Amanda Mealing reveals why Rash is intimidated by Connie, while Charlie stands up to her…
We don’t know about you but two of our favourite moments of Connie Beauchamp’s return to Casualty on Saturday were her run-ins with the oldest serving member of Holby hospital, Charlie Fairhead, and also the fear she struck in the heart of newer member, Rashid Masum!
We’re calling it ‘the Connie effect’ – when room temperature drops and Rash gets snared helplessly in her gaze! While Charlie can hold Connie’s eye, inexperienced Rash can barely hold his lunch…
Behind-the-scenes however, it’s a completely different story. Here Amanda Mealing, who plays Holby ED’s clinical lead Connie Beauchamp, tells us more about working with Derek Thompson, who plays senior nurse Charlie Fairhead, and Neet Mohan, who plays junior doctor Rash…
It was great to see Connie and Charlie butting heads again in Casualty on her return. Is there more to come?
"Yes, we will start seeing more of them together. Connie and Charlie have such a lovely relationship. He’s the only one that really gets her. He knows how far he can go with Connie – and he can go further than anyone else!"
Is it a two-way street?
"It’s the same the other way round. Back when they went to Romania it was Connie who stood by Charlie. She went with him and tried to help and hold his hand during all of that."
How well do you know Derek Thompson, who plays Charlie, in real life?
"I love Derek! He’s teaching me to play the guitar at the moment. He’s such a brilliant musician. We’ve got this one, long corridor of dressing rooms [on the Casualty set] and you can hear him playing the blues on his guitar. It’s so lovely. So, now I’ve got my acoustic guitar and he’s teaching me."
Are you any good?
"I’m very basic at the moment. We have little jamming sessions and sing-alongs. I’d say he’s my best mate here. Yes, Derek’s my bestie!"
We’ve seen Rash quaking in Connie’s presence. Why does she have this effect on the newbie doctor?
"Connie’s reputation goes before her! Rash and the others are intimidated by her. Neet and I worked together before when he was in Sky1’s Strike Back [Amanda played Col. Eleanor Grant from 2010 – 2011] so we know each other from there. We have another semi-regular coming into Casualty, who was also in Strike Back with me. My joke is, in Strike Back we shot them up and in Casualty we’re fixing them!"
