Fearing she's going to lose the child she gave birth to forever, Holby surgeon Mo Effanga takes drastic action, as Chizzy Akudolu reveals…
How did Mo feel when her old friend Sorcia turned up at Holby recently with three-year-old William, the child Mo had carried for Sorcia as a surrogate?
"Mo hadn't had much contact with Sorcia since she took baby William off to Canada, so although she's thought about him every day, she was a bit standoffish when they first arrived. Having given birth to William, Mo loves him so much that she didn't want to get attached to him."
Mo got a shock, though, when Sorcia died suddenly. With William’s stepdad Brett also in a coma, what prompted Mo to decide she’d be the one to look after the boy?
"Mo was initially reluctant to take care of William knowing he’d soon be off again. But then her maternal instincts kicked in and she saw this poor child who had nobody and thought she'd be the best person to be there for him. Over time, though, Mo's realised she'd love to be William's mum…
In this week's episode, Brett’s on the mend but tells Mo he can’t look after William. What does Mo think about that?
"When Brett says William needs a mother figure, Mo immediately thinks: 'Well, that's got to be me!' But then she finds out that the 'mother figure' Brett's referring to is Sorcia's mum! Vivien was always very hard on Sorcia, so Mo doesn't want William to be brought up by her."
Mo then overhears Vivien saying she doesn’t think William should have any more contact with her. How does Mo react?
"In her head, Mo thinks William’s her son now and she panics that she's never going to see him again. She feels her only course of action is to run away with William and deal with the consequences later. All she's thinking at that moment is: 'William's my life now, they can't take him off me!'"
Is Mo really capable of kidnapping young William?
"No, of course not! Mo's such a kind, warm person – she hasn't got it in her to kidnap a child. Mo's just desperate and wants a little more time with William away from Vivien, Brett and Holby. Thankfully, Mo's friend, obstetrician Mr T (Ben Hull), turns up and makes her realise she needs to put her own feelings aside and do what's best for the child…"
Later, as Brett prepares to take William back to Canada and they say their goodbyes, what does the future hold for Mo?
"Mo's only ever wanted to be happy but has never really felt worthy of love. Mo always lets her heart rule her head so, having William back in her life briefly, makes her consider whether she wants a child of her own. She just wants someone to love her unconditionally."
Holby City continues on Tuesdays at 8pm on BBC1.
