Arthur Digby married sweetheart Morven Shreve in tonight’s Holby City, but their big day was tinged with sadness after Arthur was given the earth-shattering news that his cancer was terminal and he only had a few months to live.
Already undergoing chemotherapy for melanoma and secondary tumours on his lungs, Arthur was hopeful he could be cured, so he jumped at the chance to tie the knot with Morven that day. But as Morven happily got wedding preparations underway, she was unaware that her cancer-stricken husband-to-be had reason to suspect his health was getting worse…
“It was all a bit scary for Arthur,” said Rob Ostlere, who plays the medic. “He started noticing changes so he decided to go and get things checked out with Sacha (Bob Barrett) privately, just for peace of mind more than anything.”
It wasn’t good news, though, and Arthur’s world was rocked when Sacha revealed his treatment wasn’t working – he was terminally ill and had just months to live.
“While he’s been having treatment, Arthur’s been hoping there’ll be some results, some progress,” said Rob. “He's certainly not thinking he’s only got a few months left to live, that he’s going to die!”
He went on: “Arthur went into a state of denial, anger and fear. All of those emotions surfaced quite quickly – and all on the day of his wedding!”
After much soul-searching, Arthur broke the sad news to his bride-to-be Morven and, together, they made the heart-breaking decision to call off the wedding. But then Arthur decided the event would go ahead as planned!
“Suddenly Arthur had a moment of clarity and realised that the one thing he wanted more than anything is to be with Morven," said Rob. "This terrible news made Arthur even more determined to marry her."
As they tied the knot in the hospital chapel, in front of family and friends, the new Mr and Mrs Digby couldn’t be happier. But what struggles lie ahead?
"The wedding is about two people doing what they can to carry on and have an amazing day with all their family and friends. It's the best day of Arthur's life... but also the worst."
Holby City continues Tuesdays at 8pm on BBC1.
