BBC Casualty Cast: Your Favourite Characters Then & Now
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It’s the medical drama series that our parents ALWAYS used to watch! BBC Casualty is the world’s longest-running emergency medical drama.
It first aired in 1986! By managing to maintain its prime time TV slot – Saturday evenings – it has also broken the record of the longest enduring medical drama show in a prime time slot.
The characters sure did have a hard time of it and this is what they look like NOW!
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Josh Griffiths (Ian Bleasdale) – THEN
Image Source/ BBC
Before he was an actor, Ian was a teacher!
Josh was originally supposed to be a guest role but BBC bosses found that audiences liked the character and hence kept hiring him for extra episodes, before finally offering him a permanent contract.
We saw Josh save numerous lives but also saw him lose those closest to him, including his wife and two children.
Since leaving the show in 2007, Ian has gone on to star on Celebrity Masterchef, Law & Order UK and is the presenter of the show, Hospital Heroes.
Ian Bleasdale (Josh Griffiths) – NOW
Congratulations to Michelle Garton from Wyndham Primary Academy, Derby, winner of the Gold Award for Teacher of the Year in a Primary School 🙌 Pictured here with Ian Bleasdale who presented her award #classroomheroes pic.twitter.com/qIlYn4Vwpj
— The Pearson National Teaching Awards (@TeachingAwards) October 29, 2017
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Maggie Coldwell (Susan Cookson) – THEN
Image Source/ Casualty Wiki
Maggie was originally a nurse on the show before retraining to become a doctor. Despite having a husband in prison, Maggie still had a romantic interest in Charlie.
Susan had been on the show before, from 1998-2000 she played Julie Day, an anaesthetist. However, Susan is remembered more for her role of Maggie.
She nows lives in Sheffield with her children, Ruari and Dan. Sadly, her husband Malcolm passed away in 2016.
Susan Cookson (Maggie Coldwell) – NOW
Image Source/ AsianLite
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Lara Stone (Christine Stephen-Daly) – THEN
Image Source/ Casualty Wiki
Lara was the Senior House Officer from 2001-2004. She was the kind of person who knew what she wanted and was brilliant at her job.
She wasn’t lucky in the love department though – Patrick died in a motorway crash and she discovered that Simon had been unfaithful on their wedding day!
The last thing Christine is known to have starred in is Doctors in 2018, she starred as Lou Marwood.
Christine Stephen-Daly (Lara Stone) – NOW
Image Source/ BBC
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Fin Newton (Kwame Kwei-Armah) – THEN
Image Source/ Casualty Wiki
How could anyone forget Fin?! He may not have had the most patience, but his humour made up for it!
We were all rooting for him and Comfort – their proposal was perhaps the cutest thing on TV EVER!
However, his death was one of the saddest scenes to grace television screens! We still don’t know who committed his murder…
Kwame has gone on to bigger and brighter things since his role of Fin. He is the chancellor for the University of Arts and is the artistic director of the Young Vic.
Kwame Kwei-Armah (Fin Newton) – NOW
Death of a Salesmen first day. Mans like @WendellPierce, gal like sharond, mans like Arinze and the whole Loman family. #excited #herewego #youngvic #comewego pic.twitter.com/fqegC33gtZ
— Kwame Kwei-Armah (@kwamekweiarmah) March 18, 2019
Image Source/ Twitter
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Comfort Jones (Martina Laird) – THEN
Image Source/ Casualty Wiki
As hard as it was it see Comfort upset after her divorce from Rob, we were all (not so) secretly obsessed when her and Fin got together.
Since starring in Casualty, Martina has gone on to star on stage and the bigger screen, including the movie Blitz (2011) with Jason Statham!
Martina Laird (Comfort Jones) – NOW
Still riding high from a reaffirming night celebrating 40 years of @CleanBrk & the launch of their brilliant collection of monologues Every actor needs a copy of this #RebelVoices Also so good to experience the love and respect between everyone there The soul was hungry for this pic.twitter.com/cdLmzuusQ7
— Martina Laird (@martina_laird) May 13, 2019
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Nick Jordan (Michael French) – THEN
Image Source/ What’s On TV
Nick first appeared in Casualty’s sister show, Holby City, before transferring to Casualty.
He is calculated, manipulative and isn’t afraid to step on toes to get to the top.
Michael’s last on screen role was in 2014, as a guest appearance of his infamous role of David Wicks.
Michael French (Nick Jordan) – NOW
Image Source/ BBC
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Connie Beauchamp (Amanda Mealing) – THEN
Image Source/ WhatsOnTV
Connie is the takes no nonsense clinical lead that has appeared in both Holby City and Casualty. Despite giving up her role as Connie on Holby City in 2010, she was asked to come back in 2014, but this time in Casualty.
Just ONE DAY after giving birth to her youngest son, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She is now in remission and was applauded for her work regarding Connie’s cancer.
Amanda has been with her husband, Richard Sainsbury (a screenwriter) since 1998; the couple have two sons, Otis and Milo. The boys have Paul O’Grady, a close friend of Amanda’s, as their godfather!
Amanda Mealing (Connie Beauchamp) – NOW
Such a lovely chat with @Schofe about @WaterAidUK Thank you x pic.twitter.com/rA3R97P2gz
— amanda mealing (@meamandamealing) March 12, 2019
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Charlie Fairhead (Derek Thompson) – THEN
Image Source/ Twitter
Charlie is the longest running to be on the show – he has continuously starred in the series since its very first episode!
However, fans of the show may have noticed that Charlie is absent for a few episodes each year, that is because BBC Casualty bosses allow Derek (who plays Charlie) to have two months off every year.
Derek might his wife, Dee, on the set of Casualty! She played ‘Maggie’ – a lady who was rescued from a cave before being brought to the hospital. The pair have been together ever since!
Derek Thompson (Charlie Fairhead) – NOW
Image Source/ The Sun
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