Holby City Sacha isn’t happy
AS POOR SACHA FACES HIS DEMONS, BOB BARRATT ISN’T RULING OUT A HAPPY REUNION FOR THE POPULAR PAIR…
Much like his Holby alter ego Sacha, Bob Barratt is one of the jolliest, happiest and friendliest people you could wish to meet. So when Sacha faces up to the fact that he’s suffering from depression this week, it’s a significant change for both the character and the man playing him.
“I’ve researched depression a lot and looked into why people get it, as Sacha is the last person you’d expect it to happen to,” agrees the actor, as he joins Inside Soap for a chat while enjoying a week’s holiday. “But like a lot of people who are great supporters of others, he’s terribly bad at looking after himself. He won’t talk to people and open up – and the further he’s gone down the line with this, the worse it’s become.”
Over the past few months, we’ve seen Sacha navigating a midlife crisis of sorts. Some moments have been funny to watch and for Bob to play, though the star reckons the signs were all pointing towards a breakdown.
“It’s all stemmed from his split from Essie,” says Bob. “Initially Sacha thought he could handle it, but he realised very quickly that he couldn’t. And then he found out about her fling with Raf, which knocked him for six.”
It was heartbreaking for fans when Sacha and Essie ended their relationship – and Bob and cast mate Kaye Wragg were sad about it, too.
“When we filmed the last scene we had together as a couple, there was a massive electrical storm,” grins Bob, who is married to actress Rebecca Charles, with whom he has two daughters. “The cameras had to stop rolling because we had thunder, lightning, everything – and it was so loud. Kaye and I joke about it because it felt like we were being given a sign, telling us that Sacha and Essie splitting up was a big mistake!
“There’s always hope they’ll get back together, but there is still an enormous amount of drama to come before that ever happens.
What I do know is that the show’s bosses love them, so they’ve kept us together on the same ward and part of each other’s stories.”
Meanwhile, Bob is delighted to still be at the heart of Holby drama after nearly eight years as
Sacha – but can’t fathom how he’s been paired up with so many glamorous leading ladies in that time! “They keep giving me these women – it’s hilarious!” he exclaims. “All my life, people have said to me, ‘You don’t half punch above your weight with your wife’ – and it’s the same on the show! “When Sacha and Essie were together, Kaye and I used to say it would be great if his ex Chrissie [Williams, played by Tina Hobley] came back. That would be fascinating to watch.” When Bob’s not immersed in Sacha’s romantic trials, he’s at home with his family. Rebecca never misses an episode of Holby, while his eldest daughter is at drama school. How would Bob feel about sharing the screen with his clan one day? “They could all come to Holby as Sacha’s secret other family!” howls the star. “That would be marvellous.”
Bob thought he could handle splitting up with Essie, but couldn’t