Casualty star Chelsea Halfpenny tells us how Bea Kinsella’s betrayal pushes distressed doctor Alicia Munroe to breaking point…
Jaws collectively drop in Holby ED when doctor Alicia Munroe physically slaps junior doctor Bea Kinsella in Casualty this week. For one thing, Alicia and Bea are more than co-workers, they’re friends who share a flat together. For another, physical violence just isn’t in Alicia’s nature. Although she has been behaving uncharacteristically recently…
Last week Alicia (Chelsea Halfpenny) courageously confided in Bea (Michelle Fox) about her sexual assault ordeal involving trainee doctor Eddie McAllister. This week, when Alicia tells Bea she’s ready to turn a corner and won’t be reporting Eddie (Joe Gaminara) to the police, furious Bea ends up losing her cool with Eddie and tells him she knows what he did!
Here we talk to Chelsea Halfpenny about Bea’s betrayal and why Alicia lashes out at her hot-headed friend…
Why does Alicia decide she doesn’t want to report Eddie to the police?
"Telling Bea was a huge step for Alicia, and going to a professional at the Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) was another huge step. But the idea of going to the police, knowing everyone will find out, isn’t something Alicia’s emotionally ready for."
Do we see this play out in this week’s Casualty?
"Yes. Even though Alicia knows what happened, she’s still questioning herself and whether she wants all this on her shoulders. You see in the episode that she’s not ready and doesn’t trust herself enough when she says ‘I could ruin this guy’s life.’"
That must raise some complex emotions for Bea, as she tries to support Alicia during this difficult time?
"Definitely. Alicia was so scared of telling anyone initially and obviously Bea wants the best for her. Bea is angry because she doesn’t want this guy to get away with it. Eddie’s acting like he’s done absolutely nothing and, regardless of whether this is what he truly believes or not, it must be infuriating for Bea."
What causes Bea to eventually confront Eddie?
"Bea’s annoyed and wants Eddie to realise what he’s done. When he gives Rash advice about Gem she just snaps! She doesn’t mean for it to come out, but it’s huge. Alicia trusted Bea that it wouldn’t go any further. Alicia hasn’t said to Eddie exactly how she feels, so she definitely didn’t want it to come from anyone else."
What can you reveal about Alicia’s emotional state after Bea breaks her trust?
"Alicia goes up and down so quickly in this episode. She’s lying to herself that she’s fine. She’s trying to normalise her life, but she can’t live a normal life with so much on her mind, and this brings her to boiling point. When Alicia slaps Bea it’s as if she sees red. She doesn’t see anyone else in the hospital at that moment. She just sees Bea and feels so angry and let down."
Where will Alicia go from here? Find out in Casualty on Saturday 28 July at 8:40pm on BBC 1
