Alex Walkinshaw
“It’s nice Fletch is getting some attention”
ood news, Holby fans! The wait is finally over, as this week Jac and Fletch finally address that they are obviously smitten with one another!
It’s been a frustrating ride for viewers waiting to see if they’ll ever get it on, but star Alex Walkinshaw tells us that a slow-burn was always the plan…
“It’s been on the cards for such a long time – and that’s the beauty of these sorts of stories,” he explains, as he joins us for a chat. “It wouldn’t have worked if we’d seen a flicker of something one Tuesday, and then had them planning the rest of their lives together the next. This way, all the fans are really excited. It’s fantastic!”
Although when does the course of true love ever run smoothly in a longrunning drama? There’s no exception to the rule for Jac and Fletch, who are barely speaking following a passionate kiss.
“I think you have to admire Fletch’s determination – if it’s right, he will go for it,” shares Alex. “But Jac rejects him and tells Fletch that it’s because he’s not good enough! He is absolutely gutted.
“What we’ll come to learn from Jac is that she really values Fletch as her friend,” adds the actor. “She’s not inundated with them and she doesn’t let people get close – whereas Fletch has always had the ability to cut through her bristle and hardness. I think she’s worried a relationship will ruin what they already have, and Fletch is gallant in accepting that having part of her is better than having none of her.”
We doubt that’s the end of the matter – but in the meantime, Alex is enjoying the change of pace for Fletch, who between Jac and CEO Abigail Tate, has had a love life to feel proud of this year.
“It’s about time!” laughs the 44-year-old, who enjoyed popular roles in The Bill and
Waterloo Road, before his Casualty character Fletch made the move upstairs to Holby.
“For years, Fletch’s love life has been a barren waste ground. It’s nice that he’s getting a bit of attention from the ladies!”
Of course, this isn’t the first time that Alex and co-star Rosie Marcel, who plays Jac, have been paired up romantically on-screen. They were once doomed lovers Smithy and Louise Larson in The Bill…
“This time we’re older and have more wrinkles!” chuckles Alex, who in real life has two children with wife Sarah.
“When we found out that our Holby City characters might get it on, myself and Rosie thought it was very funny. We’ve known each other for a really long time, and on set I’m probably the person who gives her the most grief. It makes the day go quicker!”
It’s thanks to Fletch’s promotion to Director Of Nursing that he ended up on Jac’s ward in the first place – a change that has its pros and cons, says Alex.
“I do miss wearing the scrubs, aka my pyjamas, every day,” he confesses. “I’m not necessarily a suit-and-tie-wearer myself, but I think that it works for Fletch.
And now he can get away with calling himself ‘The Don’ which of course stands for Director Of Nursing. No one actually calls me that, mind!”
Fletch’s work obligations are set to be the least of his worries soon, as Gaskell’s story races to a thrilling climax, and Jac learns her life is at risk again. Could the knowledge that she might die force her to re-assess her future with Fletch?
“In those episodes, people are coming at Jac’s situation from different angles medically – but Fletch is completely emotional about it,” reveals Alex. “So yes, big questions need to be asked and they require big answers. I think it’ll be quite obvious how Fletch feels at that point, so we’ll have to wait and see from Jac…”
Fletch can cut through Jac’s bristle and hardness