'Casualty' legend Derek Thompson says bidding farewell to the show after 38 years playing nurse Charlie Fairhead was a "big emotional" moment.
Derek Thompson is bidding farewell to his beloved role as nurse Charlie Fairhead
The 75-year-old actor quit the BBC hospital drama in 2023 and viewers are currently awaiting the news of whether or not his alter ego will survive after he was stabbed by a patient.
Derek told OK! magazine of his exit: “I don’t want to spoil it by saying whether or not he survives, but everything felt heightened when I filmed my last scenes.
“It felt like one of those big emotional moments in your life, like the birth of a child or your wedding.”
Derek - who met his real-life second wife, Dee Sadler, on the show - never imagined becoming the last remaining original member of the cast when he first landed the role.
He said: "No, I never envisaged I’d stay 38 years.
“I originally signed up for three years, but it soon became apparent what a great character he was to play. Medicine and television have both changed a lot since I started. But the basics are still there – the reception area and desk where people roll up is still performing the same function it did on my first day.”
Despite being considered a TV legend, Derek admitted he feels like "a long-distance runner".
He laughed: “No, I don’t see myself as a legend.
“That’s someone who does something extraordinarily consistently. I see myself as a long-distance runner – one that never gives up and just keeps on going…”
He might not be doing 'Casualty' anymore, but Derek has no plans to retire from acting anytime soon, with his new roles including playing police officer Robin Graham in the new series of BBC One’s crime drama 'Blue Lights'.
Asked if he'll ever stop working, he said: “Definitely not!
“No way am I retiring.
“I’m busier than ever and I’m working on some musical projects at the moment. In Blue Lights , I play a retired police officer, Robin Graham, whose past – and conscience – catch up with him when a trainee solicitor decides to investigate a decade-old case.”