Life in Casualty has been an absolute rollercoaster since the new year. There have been four departures and a funeral — doctor Ethan Hardy (George Rainsford) left to spend time with his son, while nurses Marty Kirkby (Shaheen Jafargholi), David Hide (Jason Durr) and Jacob Masters (Charles Venn) all resigned in the wake of Robyn Miller’s (Amanda Henderson) tragic death.
The department has since been dangerously short-staffed, but help is at hand as Holby City favourite Donna Jackson (Jaye Jacobs) has been appointed clinical nurse manager and has hired four new nurses, who all make their debut this week.
Here, the new Casualty quartet reveal their characters’ white-knuckle ride at Holby ED is just getting started…
Casualty teaser interviews, first looks and spoilers
The straight-talker — nurse Rida Amaan is played by Sarah Seggari
“Rida is the first hijab-wearing Muslim nurse on the show,” says Sarah, whose credits include This Is Going to Hurt, We Are Lady Parts and I Hate Suzie. “She is battling the two worlds of her home life and her career, and how to balance religion and work.
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“She’s the mum of the new group, Ryan is the alpha male, Cameron is the baby and Jodie’s the naughty teenager who wants to go clubbing. This is their first time on the ED floor, so they’re all learning.
“I don’t know how much I can say [about Rida’s future storylines]… She has a very close relationship with another character. No kissing, but close!”
Our full interview with Sarah Seggari
The sensitive soul — nurse Cameron ‘Cam’ Mickelthwaite is played by Barney Walsh
“On his first shift, Cam grapples with losing the body of a deceased patient and thinks he’s going to be sacked!” reveals Barney, whose acting credits include Doctors, The Larkins and Death in Paradise. He also stars alongside his father, Bradley Walsh, in ITV1 travelogue Breaking Dad.
“‘All our characters are colourful personalities. No two people are the same and they approach situations very differently. Yet they complement each other perfectly.
“We started filming on October 31 last year. It has been funny not being able to say anything about our roles until now. But it has given us the opportunity to settle in and develop the characters. The things that happen to the new recruits are not easy things to tackle. We’ve done storylines you’d never expect!”
Our full interview with Barney Walsh
The bad boy — Ryan Firth is played by Eddie-Joe Robinson
“Our first shift is pure chaos!” says Eddie-Joe, who has starred in Emmerdale and Grantchester, as well as having a guest role in Casualty in 2019 “The four of us are thrown into the deep end and are all fighting to make sure we don’t mess up too badly.
“Ryan’s ambitious and wants to get ahead of his fellow nurses. But he can take the banter too far…
“His ‘act now, think later’ attitude lands him in hot water as he tries to fit in and work his way up the ladder. He’s a bit of a bad boy, but with a sensitive side. There are lots of good storylines coming up!”
Our full interview with Eddie-Joe Robinson
The party animal — Jodie Whyte is played by Anna Chell
“It’s really nice to watch the new recruits’ journeys,” shares Anna, who appeared in The Bay season 3. “They’ve got so much to learn. You’ll see how they’re going to deal with death, relationships, and love.
“Their manager, Donna, really cracks the whip! The medical side is tough but interesting. We’re learning what words mean, what drugs do, what to do if someone’s got a knife through the chest… I’m very grateful to be playing a nurse and showing how hard they work.
“There are action-packed, energetic and fast-paced episodes coming up.
There’s a huge shock for Jodie and Max Cristie [played by Nigel Harman]. You’ll have to tune in to find out what goes on there!”
