A PROPER CHARLIE
After 38 years and more than 850 episodes Derek Thompson makes his final appearance as Charlie Fairhead on Casualty tonight
HE HAS appeared in more than 850 episodes and seen nearly all his co-stars come and go but Casualty’s Charlie Fairhead finally hangs up his stethoscope tonight.
Derek Thompson, 75, plays the much-loved stalwart of the hospital A&E department and is leaving the show after 38 years.
He believes the viewers’ love for Charge Nurse Charlie is simply that he resonates with them.
He said: “Charlie is everyone. Charlie is a real person. He simply takes you into the show and plays the moral conscience of the audience. He’s a representative of the audience.”
In tonight’s episode, simply titled Charlie, fans will be glued to their screens to see if he recovers from a vicious attack which saw him stabbed and fighting for his life.
As his colleagues try to save him, Charlie drifts in and out of conciousness, enabling him to look back on his lengthy career at Holby City hospital.
And despite racking up hundreds of storylines, it’s Derek’s first episode that still stands out.
He said of the show, which aired in September 1986: “Charlie was in his little yellow Beetle coming over Bristol suspension bridge and winding through the streets of Bristol, ending up at the hospital.
“Charlie gets out of the car in his bomber jacket, hair all over the place. It was like ‘Noddy goes to hospital.’
“He looks up at the building, raises a cigarette to his lips and goes, ‘Let’s do this’.
“It gave you the notion that these people have a good sense of humour about themselves.
“It was the first time that everyone could see what was possible with the show. It’s an image that has stayed with me throughout my time on Casualty.”
He was attracted to playing Charlie because of the people who worked on the programme.
Derek, who met his real-life second wife, Dee Sadler, on the set of the hospital soap, said: “I read the script and I thought it was bang on the money.
“It said what its aims and ambitions were. It’s the kind of role people want to do in theatre, that gets through to people.
“But reading the scripts, I thought it was better than anything I could have done in the theatre. That’s an unusual thing.
“I met the producer and director of the first episode. We started chatting and I just thought, ‘I want to be working with these people.’ I said, ‘This was great, I want this job.’
“They had narrowed the role down to about three people they had seen.
“They had seen me in a play with a mate of mine and they put both our names on the list, so I was up against a very good friend. “I didn’t know that at the time but they told me after I’d got the job.” In his time, Charlie, who also appeared in four episodes of spin-off series Holby City, has been at the centre of countless storylines but he believes his final episode is up there with the best of them. Derek said: “When I first read the script I didn’t have to think about it at all, because it’s just great storytelling. “How Michelle Lipton wrote these episodes, comes across like she’s written eight plays, taken from so many points of view. “I don’t think there’s another writer who could have done it. “I think my final two episodes are some of the best episodes of my career.” He has a few favourite storylines from his years on screen. One involves his on-screen wife Lisa “Duffy” Duffin – played by Cathy Shipton – and
i thought it was better than anything i could have done in the theatre Derek on why he joined casualty in 1986
the scenes that saw her demise. Derek said: “The one I felt most personally attached to as Charlie was the story of Duffy’s death through vascular dementia back in February 2020. “Another was the story of a young man whose son was in care, and he was being taken away by his mother to the States so decides to kidnap his son. “After an accident, he ends up in A&E and decides to take the staff hostage, ending in a big stand-off. “It was played really beautifully. There was a long, tense scene that managed to bring all the regular characters together.
“Every regular actor thought they were in the spotlight like a leading actor would feel. It felt like we were in a theatre play that was being filmed.
“It took Charlie back to the place of when he lost Duffy, when Charlie thought he had nothing to lose, and was trying to help the man.
“He could end up dead, or find his way through to a better life. It’s a simple choice… you sign your own death warrant, or you do something to help your kid.”
Over the years Casualty has played host to plenty of guest stars including Kate Winslet, Orlando Bloom and Ray Winstone, who have all gone on to international success.
But Charlie’s favourite was the late actor Bernard Cribbens, who he enjoyed laughs with on set.
Charlie said: “The wonderful Bernard was one of my heroes. I used to love the stuff he did, especially when improvising.
“I remember how strong he was in the part. We had moments when we were standing around on set and just laughing together.”
Next up for Derek, who lives in Bristol, is a role in the BBC cop drama Blue Lights, which is set in Northern Ireland.
For Derek, it’s a chance to head home. He said: “I was thrilled and excited when I got the invitation to take part in series two.
“I was born in Belfast and was equally excited to travel over to work on the show and pleased to report, having read the scripts, that I’m sure the fans will love the second series every bit as much as the first.
“I play a retired police officer, Robin Graham, whose past and conscience catch up with him when trainee solicitor, Jen Robinson (played by Hannah McClean), investigates a decadesold case that has dangerous implications for the present.”
● Casualty is on BBC1 tonight at 9.25pm.