{"id":47693,"date":"2024-03-13T10:00:41","date_gmt":"2024-03-13T09:00:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=2007507"},"modified":"2024-03-13T10:28:39","modified_gmt":"2024-03-13T09:28:39","slug":"derek-thompson-says-his-final-casualty-episodes-are-the-best-of-his-career","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/derek-thompson-says-his-final-casualty-episodes-are-the-best-of-his-career\/","title":{"rendered":"Derek Thompson says his final Casualty episodes are \u201cthe best\u201d of his career"},"content":{"rendered":"

Everyone’s favourite nurse will be bowing out of the role after 38 years. <\/p>

By Katelyn Mensah\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Wednesday, 13 March 2024 at 09:00 AM<\/p>

\n\n

After 38 years on Casualty<\/a>, Derek Thompson will be saying goodbye to his role as Charlie Fairhead on the BBC One medical drama, with details of his farewell being kept under wraps until the episode airs.<\/p>\n

In the latest instalment of Casualty, viewers were left distressed<\/a> when beloved Nurse Charlie was stabbed and was left bleeding out.<\/p>\n

While Stevie (Elinor Lawless) and Faith (Kirsty Mitchell) found him, the fate of the iconic character will be revealed on Saturday 16th March.<\/p>\n

In first-look pictures of Saturday\u2019s episode, Charlie can be seen lying on a hospital bed, and there are scenes of a young Charlie at the start of his career. Could life be flashing before his eyes?<\/p>\n

\"A\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
A young Charlie Fairhead. BBC<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Well, in a new Q&A ahead of his final episode, Thompson has given his verdict on the forthcoming scenes, admitting he thinks his final episodes on Casualty are \u201csome of the best\u201d of his career.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I first read the script, I didn\u2019t have to think about it at all, because it\u2019s just great storytelling,\u201d he explained.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHow Michelle Lipton wrote these episodes comes across like she\u2019s written eight plays. Taken from so many points of view. They all belong so well; they belong to the characters. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think there\u2019s another writer who could have done it. I think my final two episodes are some of the best episodes of my career.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite them being some of his best moments, Thompson admitted he felt \u201cheightened emotions\u201d when filming the scenes \u2013 but were they positive or negative?<\/p>

He told OK! Magazine<\/a>: \u201cI don\u2019t want to spoil it by saying whether or not he survives, but everything felt heightened when I filmed my last scenes. It felt like one of those big emotional moments in your life, like the birth of a child or your wedding.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thompson first joined Casualty in 1986 and was attracted to the role of Charlie after reading the script.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought it was bang on the money,\u201d he said. \u201cIt said what its aims and ambitions were. It\u2019s the kind of role people want to do in theatre that gets through to people about the NHS.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut reading the scripts, I thought it was better than anything I could have done in the theatre.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yet Thompson never thought he\u2019d stay in the role until 2024. \u201cI originally signed up for three years, but it soon became apparent what a great character he was to play,\u201d he told the publication.<\/p>\n