it’s nice that they have left the door open for a return. They didn’t have to do that.

Did you have a leaving party like Lloyd? What leaving presents did you get?

I had a really great leaving party! Lloyd’s karaoke scene was actually filmed on my last day, so that was a bit of a party itself. Then a large group of us went to a club that included live music, lot’s of dancing, drinking and eating! And I was really touched by the cards, flowers and gifts I got. I was training for the London Marathon at the time, so the cast got me a Nike Fuel Band.

Who do you hope to keep in touch with from the cast now that you’ve gone?

I got on with people in equal measure. You tend to get closer to the actors that you have the most storylines with. But Lloyd could be in a scene with any of the characters, and that’s one of the things I enjoyed about playing him. I swap occasional texts with some of the cast, and in this business there is often at least a mutual friend in common. So it’s not too hard to keep in touch without necessarily hanging out with each other.

Have there ever been any funny/ pranks or embarrassing moments on Set that you can share?

There’s one I’d love to share but I can’t! What I will say though is that it involves Matt Bardock and Jane Hazlegrove (Jeff and Dixie)! They had great banter together, and they made me laugh a lot!

What are your future plans now that you’ve left? Do you hope to continue with acting or pursue some of your other talents such as writing?

In this business it’s not possible to plan. There’s only so much control an actor has. But my goals remain the same: to do good work, and to keep enjoying myself. I’m about to start the second draft of my second novel, and I’m auditioning and enjoying the fact that for a while I don’t have to do anything that doesn’t excite me.

What would be your dream acting role?

The little boy in me says Rocky Balboa, James Bond, and Batman! And the adult in me says a Lawyer, or Stephen Bellamy in the Ides of March. So maybe a combination of a Lawyer who moonlights as a secret agent, and occasionally works as a political spin doctor!

You recently ran the London Marathon, how was it? Would you consider doing future marathon events?

I’m definitely going to do more in the future. It’s all about time. As an actor your schedule can change at the drop of a hat. Working on Casualty gave me a structure so I could actually stick to a training plan. But I may not be in that situation again. I always wanted to do a full marathon, and I’m happy to say I’ve done it now. I got injured a few months before and never recovered, so I didn’t complete the run in the time I wanted. I’m a competitive person so that makes me want to give it another go! But I’m really proud to have experienced that day. The crowd were amazing, and the fact that the events in
Boston only a week before didn’t stop people turning out in their droves is a beautiful thing.

Finally do you have a message for fans of holby.tv who have supported you during your time on Casualty?

THANK YOU SO MUCH. It’s down to people like yourselves that shows like Casualty are still going strong.

Red Button Debut

Holby City is to air it’s first ever red button episode.

In a special Red Button entitled ‘A Night Like This’ which is due to be screened after Tuesday 18th June’s episode, it shows Chrissie spend the night at the home of colleague Michael Spence.

With tension between couple Sacha and Chrissie over his daughter’s bone marrow transplant and Michael struggling with a cancer patient Seb, Chrissie and Michael find they’re an unlikely shoulder to cry on for one another.

Executive Producer Oliver Kent told Digital Spy, ‘Holby City couldn’t be more excited to be putting out our first ever Red Button episode.

‘It not only gives us one of those rare and delicious opportunities to go outside the world of the hospital into the home of one of our characters – but also showcases two of our most long-time, full-blooded and beloved regulars, Chrissie and Michael. Viewers can expect plenty of sparks.’

Goodbye Lloyd

Actor Michael Obiora bowed out of CASUALTY this weekend.

Michael, who joined the show in August 2011 as nurse Lloyd Asike quit the show as his character is set to retrain as a doctor. His exit storyline saw him involved in a dramatic explosion.

On Twitter, Michael thanked his fans for their support ‘HUGE thanx 4lovely msgs re my final ep of Casualty bin fun connectin wid fans of the show. C u guys on the next 1! X’.

You can read his exit interview with holby.tv here

Tension between Chrissie & Sacha

‘Follow the Yellow Brick Road’ : Elliot tries to protect Ollie when his mistakes begin to threaten the entire ward, but when a heart patient is re-admitted, the young doctor insists on conducting the treatment alone, forcing him to confront his emotions once and for all.

Daniel is a perfect match for Rachel’s bone-marrow transplant, but Chrissie is terrified at the thought of putting her son through such a risky procedure, creating tension between her and Sacha.

Michael is frustrated that there is nothing he can do to help a patient, especially when the boy’s parent accuses him of giving them false hope, so he resolves to make one of the youngster’s last wishes come true.

The drama continues at 9pm in a special red-button episode.

Tom celebrates his 30th birthday

‘Garage Flowers’ : Tom faces a dilemma about truth and confidentiality regarding the paternity of an unborn baby, and Sam tries to help a man deal with his anger issues – and give him a chance to save his marriage in the process.

Robyn becomes concerned about an elderly woman with dementia and her husband, especially when it becomes clear their carer is struggling to look after them.