Sammy T. Dobson has been a Casualty fan-favourite since joining the BBC medical drama as warm-hearted and empathetic doctor Nicole Piper in 2024. So, naturally, viewers were stunned when she unceremoniously dumped her partner, nurse Ngozi Okoye (played by Adesuwa Oni), without explanation before the commencement of the current 12-part miniseries Supply and Demand.
Since then, we’ve learned a lot more about Nicole’s troubled past and the hidden reasons for her recent behaviour. While on a recent visit to the show’s fantastic set in Cardiff, What To Watch and other press caught up with Sammy to learn more about Nicole’s emotionally charged storyline, which escalates when this week's episode airs on Saturday 23 August…
Sammy T. Dobson - Casualty interview
Sammy, how did you feel when you first learned Nicole was going to break up with Ngozi?
“It was a rough moment when I read the script where Ngozi tells Nicole that she’s an alcoholic and Nicole says, ‘Get out of my house and take your kid with you.’ It was so shocking I had to go upstairs [to production] and say, ‘I don't think Nicole would do that.’ When they explained to me where it’s coming from, it made sense - Ngozi has kicked Nicole in her trigger - but I was gutted… it’s so brutal.”
Did it evoke a strong reaction from fans?
“I got over 100 messages [when it aired] from people saying, ‘Why has she done that?’ And all I could say was, ‘I know, I'm so sorry, but I can’t say anything.’ I felt awful, but there’s a good reason.”
What viewers said about your other storylines in this boxset?
“It’s amazing, they notice everything! When Cassie was introduced, I loved how many people thought Nicole was her mum!”
This Saturday Nicole attempts to help Cassie Woods (Charlie Ann Upton) escape a dangerous criminal gang but the vulnerable teen is viciously attacked before she can flee. What more can you tell us?
“It’s an intense situation. Cassie is many things to Nicole and it’s like she’s looking at her younger self. They had the same foster mother, Maggie Findlay [Brookside’s Sandra Maitland], who they’ve just said goodbye to [at her funeral] so she's sort-of like a sister and a bit like having family, which brings a lot back for Nicole…”
As Cassie’s life hangs in the balance, Nicole finally opens up to Ngozi about being abandoned by her birth mother. Why has she been keeping it a secret?
“I think it’s because she was trying to block it out and keep it locked up, even from her partner who lived with her. She’s never been honest about any of this because it’s all a question mark - Nicole doesn’t know why it happened and there’s shame because, in her mind, she was abandoned for no reason. In trying to help Cassie, Nicole asks [a social worker] to find Cassie’s relatives and gets information with names of people she can contact. While she’s there, Nicole asks to see her own care files…”
It sounds like there’s a lot more to come. Are you able to share any more details?
“Pretty much everything that could go wrong happens in the space of the next couple of episodes and it all comes to a crescendo towards the end of Supply and Demand. Nicole goes somewhere to have some questions answered, and in unpicking one thing, it makes everything else unravel.”
How has it been for you, filming such difficult scenes?
“I think there was a good month earlier this year where I came to work and cried all day every day. It’s a hard thing for Nicole to deal with and I wouldn’t say it’s a good thing, but dealing with it is healthy and hopefully she can start afresh.”
Finally, what would you say is the secret to the show’s success as its 40th birthday approaches next September, and what does working here mean to you?
“The fact they’ve managed to make Casualty for nearly 40 years and keep reinventing it, and keep it relevant and interesting, is amazing. You constantly want to put the next episode on because to find out what happens next. On screen there’s death, blood and dramatic anticipation, but my experience here is of friends and fun!”
Highlights from our visit to the Casualty set at BBC Roath Lock Studios:
* The prosthetics room, which is full to bursting with lifelike limbs, torsos and bodies
* The ambulance station, including the emergency call centre and staff break room. Special mention: Photos of characters past on a noticeboard
* The Anchor Bar, where we pretended to pull pints
* Resus in all it’s gory glory while the cast and crew took a break during filming
* A visit to the theatre built for the Robert Bathurst’s guest storyline as surgeon Russell Whitelaw
* On-set interviews with Charles Venn, best known as paramedic Jacob Masters, Anna Chell - AKA nurse Jodie Whyte- and Melanie Hill, who plays nurse manager Siobhan McKenzie
* An impromptu catch up with Elinor Lawless (consultant Stevie Nash) and Michael Stevenson (paramedic Iain Dean) in the canteen
Casualty airs on Saturdays on BBC1 and BBC iPlayer. See our Casualty guide for details of upcoming episodes.
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