Casualty star makes shock return to TV in popular soap amid 'shock' over sudden axe

Casualty icon Cathy Shipton has spoken retired astir the determination to axe BBC daytime soap Doctors aft 24 years connected aerial - and however it's a "real shame" to spot it go

Casualty fable Cathy Shipton has spoken retired astir the "real shame" of the BBC's determination to axe Doctors aft a 24-year run, blaming soaring accumulation costs and the necessity for acceptable renovations. The beloved daytime drama, which archetypal deed screens successful 2000, volition broadcast its last occurrence successful December 2024, with the BBC promising to trade "the finale it deserves".

Set successful the made-up West Midlands municipality of Letherbridge, Doctors has charted the idiosyncratic and nonrecreational lives of those astatine an NHS doctor's country and a assemblage field surgery, alongside their families and friends. The amusement has been a launchpad for hundreds of actors, with an estimated 800 impermanent stars gracing the soap annually, reports OK!

Cathy, famed for her relation arsenic Lisa "Duffy" Duffin successful Casualty, is acceptable to grace the Doctors acceptable erstwhile much connected 3 October, marking her 3rd comeback to the series. Four years aft bidding farewell to Duffy, a quality cherished for her compassionate and steadfast nature, Cathy remains a steadfast instrumentality favourite.

Duffy was a cornerstone of Casualty for the archetypal 8 seasons, departing successful 1993 lone to instrumentality successful 1998 for different five-year tenure, which besides saw her crossover into Holby City. Beyond the screen, Cathy has leveraged her personage presumption to champion healthcare initiatives and enactment captious organisations similar the British Heart Foundation.

She made a celebrated instrumentality to her relation arsenic Duffy successful 2006 to commemorate the show's twentieth day and again successful 2015. In June 2016, it was announced that she would look successful the show's thousandth episode, earlier returning arsenic a regular formed subordinate successful August. Unfortunately, Duffy was written retired of the amusement connected 1 February 2020.

Cathy is present acceptable to prima successful an occurrence of Doctors titled 'Shock Therapy', which volition besides diagnostic erstwhile Corrie prima Shayne Ward who's presently showing disconnected his moves connected Strictly and his real-life fiancée Sophie Austin. The episode, scheduled for broadcast connected October 3, teases: "Luca introduces a person to the joys and pitfalls of moving for the NHS, portion Holly continues trying to transportation Scarlett to articulation her livestream. Zara reveals the shocking information astir a patient's caller behavioural changes."

This marks Cathy's 3rd quality connected the amusement arsenic quality Melissa Horner, described arsenic a "very straight-talking bluish pistillate and erstwhile national negotiator." She's besides the parent of Sophie Austin's character, Sandra. Expressing her disappointment astir Doctors ending aft 24 years connected aerial successful December, Cathy shared her feelings with TV Times.

She expressed her dismay to the outlet: "It's a existent shame and a shock, and I think, sadly, an ill-advised decision. Holby City has gone, Doctors has gone...Young directors, writers and actors; they each chopped their teeth connected these kinds of shows. You are aware, peculiarly with the crew, that radical bargain homes and determination their families there. I didn't privation to speech astir it connected acceptable due to the fact that you're determination to bash a job, but I did person a fewer chats with radical connected the QT and it was a existent stroke to everyone."

She besides opened up astir however having her renowned Casualty quality conscionable an extremity provided her with "closure" and the foreknowledge of her dementia crippled 18 months successful beforehand aided her successful dealing with the loss.

The quality follows past year's announcement that Doctors would beryllium ending its tally aft much than 2 decades connected air, with accumulation wrapping up successful March but episodes expected to broadcast until Christmas 2024. A typical from BBC stated then: "We person taken the precise hard determination to bring daytime play Doctors to an extremity aft 23 years."

"With ace ostentation successful play production, the outgo of the programme has accrued significantly, and further concern is besides present required to refurbish the tract wherever the amusement is made, oregon to relocate it to different home. With a level licence fee, the BBC's backing challenges mean we person to marque pugnacious choices successful bid to present greater worth to audiences."