Holby City Serena is leaving!
AS CATHERINE RUSSELL TAKES A BREAK FROM HOLBY, INSIDE SOAP GETS THE GOSSIP ON SERENA’S TEMPORARY EXIT – AND FINDS OUT WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS FOR ‘BERENA’…
Holby’s Serena has seen more tragedy and trauma in the last year than we’ve had hot dinners – so we can totally forgive actress Catherine Russell for wanting to take a little rest from her character’s drama!
The star is currently on leave from the show, appearing in a revival of the classic stage comedy What The Butler
Saw. As a result, Serena is about to disappear from our screens for a while – though it’s probably for the best…
“It’s fair to say that the hospital isn’t the best place for Serena right now,” explains Catherine, as she joins Inside
Soap for a chat in between rehearsals. “She’s going to take a long break, get some proper counselling and come back to work when she’s ready.”
Serena has been unravelling since her daughter Elinor sadly passed away, and has taken out all her frustration and grief on junior colleague Jasmine. So when Serena departs the hospital for the sake of her mental health, what will it mean for her career – and her romance with fellow medic Bernie?
Tell us, Catherine, how does Serena end up leaving Holby?
She gets herself into a situation where it’s untenable for her to stay. She accepts no help from anybody, including Bernie, and then starts behaving in a very erratic and unsafe manner. We are also led to believe that she may be suicidal. Come the end of the episode, it’s clear that she needs professional help.
Serena never took the time to properly grieve for Elinor, did she?
No, she went back to work far too soon and has taken out her grief on poor Jasmine. We know that Jasmine failed to spot a very small but significant change in Elinor’s behaviour before she passed away, and Serena has become obsessed with mentoring Jasmine to prevent her from making the same mistake again. It’s unfair, but I think that when something as tragic as the death of a child takes place, you would naturally seek to blame somebody.
How did you find filming the bullying aspect of the story?
Lucy Dryzek [who plays Jasmine] and I get on like a house on fire, so we relished getting those scenes right. I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t gruelling, though. Playing that level of grief, particularly a level that is bubbling away under the surface, was tiring and heart-wrenching. I have grieved myself, but that was for the death of a parent. No one should have to bury their own child.
Has this been your most challenging story to date?
The death of Serena’s mother was a tough one. It wasn’t that long ago that my own mother died, so it threw up a few issues for me. This story is very different, and thank goodness I haven’t had this experience. Both storylines were certainly challenging.
What’s viewer reaction been like?
I think people accept that Serena’s behaviour is wrong, but hopefully they have enough sympathy to realise that she is deep in grief. Sweetly, though, the ‘Berena’ fans have been wobbled by the fact that Serena is heading off!
Of course! What does Serena’s exit mean for her and Bernie?
The relationship between them is solid, but there is a question mark over when Serena will come back, and whether they’ll maintain their relationship while she’s away. One has to hope and assume that their love continues off screen.
How did your Holby break transpire?
The producers have been very sweet about giving me time off. I wanted to go and pretend to be somebody different after five years of playing Serena – and also my father died not so long ago, and I have his things to sort out. I needed time to do that, and to recharge my batteries.
Has treading the boards given you a taste for doing other things, or are you missing Holby City?
Both statements are true! Being on stage again is exciting and terrifying in equal measure. At the moment I don’t miss Serena, as it hasn’t been long since I stopped – but when the play finishes and I’m unemployed again, I dare say I’ll miss the hospital desperately. There isn’t a date to go back yet. As far as
I’m aware I have a nice bit of time off, but everyone knows that I’ve not gone for good. It’s just au revoir for now!