Casualty spoilers: Will Charlie Fairhead die in deadly exit?

Charlie Fairhead is at death's door in his final Casualty episode. Will he exit Holby ED alive or dead? (Image credit: BBC Studios)

Charlie Fairhead’s fate is revealed in Casualty episode Charlie (BBC One, 9.25pm, Saturday 16 March 2024 — See our TV Guide for listings) in the final instalment of a special two-parter marking the legacy character’s departure from Holby ED.

While his friends and colleagues pull out all the stops to save him, Charlie drifts in and out of consciousness re-living a pivotal day from his past in revealing flashbacks! Elsewhere, Stevie Nash has a crisis of confidence and Teddy Gowan is heartbroken following the events of the deadly traffic accident.

Annette Badland guest stars in this historic Casualty episode, as retiring charge nurse Shirley Baldwin, who realises cocky young Charlie still has a lot to learn…

Full Casualty spoilers for Charlie below…

Charlie Fairhead’s final chapter

It’s time to bid farewell to Charlie Fairhead (Derek Thompson) after almost 38 years at the helm of Holby ED. This emotive episode poignantly titled Charlie picks up directly from last week’s stabbing incident with the veteran medic raced to resus.

There, consultants Zoe Hanna (Sunetra Sarker) and Stevie Nash (Elinor Lawless) have differing opinions on how best to save him. When senior medic Dylan Keogh (William Beck) weighs in with his thoughts, Zoe ploughs ahead with her treatment plan, while Stevie quietly edges out of the room…

Charlie, semi-conscious and being treated in resus in Casualty. — Semi-conscious Charlie fights for his life in Casualty. (Image credit: BBC Studios)

The past connection

Meanwhile, Charlie drifts in and out of consciousness recalling an important day in his career in a flashback storyline starring Annette Badland (Big Boys, Ted Lasso) as charge nurse Shirley Baldwin and Jack Franklin (Masters of the Air) as a certain curly-haired young man who realises he has a lot to learn, but also a lot to give…

Annette Badland as Shirley in flashbacks. — Annette Badland stars as Shirley Baldwin in flashbacks. (Image credit: BBC Studios)

We really don’t want to spoil anything for viewers tuning in for this emotive and openhearted goodbye to the man who’s become a byword for the world’s longest running medical series. So all we’ll say is, don’t take your eyes off the screen - especially during the last 20 minutes - and do keep some tissues to hand.

Jack Franklin stars as Young Charlie Fairhead. (Image credit: BBC Studios)

Speaking to What To Watch in an exclusive interview about his epic last shift as nurse Charlie Fairhead, Derek Thompson revealed he was “thrilled” when he read the script for his exit storyline, adding: “I think my final episodes are some of the best of my career.”

Our one-to-one interview with Casualty legend Derek Thompson AKA nurse Charlie Fairhead

Derek Thompson as Charlie Fairhead in 1991. (Image credit: Shutterstock)

Also in Casualty this week

In the present day, paramedic Teddy Gowan (Milo Clark) struggles with recent events. Can his aunt and boss Jan Jenning (Di Botcher) help the young paramedic through this traumatic chapter of his career?

Heartbroken Teddy in tears on Jan's shoulder in Casualty. — Teddy breaks down during an emotional and unmissable Casualty episode. (Image credit: BBC Studios)

Zoe opens up to Dylan why she and husband Max Walker have returned to Holby City. For more on this see our interview with Casualty-favourite Sunetra Sarker.

Zoe and Dylan anxiously await results of Charlie's scans. — Zoe and Dylan have a heart-to-heart while they anxiously await results of Charlie's scans. (Image credit: BBC Studios)

Meanwhile, Stevie is distressed as Charlie’s life hangs in the balance and confides in her closest friend, nurse Faith Cadogan (Kirsty Mitchell), that she no longer believes she has what it takes to be a doctor.

Faith supports Stevie in a moment of crisis in Casualty. — Faith supports Stevie in her time of crisis in Casualty. (Image credit: BBC Studios)

Faith does her best to reassure Stevie that this simply isn’t the case, but they’re interrupted when clinical nurse manager Siobhan McKenzie (Melanie Hill) comes in with news of missing Mel Sinclair.

Stevie is close to tears at the scene of Mel's crash. (Image credit: BBC Studios)

Paramedics Iain Dean (Michael Stevenson) and Jacob Masters (Charles Venn) have found Mel (Amanda Ryan) alive but in a critical condition after she was run off the road by her abusive husband PC Harry Sinclair (Rod Hallett) and left for dead. An experienced doctor is needed urgently at the scene and Stevie is the only person available.

Iain Dean supports Stevie through a difficult procedure. — Iain Dean is on hand to help Stevie through a difficult procedure. (Image credit: BBC Sudios)

At the embankment and with Mel’s life in her hands, Stevie’s lack of belief in her medical abilities interferes with her ability to perform a tricky procedure. Can she get through this with the help of Iain and Jacob?

Meanwhile at Holby ED Cam is in charge of monitoring Charlie. (Image credit: BBC Studios)

Later, on her return to the ED, Stevie concludes she’s a liability to patients and decides it’s time to call it quits. But just when she thinks she’s out, Holby ED pulls her back in…

Back at the ED Stevie is in tears and decides to quit. (Image credit: BBC Studios)

As she’s leaving, Stevie pops in to check on Charlie, who is under the care of nurse Cam Micklethwaite (Barney Walsh) when his condition takes a sudden turn for the worse.

With his life in the balance and no one else available, Stevie, with the help of Cam, springs into action to save Charlie in tense and terrifying scenes. But given recent patient deaths, is this an unwise decision?

Jack Franklin as a young Charlie Fairhead in happier times. — Will Charlie Fairhead die in the hospital he has devoted his life to? (Image credit: BBC Studios)

Casualty episode Charlie airs on BBC One on Saturday 16 March 2024 at 9.25pm. It is available on BBC iPlayer from 6am.

Keep an eye out for our exclusive interview Derek Thompson - coming soon!

An exclusive interview with Elinor Lawless on Stevie Nash's involvement in Charlie Fairhead's dramatic fight for life

With twenty years of experience as an entertainment journalist, Elaine writes for What’s on TV, TV Times, TV & Satellite Week and www.whattowatch.com covering a variety of programs from gardening and wildlife to documentaries and drama.

As well as active involvement in the WTW family’s social media accounts, she has been known to get chatty on the red carpet and wander into the odd podcast.

After a day of previewing TV, writing about TV and interviewing TV stars, Elaine likes nothing than to relax… by watching TV.