After weeks of battling a relapse of his childhood bulimia in secret, Holby City medic Josh Hudson recently plucked up the courage to confide in partner Ange Godard about his disorder. But as he takes his first steps towards seeking help, this week, it’s clear his recovery is going to prove an uphill struggle.
Having agreed to attend group therapy for healthcare staff with the disorder, Josh is secretly daunted about heading to his first group session but is put under immense pressure by Ange (Dawn Steele) and mentor Eli Ebrahimi (Davood Ghadami) into going.
"Josh finds therapy extremely difficult," explains Trieve Blackwood-Cambridge, who plays him. "Answering questions about his past and confronting his demons is the last thing he’d want to do. Therapy is too triggering, too painful for Josh to navigate, which is why he does everything he can to avoid it."
In the group, Josh meets plucky Claudia (Lottie Tolhurst), and the pair soon form a bond as they refuse to take therapy seriously…
"Claudia is an outspoken 20-something, with immense charm, who takes a liking to Josh," reveals Trieve. "They grow closer, and find comfort in their shared struggles."
As Josh struggles to open up about his feelings, Josh makes his excuses and flees the therapy session.
Meanwhile, Ange has had quite a day and really needs some good news to cheer her up. So when she asks Josh how his therapy session went, she’s thrilled when Josh claims it’s ‘just what he needed’. Of course, he’s lying…
"To Ange, Josh is making great progress in therapy and is well on his way to recovery," says Trieve. "It’s a lie he tells to desperately put her mind at ease."
But will all the lies and secrecy end up driving a wedge between Josh and Ange?
"If a relationship is truly strong, it has potential to sustain most things," says Trieve. "However, recovery is never easy and rarely straightforward, which inevitably puts a strain on their relationship."
Holby City continues Tuesdays at 7.50pm on BBC1.
