As Holby City medic Cameron Dunn mourns the loss of his mum, Bernie Wolfe, he seeks comfort in the arms of Nicky McKendrick. Nic Jackman tells us more…
Struggling with the grief of losing his mum Bernie Wolfe, Holby City medic Cameron Dunn crosses the line with Nicky, as Nic Jackman reveals...
How is Cameron feeling following the news that his mum Bernie Wolfe (Jemma Redgrave) was missing in action and has since been confirmed dead?
"It hits him like a tonne of bricks really. His mum has been absent for the majority of his life, he’s had a troubled relationship with her and has kind of resented her for the fact she’s not really been there and he felt that he missed out on a lot of things with her. So to then get the news that Bernie has died in action, to start with he’s in denial and can’t accept that she’s now been totally taken away from him. He really finds it hard to come to terms with that."
Struggling to deal with his grief, Cameron goes to friend and colleague Nicky (Belinda Owusu) for comfort. Tell us more…
"Cameron returns from a family memorial, where his dad basically took over proceedings and it all went terribly. Cameron tends to drink to numb himself and just to escape it all really. But turning to drink isn’t the right thing for him and with Nicky being there and being the supportive friend she is, it escalates to them kissing… then waking up in bed together the following morning!"
Ooh, that’s awkward. Could we see more develop between them?
"Nicky’s been so supportive of Cameron but he has these moments where he’s really mean to her. I really hope there’s an opportunity for him to show his support for her because he does really love her and appreciate her as a friend. Where it goes from now, I don’t actually know but, certainly, I think she has a rough time. She’s constantly supportive but Cameron, with what he’s going through, maybe isn’t the friend that he should be to her always."
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Bernie’s former partner Serena Campbell (Catherine Russell) is someone else who’s always been supportive to Cameron. What impact does Bernie’s death have on their relationship?
"Obviously, it does have a huge effect on their relationship. When I joined Holby City the first time, back in 2016, my first episode involved Cameron seeing there was something between Bernie and Serena. He was quite accepting of that and saying to his mum: ‘I’m fine, I’m a grown-up and you can be open about this’.
"I think he’s always been supportive of that relationship and cared for Serena who, in turn, kinda looks out for him, like a mother would. Cameron really values and appreciates Serena. But, with the news of Bernie’s death, there are things he says to Serena and comments he makes, especially when he’s drunk, that he might not necessarily mean. But it’s just his grief talking."
It’s like Serena becomes a bit of an emotional punching bag for Cameron for a while, doesn’t she?
"Yeah. It’s because she’s there trying to support him and comfort him that he then turns on her. But that’s just him struggling with grief and just coming to terms with losing his mum really."
Do you think Cameron will be able to pick himself up and prove his worth as a doctor?
"I think for the foreseeable we’re going to see a bit of a downward spiral for him and we’re going to see aspects of his personality that we’ve perhaps not seen before. I’m certain there is a good doctor in there somewhere – it’s just whether he can keep his personal stuff away from his professional life and whether he can keep focused on his work. But there’s certainly some meaty, interesting stuff to come."
Holby City continues Tuesdays at 8pm on BBC1.
