Holby City Essie returns to work
KAYE WRAGG – AKA ESSIE – IS BACK ON THE WARD TO STAY…
Recovering cancer patient
Essie feels torn this week, as she wrestles with the idea of returning to nursing fulltime. But for actress Kaye Wragg – who recommenced filming with Holby City recently after a break – her comeback was always part of the plan…
“I had a three-month stand-down after Christmas that was dictated by storyline,” explains the actress, as she joins Inside Soap for a catch-up. “Predominantly, it was to do with Essie getting close to Gaskell and asking too many questions about his project. Initially, I think the bosses thought he could do something bad to her, but realised there would be no coming back from that, and so took her out of the situation. “It was a welcome break for me, as it fell straight after Christmas,” continues Kaye, who has two daughters. “I knew that I would be going back, so I could properly be a mum for a while without the stress of finding a new job and juggling work. My girls absolutely loved it!”
It’s not as if Kaye eased back into the role, though, since Essie was quickly diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
“It’s a huge story, and I was nervous,” admits the 46-year-old star. “There has been a lot of cancer in my family, and I was worried about taking it home with me and feeling down. But bizarrely, once I started the story there was a feeling of relief. It’s Essie’s story, not mine – and I was able to leave it at the studio.
“Whether we revisit her illness again I’m not sure,” adds Kaye. “But I know the producers wanted it to have a positive outcome.”
Essie’s diagnosis is just one of the many dramas she is set to navigate over the coming year, as Sacha’s depression continues to plague him.
“There’s a lot of love that didn’t die in their relationship, and they will always be there for each other,” Kaye tells us. “We have a beautiful episode coming up
There’s still a lot of love between Essie and Sacha…