After kissing Zosia, Ollie must decide if they have a future together, as Holby City star James Anderson reveals…
During the Holby City bomb blast last week, Dr Zosia March (Camilla Arfwedson) kissed Dr Oliver Valentine. How did Ollie feel about the kiss?
"In that moment, they were literally thrown together and could finally confront this mutual attraction that, previously, they’d not been able to acknowledge. Ollie was dazed by the blast, covered in concrete and dust, and had this very special woman on top of him. For Ollie, it was a case of kiss first, ask questions later!"
Before that kiss, when did Ollie start to fall for Zosia?
"At first, she was a pain! Ollie was Zosia’s mentor, but she challenged his authority. Also, Ollie was still grieving for his late wife Tara, and Zosia was battling with mental illness, so they clashed. But, over time, they became friends and Ollie realised he was smiling and laughing in a way he hadn't done for years. His feelings for Zosia crept up on him."
How are Ollie and Zosia feeling in next week's episode, in the immediate aftermath of the explosion?
"Everyone at Holby is trying to piece together what the hell just happened! Ollie and Zosia's main concern is getting on with work, treating the casualties. It's a welcome distraction as they both want to avoid the personal problems that are now going to be inescapable…"
Zosia’s boyfriend, psychiatrist Seb Coulter (Hadley Fraser), turns up to see how she is. What’s the dynamic been like between Ollie and Seb?
"Ollie’s very jealous of Seb who, in turn, has started to feel threatened by Ollie being around Zosia. It's become a real Alpha male stand-off and, although neither of them are really chest-thumpy men, they're having to work out who the big gorilla is!"
Later, there’s an almighty showdown, when Zosia tells Seb she kissed Ollie – then Seb goes to confront him…
"Seb warns Ollie not to play with Zosia's feelings and, given Ollie's own troubled past, Seb asks if he's the man who can give Zosia the stability she needs. Ollie's aware Zosia's been very fragile and he doesn't want to be responsible for any deterioration in her mental health."
So, when Zosia then bravely asks Ollie what’s going on between them, how does he react?
"Ollie realises this situation is bigger than just a kiss. It's not that he doesn't want to be with Zosia, but he knows things need to be sorted out before they go any further, so he backs off slightly. Having put herself out there, only to be rejected, Zosia's really hurt. Do they have a future? I don't know – but it would be nice to finally see Ollie happy."
Holby City continues Tuesdays at 8pm on BBC1.
