CROSSOVER Casualty casts iconic EastEnders star for Charlie Fairhead’s last episode as BBC takes special measures to prevent leaks
It comes as an insider told The Sun the cast have been braced for a short future on the show
CASUALTY has brought in an EastEnders icon for show stalwart Charlie Fairhead’s final episode.
Annette Badland, who played Aunt Babe on the BBC soap, has been cast as Charge Nurse Shirley in special flashback scenes set in the 1980s.
Actor Derek Thompson, 75, is leaving the medical drama after 38 years playing Charlie and this Saturday (March 16) the Beeb will air his final scenes.
The flashbacks will feature a younger Charlie showing up hungover to Shirley’s retirement party where she gives him some key advice.
Soon after, a nail bomb explosion fills the hospital with casualties and viewers will see Charlie responding to a challenging day at work while also revealing a hidden connection between him and doctor Stevie.
In the present day, Charlie’s life hangs in the balance after his stabbing by a patient trying to steal medical supplies.
Bosses confirmed the episode would not be shown early on BBC iPlayer in an effort to prevent spoilers leaking.
Casualty joined EastEnders in uploading their latest episodes at 6am back in December.
Charlie will slip in and out of consciousness as colleagues work to save his life, taking viewers to the 1980s flashbacks featuring Annette.
Former Casualty stars have returned to the medical drama in the build-up to Charlie’s exit.
Sunetra Sarker reprised her role as Dr Zoe Hanna while Ian Bleasdale has returned as fan-favourite paramedic Josh Griffiths.
Next Saturday’s (March 23) episode will be a double bill kicking off the show’s next set of episodes, titled ‘Breaking Point’.
It comes amid fears for the show’s future as cast and crew were reportedly told there would be just two more years of Casualty to come.
An insider said: “[Series 38] will end in July, then, all being well, the new episodes will continue to air from there.
“But the general word to everyone was ‘two more years then bye’ and ‘we’ve got two more years’.
“The contracts are rolling, so don’t have an expiry date on them, so you never know, things could be extended again.”
In response, the BBC said: “Casualty isn’t going anywhere.
“The latest recommission is simply part of the normal business cycle.”
The Six’s Christmas Day secrets are once again under threat in EastEnders, this time due to Jack Branning’s suspicions.
Thursday’s (March 14) episode saw Denise returning home after being sectioned a few weeks ago, but there was still tension between her and Jack.
Jack had been looking through the statements The Six made to police about the events of Christmas Day when he realised there were major inconsistencies. While Jack was keen to ask Denise about these inconsistencies, his wife continued to try to sweep everything under the rug.
Jack pressed on with his attempts to get the truth from Denise, even as she warned him his questioning could send her back to the psych ward. The detective brought up the numerous issues in The Six’s alibi — like Denise’s fingerprints not being on the bottle that struck Nish.
Related: 10 huge EastEnders spoilers for next week
“Why did the six of you cook up an elaborate cover-up on the night one man gets attacked and another one goes missing?” Jack asked.
He warned that he couldn’t protect Denise unless she was honest with him. Denise admitted that she’d attacked Nish with the bottle because he was trying to kill Suki.
“You can plead reasonable force when you confess,” Jack told Denise.
Denise was horrified at the prospect of confessing, so she changed the story to suggest she’d hit Nish “with such force” because she’d fallen out with Jack on Christmas Day.
“You used your daughter’s self-harm to blackmail me into staying with you,” she recalled. “In that moment of blind rage, I dunno, maybe I did wish it was you.”
She turned the tables on Jack, claiming she’d hidden the truth to protect her husband’s “precious job”. Jack apologised again, telling her that he loves her.
Related: Soap Movers: Who’s leaving, returning and joining in EastEnders, Coronation Street, Emmerdale and Hollyoaks?
“And I love you. I’ve never been more certain of that than I am now,” Denise told him.
The detective begged his wife to confess, though she still refused and vowed to deny any allegation if he tried to turn her in.
“I’ve told you everything I know. I don’t know what happened after I left. I don’t know where Keanu is,” she insisted.
The episode left off with Denise warning Jack that he could choose to support his family or pursue the case against her and lose everything.
“Job or marriage, what’s it going to be?” Denise asked.
What will Jack decide?
