Two beloved stars returned to Holby City Hospital during the Casualty double-bill
Beloved British actor Derek Thompson has returned to Casualty as Charlie Fairhead, and fans are delighted.
Back in 2024, the actor bowed out of the BBC drama after 38 years in his role. Charlie was notably left fighting for his life after being stabbed by a patient, which led him to decide to retire from the hospital.
At the time, Derek said in a statement: “The time has come for me to hang up Charlie’s scrubs. Charlie Fairhead was inspired by a real nurse – Pete Salt. Together with the writers and producers, I have tried to bring Charlie the compassion, kindness, heroism and sound judgement that we all see and love in Pete and I want to say thanks to Pete and everyone else over that time who has inspired me in bringing this character to life.”
Casualty fans were delighted on Saturday (September 5) when Charlie returned to the drama as part of the show’s 40th anniversary specials. Two episodes were aired back-to-back to celebrate the major milestone, reports the Mirror.
During the instalments, the doctors were forced to contend with the aftermath of a deadly explosion at a neighbouring hospital, which left many dead. Dylan Keogh (William Beck) struggled to cope after the death of his ex, Sophia Peters (Kellie Shirley), in the blast, but Charlie was soon on hand to help him.
That’s not all, as Charlie was also joined by Ethan Hardy (George Rainsford), who left the show back in 2023. Ethan left the emergency department so he could spend more time with his young son, Bodhi, and manage his health following his Huntingdon’s disease diagnosis. Meanwhile, actor George decided that he was “ready to have a break”.
As the pair left the hospital at the end of the emotional double-bill, Ethan said: “I just wanted to feel useful, you know? I wanted to believe that I still could be.”
Charlie imparted his words of wisdom, replying: “Well, you were. You are. There’s more to it than high-risk resus meds. There’s more than one way to be a doctor.”
Viewers were delighted to see Charlie and Ethan return. They also found themselves surprised to see Charlie sporting a full beard, as he’s known for his clean shaven appearance.
Charlie star Derek Thompson is 78 years old, with fans quickly sharing their surprise as they feel he looks “much younger”. One person wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “THE SCREAM I LET OUT SEEING ETHAN AND CHARLIE.”
Another added: “I think Charlie looks well for 78.” A third said: “I didn’t recognise him at first!”
Someone else echoed the sentiment, saying: “Charlie does not look 78!” A fifth viewer similarly shared: “He never ages! I need to know his skin care routine.”
Casualty is available to stream on BBC iPlayer
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