By Holby City welcomes Alex Walkinshaw to the cast this week as his Casualty character Adrian 'Fletch' Fletcher arrives as AAU's new ward manager.
Fletch is hoping for a fresh start as he starts in his new job, but when he comes face-to-face with his ex-fiancée Colette Sheward, it's clear that there could be some challenges ahead as they work together!
Digital Spy recently caught up with Alex to hear more about his move to Holby City and his future storylines.
How have you found making the move from Casualty to Holby City?
"It was quite nerve-wracking to make the move, because it's always nerve-wracking when you start a new job. A lot of it was familiar to me because I'm playing the same character, but working with a whole new cast is very daunting.
"I was really quite nervous when I first started, but everyone has been so welcoming and friendly that I feel my transition has been fairly smooth. We all had a night out for some food and drinks at the beginning, and it was really nice to get to know everybody. If it wasn't for the cast and the crew, I'd probably still be struggling!"
Why did you decide to leave Casualty?
"It wasn't anything to do with Casualty at all - it was purely due to the fact that my wife and children are in Kent and I was filming in Cardiff. I'd done two years on Casualty, so it was time to spend some more time at home with my children and my wife. But the producers Ollie Kent and Simon Harper hatched a plan to move Fletch to Holby!"
Were you surprised when they did that?
"Absolutely! It wasn't something that I had planned for at all. It just came out of nowhere, but I was very grateful for it. Holby is a cracking show to work on with great people, and the added bonus is that I get to go home every night. There's a lot to be said for that."
Is the feel of both shows quite similar?
"Yes, they are very similar in the way that you're surrounded by people who just want to make it better. There's no massive egos - everyone is there to support each other. There's always several discussions throughout the day of how things can be done, but it's always to make it better, which is lovely. It's a nice feeling to go to work and know that you're going to be creative and productive."
Did you know many of the cast beforehand?
"I knew Rosie Marcel, as we had worked together on The Bill. She was my character's girlfriend for a while, until she died! I had met Chizzy Akudolu a few times and I had also met Louise Delamere.
"Apart from that I didn't know anyone, so it was pretty daunting but it was nice that I had a couple of familiar faces that I could go to. I also had mutual friends with some of the other people, which always helps!"
How have Fletch's fans responded to news of the move?
"It's been really positive. What's surprised me is that I thought Holby and Casualty had the same audience, and while there are a lot of people who do watch both, it turns out that there's also many people who just watch one or the other.
"There's been a lot of positive feedback from people who do watch both, but then I've also had Casualty fans saying, 'I'm going to have to start watching Holby!' On the whole it's been great and I hope they like it."
Were you pleased with the way the Tess and Fletch storyline concluded on Casualty?
"I was, because throughout whatever went on with Tess, I don't think Fletch is a bad man. If you look at it on paper, he's done some bad things - but his heart was in the right place and he acted on that. That's how he left - he acted on his heart by standing up and saying, 'I'm going to go to make it easier for you and not be selfish about it'. He put Tess first and he manned up to everything."
What can we expect from the dynamic between Fletch and Colette?
"Colette is Fletch's ex-fiancée. It's the first time they've seen each other since the day that they split, so it's a bit of a shock to both of them. There's still a lot of tension between them, as well as a lot of banter and bickering!"
Are there unresolved feelings?
"There is a romantic air to their feelings. There's a little bit of a 'what if?' between them."
How does Fletch feel when Guy and Ric both warn him not to repeat his past mistakes by mixing his personal and professional lives?
"I think he just takes it firmly on the chin. Obviously Fletch is a grown-up and he knows there's going to be some doubters in his new job. It's the same hospital so stories do get around, so it's just a question of Fletch needing to rise to the challenge and move on."
Does Fletch adjust well to his new job?
"He's determined to rise to the challenge of his new job because it's a promotion and there's more responsibility, but it is new to him and when he has been in charge in Casualty, it's generally ended horribly!
"I think there's elements of that, but Fletch is learning and he's trying to assert himself a bit more as the AAU ward manager. He's maturing in his role, but it's not going to be completely smooth sailing.
"There are also some nice friendships being forged with the other characters. Fletch is a laugh and a bit of a Jack The Lad, so most people like him."
Does Fletch have some big stories coming up?
"Yeah, I've got some really nice stuff coming up. There's a nice involvement with Colette and that storyline plays out. I've got some nice stuff with Harry Tressler and Raf di Lucca, a nice interesting story with Serena, and even more stuff to come!"
Could Fletch ever pop back to Casualty for a guest appearance?
"I really don't know! They haven't mentioned anything but it is very possible, I would imagine. There's always the chance that something could bring Fletch back downstairs to the ED, or for people from the ED to turn up on his ward. It'd be nice to go back and do a couple of episodes and see all of my mates back there!"
Holby City tension as Casualty's Fletch joins show - spoiler pictures
Read more Holby City spoilers and news
Holby City airs Fletch's first episode on Tuesday (August 12) at 8pm on BBC One.
Daniel has been writing about soaps on Digital Spy since 2004 and took over as Soaps Editor in 2010.
He has interviewed hundreds of soap stars over the years, from Bill Roache to Lacey Turner, and regularly visits the sets of Coronation Street, EastEnders, Emmerdale and Hollyoaks for behind-the-scenes trips and press events.
He has served as an awards judge on numerous occasions for the likes of the BAFTA TV Awards, RTS Programme Awards and British Soap Awards. In 2020, he was Highly Commended for Best Section Editor at the BSME Awards.
