Connie is at death's door - is this her last Christmas?

Casualty Christmas 2017 Connie facing death

(Image credit: BBC / Alistair Heap)

Connie at death’s door, Elle battles to save her, and Ethan faced with an ethical dilemma about Connie’s right to confidentiality…

Casualty’s clinical lead Connie Beauchamp bravely forces herself to work a short-staffed shift this week. Unknown to her colleagues, however, Connie’s feeling the effects of a second round of chemotherapy! Doctor Ethan Hardy (George Rainsford) the only soul to know Connie’s cancer secret, is furious and orders her home - but stubborn Connie (Amanda Mealing) is determined to help homeless mother Kim…

Connie puts the health of her patients before her own. Horrified Ethan orders her home. But will she listen? (Image credit: BBC / Alistair Heap)

Tragically, the stress on seriously ill Connie’s vulnerable system is too great. She contracts a life-threatening infection and collapses into unconsciousness in the ED! Elle and the Casualty team attempt to keep Connie alive but it looks like only a Christmas miracle will save Connie!

Elle, Charlie and David do everything they can to save Connie, but without knowing about her cancer, Connie's chances of survival are grim... (Image credit: BBC / Alistair Heap)

Meanwhile, Ethan’s faced with the dilemma of keeping Connie’s cancer secret or revealing it to his colleagues as they battle to save Connie’s life after her collapse.

Elsewhere, Robyn is reluctant to return to the refurbished flat she shares with step-brother Max and pal Alicia, as she’s traumatised by the memory her baby daughter, Charlotte, nearly died in a house fire there.

Robyn’s ex, Glen manages to get upset Robyn to open up about the trauma, but she still can’t forgive him for letting her think he was dead. Can Glen make it up to Robyn in time for them to celebrate Charlotte’s first Christmas as a family?

Elle, Charlie and the ED team struggle to find anything to celebrate after their shift (Image credit: BBC / Alistair Heap)

Also this week, Dylan’s stress levels are rising, and Elle gets the shock of her life when she finds out Jacob has left Holby for the holidays – will he come back after last week’s revelation he’s father to her 17 year old son, Blake?

And keep an eye out for EastEnders Pam St Clement, who reprises her guest role as Sally Hodges. When Sally meets Claude Maynard (Emmerdale’s Michael Jayston) in the ED they get up to no good!

With twenty years of experience as an entertainment journalist, Elaine writes for What’s on TV, TV Times, TV & Satellite Week and www.whattowatch.com covering a variety of programs from gardening and wildlife to documentaries and drama.

As well as active involvement in the WTW family’s social media accounts, she has been known to get chatty on the red carpet and wander into the odd podcast.

After a day of previewing TV, writing about TV and interviewing TV stars, Elaine likes nothing than to relax… by watching TV.