Holby City Jac’s big surprise!
As the Queen of Darwin makes a sensational return to the ward, Rosie Marcel gives us the low-down on her Holby past, present and future…
“Jac doesn’t suffer fools – and she says all the things we wish we could say!”
Jac Naylor’s return to Holby City Hospital was never going to be short of amazing – but trust us, you’ll be gasping at your television screen upon learning why she is back! Meanwhile, fresh from taking a break, star Rosie Marcel reminds us that she is worlds away from her fearsome alter ego in a friendly and candid chat – and she’s sporting a fabulous new look…
Welcome back, Rosie. We have to say, we love your new hair!
Thank you very much. Since I was about 16 years old, I’ve always had long straight red hair – so I decided to cut it all off and bleach the hell out of it! I checked that it would be okay with Holby City as I was out of contract at the time – and now finally I don’t look like Neil from The Young Ones any more. It’s actually quite nice!
Did Jac’s break from hospital mean that you had time off as well, then?
Yes, I decided that I needed to take a rest. I hadn’t really had one in 12 years, except for the six months that I took off to have a baby – and that is definitely not a break!
When you joined Holby in 2005, did you ever envisage staying this long?
No! When I joined back in those days, they were signing people for three years at a time, and for a 27-year-old, that felt huge. Originally, they didn’t know what to do with my character – and I remember the producers pulling me aside and thinking, ‘I’m going to lose my job’. But they said, “We’re going to make you a massive bitch,” and from then on just continued to write incredible stories for me. That’s the reason I’ve been here so long.
And you still love playing a bitch?
I do, that’s the reason why I love Jac! She doesn’t suffer fools, and says all the things we wish we could say, but don’t. I think she’s gone a little soft of late, so I would
like to see her get tough again. That won’t be for a while, though, as some bad stuff has to happen first.
Indeed – don’t expect Jac to scrub in where she left off, as her visit to Darwin ward sees her approach Professor Gaskell and insist on being the next patient to undergo his pioneering stem-cell treatment! What Jac doesn’t know is that John’s surgery has a higher mortality rate than the so-called miracle worker leads his colleagues to believe…
Please tell us that Jac isn’t going to have Gaskell’s operation!
Well… During Jac’s time off, she has been trying to recuperate from this scar tissue that has built up in her back from the shooting. She seems healthy and fit when she returns, but she’s masking quite a lot of pain. So I think that she has thought long and hard about what is the best option for her, and unfortunately that is Gaskell.
But she might die! And Holby isn’t averse to killing off main characters.
I know! They are going to kill off someone fairly soon actually – and that’s a main character – so there really is no fear when it comes to doing stuff like that. Who knows what will happen to Jac?
Tell us about her reunion with Fletch – is there still a spark?
I think there is. Alex [Walkinshaw, who plays him] and I really love playing the Moonlighting element of it, like Cybill Shepherd and Bruce Willis. Obviously Alex is Cybill Shepherd!
What did you both think about being paired up, having played love interests on The Bill, too? It’s funny – we knew it would happen! We really fought against it actually, mainly because Jac isn’t right for Fletch and vice versa – and if it went somewhere, would the audience be left feeling disappointed? Jac is a complicated soul and I don’t think she would want to be unfair to Fletch, but who knows? We could end up snogging! And that would be awful – it would be like snogging my brother!
Rosie goes on to explain that she’s all for the representation of strong women – now more than ever. While on leave from Holby, the 41-year-old star – who is mum to Beau, age three – made sure that she put herself first, while spending quality time with her family.
Did you get to do the things you wanted to during your break?
The main thing was, and I’m not scared to say this, I had a nervous breakdown the year before – and I think it’s very important to talk about mental health and how one deals with it. So I just needed to take a break from Jac and Holby and get myself healthy. It was about spending time with my daughter, and I also went to see my sister in New Orleans. It’s amazing how the time flew, and of course there is always more that you want to do.
Now you’re back at work, are you able to strike a balance?
Yes, absolutely. I think you have to manage your time really well when you’re a working mother, but also make sure to give a little time to yourself. I give everything to my job, but when I find myself giving too much, I pull back. Nothing requires 100 per cent of your time and that’s an important lesson that I’ve learned the hard way – but most definitely have learned.
Do you ever imagine a time when you’re not playing Jac?
It’s funny you should say that, because it’s rumoured that I’m doing the next series of I’m A Celebrity…, and actually I would really like to do it! I think it would be very fun to go to the jungle and see how I do. So yes, I do imagine not playing Jac – but I know that I’d miss her and want to go back to Holby afterwards.
What is your proudest moment from your time on the show?
I’m extremely proud of the BAFTA award that we won, as it shines a light on how hard we all work. I’m not sure I’ve ever been nominated for an Inside Soap Award actually, and you guys have a Best Bitch category. I can’t believe Jac has never been up for that! If I’m not up for that award next time, I’m going to be really annoyed. Jac has to win that, hands down!