Casualty Duffy’s infidelity exposed!
AS CHARLIE DISCOVERS HIS WIFE’S ADULTERY, CATHY SHIPTON ADMITS DUFFY’S DARK TIMES ARE FAR FROM OVER…
It’s as though Duffy’s whole world is falling apart,” shares Cathy Shipton, as she joins us to talk through her alter ego’s latest crisis. “She’s out of control, with no clue how Charlie’s going to react. All the hurt and deceit she’s inflicted on him, it’s horrible!”
Duffy has only just diagnosed herself with early onset dementia – but there’s worse to come this week, as her former lover Bill is admitted to the ED, and inadvertently reveals their fling to her husband Charlie. It’s another disaster amid a seemingly unending nightmare for Duffy – and Cathy admits that muchneeded respite is a distant prospect…
“As a couple, Charlie and Duffy are being properly tested,” shares the star. “They’re like the mum and dad of the department, so there’s a school of thought that says, ‘We have to keep them solid, because what happens to everybody else if we don’t?’ For us as actors, though, it’s a double-edged sword, as when they’re happily married, their storylines can go a bit quiet!”
It’s a heartbreaking moment when Duffy realises that Bill has let slip about their relationship, oblivious to the fact that Charlie is married to her – particularly as it comes just after Duffy has drawn a line under her indiscretion, intent on making a fresh start with her husband.
“Duffy’s been walking around with so many secrets – she’s in such a strange place,” sighs Cathy. “She’s gone into denial about the dementia, and put a fullstop on things with Bill, so Charlie need never have known. But then Bill lets the cat out of the bag, and Duffy has no idea how Charlie will handle it.”
It’s an emotional episode which will no doubt leave viewers desperate to know whether Charlie and Duffy can weather the storm.
And Cathy’s braced for a strong reaction, having already got it in the neck from some of her Casualty colleagues…
“We finished the final scene of this episode and the crew was saying to me, ‘No, this can’t happen!’” she chuckles.
“It was the same when we filmed the
episode where Duffy went off with Bill – the supporting actors were all, ‘You hussy! Why are you doing this to Charlie?’ I have to say, ‘Well, it’s not actually me!’ But they’re all great storylines to explore.”
Meanwhile, with Charlie and Duffy’s marriage well and truly on the line,
Cathy reckons that her beleaguered alter ego is deserving of a very special kind of Christmas present – and she knows exactly what she would treat Duffy to.
“I’d sort out a trip to a chalet in the Swiss Alps with a couple of her girlfriends,” grins the actress. “She could go for lovely long walks, and sit in front of a crackling fire watching films and having lots of laughs. Apart from a healed heart, that’s just what she needs right now. But there’d be an open invitation for Charlie to turn up, too…”