Mysterious girl
ZOSIA’S BACK ON THE WARD – WITH A BIG SECRET…
Zosia has learned a lot while she’s been in the States…
Camilla Arfwedson has come to realise that she has much in common with her Holby
City alter ego, Zosia. After her character married colleague Oliver Valentine in the lead-up to her exit in 2017, Camilla has since tied the knot with partner Jack Hawkins, and both actress and character have been spending some time across the pond…
“Zosia’s life has aligned with my own, in a way,” grins the 37-year-old, as she joins
Inside Soap to talk about her alter ego’s return to the medical drama this week. “I had the most amazing year while I was out of the show – I got married and we adopted a rescue puppy, Freddie, from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home. I’ve also been to the US, so it does feel as if mine and Zosia’s lives have correlated. Maybe we took ideas from each other!”
Unlike Camilla – who is clearly loving married life – Zosia’s future with hubby Ollie is still a bit up in the air. It was a prestigious work placement that saw
Zosia move Stateside, so what prompts her to swap New Haven for Holby?
“There’s a sense of Zosia needing help and not really knowing how to ask for it,” explains Camilla, who first played the registrar in 2013. “She’s worked hard at Yale and done very well, but she’s feeling a bit lonely and isolated. Initially, there’s some mystery as to why she has come back, although ultimately she’s searching for stability. The only constant she has is the hospital, and her work.
“When Zosia turns up, Jac is extremely disappointed,” adds the star. “Zosia is like a protege to Jac, so her being back after spreading her wings and escaping her controlling father [Guy Self] doesn’t go down well. Jac lets Zosia know it, too!”
However, it’s a different story off screen where the actresses are concerned.
“My all-time buddy is Rosie [Marcel, who plays Jac],” says Camilla. “She helped me pick out my wedding dress last year, so she has become a really wicked friend. I love working with her.”
But there is one person we’re unlikely to see Zosia reunited with on screen, and that is Ollie. The pair went their separate ways after she decided to focus on her career, and then Ollie was left seriously brain-damaged. So it is fair to assume that ‘Zollie’ are definitely no more?
“Not necessarily!” exclaims Camilla. “The writers have deliberately been a bit vague about it, as we do meet an American man with whom Zosia may have had an affair. Having said that, the implication is that she and Ollie are very friendly – they communicate and love each other.”
A reunion would also rely on star
James Anderson, who played Ollie, taking advantage of Holby’s revolving door – which Camilla reckons is a possibility.
“The producers say they’d be happy to see us back together, and myself and James would be open to that,” she shares. “We’re not sure how much Ollie’s brain damage has developed, but it’d be a shame for him to not be able to come back to the hospital.
Maybe he can’t practise medicine again, but can do another job?
“I’d love to get John Michie [Guy] back again, too,” continues Camilla. “They spoke about that when I was last filming, so it’d be awesome to have the three of us back on screen together.”
Meanwhile, Camilla is excited for the reaction to Zosia’s return – which begins with her revealing life-changing news…
“It’s been nice to play her as a grown woman compared with the scowly teen she was when she first arrived,” laughs Camilla. “Zosia has learned a lot while she has been away, and you want to give kids watching – especially concerning her bipolar disorder – a positive message that you can do well, work, love and be happy with the right care and attention. That’s what I hope Zosia portrays.”