Alex Walkinshaw joins Casualty

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Waterloo Road star Alex Walkinshaw is joining the cast of Casualty, it has been announced.

The actor has signed up for the role of Adrian 'Fletch' Fletcher, a new nurse for Holby's Emergency Department.

Walkinshaw is leaving his role as Waterloo Road's Jez Diamond and will begin filming at Casualty's new home in Cardiff later this month.

Speaking of his character Fletch, Walkinshaw commented: "He's the ultimate cheeky chappy - the kind of entertaining bloke you'd really want to go down the pub and have a laugh with, whether you're male or female.

"He's into football, rugby, beer and beautiful women - only to flirt with and admire, though - he's a devoted family man which just makes him all the more attractive. Personally, I can't wait to get to know him better myself!"

Casualty's executive producer Johnathan Young commented: "We're absolutely thrilled to welcome Alex to the Casualty team. He's brings bags of talent, a wealth of experience and a cheeky sense of humour to rival Fletch's!"

Fletch originally trained as a mechanic, but ended up losing his business. When his wife Keila went into labour with their third child and found herself in Holby's ED, Fletch saw the hard work of the nursing staff and decided it was the career for him.

By arriving back in the ED, Fletch is returning to the birthplace of his daughter and his inspiration.

Casualty airs Fletch's first episode in June, which will see Lloyd (Michael Obiora) assigned as his mentor.

[Perdita]

Alex Walkinshaw has praised his former co-stars on The Bill for helping him settle into Casualty.

Michael Obiora, Charles Dale, Matt Bardock and Jane Hazlegrove, all former cast members on the ITV police drama, now play medical staff on the hospital series.


Of reuniting with his former colleagues, Walkinshaw told PA: "It did take the pressure off because it meant that if I did have a panic I knew I could shoot off, find someone and say, 'I don't know what I'm doing'. And they'd go, 'You're right, you don't', and then I'd be all right again."

Walkinshaw's popular role as The Bill's Smithy came to an end when the show was axed in 2009.

The 37-year-old turned up in BBC school drama Waterloo Road last year after Paul Nicholls unexpectedly left the part of PE teacher Jez Diamond.

Having defected to Casualty in March, he said of his new challenge: "It's a massive show, it's been around for ages and it's an institution.

"It's part of what our generation grew up watching, so it's important to treat it with the respect it deserves."

[alan45]

Casualty adds a new recruit to the ED team tomorrow (June 30) as former Waterloo Road and The Bill star Alex Walkinshaw takes on the part of Adrian 'Fletch' Fletcher.

Fletch is a cheeky chappy and devoted family man who originally trained as a mechanic, before deciding on a career in nursing when he lost his business.

Most of the regulars instantly accept Fletch, but his mentor Lloyd (Michael Obiora) isn't so impressed with his confidence and happy-go-lucky ways…

What most attracted you to Casualty?
"Well, one of the main things is that the character I've got is lovely, and again different to what I've been playing in the last few years. I think there's a lot more scope with this character - he's very free with his emotions and with the role that he's got as a nurse.

"There's a lot of room for him to do lots of nice things - whether it's getting to know people, having friendly banter, doing some flirting and being the cheeky chappy. But we can also see him dealing with the serious side of life - big events where you're faced with life and death situations. I think there's so much to do in this show - and this character has the opportunity to do all of it! That's great for me."

Did you have to audition for Fletch, or did the Casualty team have you in mind for the role?
"When they thought up the part, they thought of me and a couple of other people who would be good choices to do it. Then we had a chat, we had a screen test, and they decided to go with me!"

Have you had much input into Fletch's development, or have you been given quite a definite brief?
"I've been given a really good, solid brief about the kind of chap that Fletch is, but then since I've started filming, we've had another chat and we've spoken further about him. We've discussed some of the things that I've been doing, what I've brought to it and whether it's changed.

"So it's quite a nice partnership - they've given me a really great character, but now we're looking at other things. They've looked at the performance, seen which sides they like and what we should see more of."

Do you think Fletch is going to be quite a relatable character?
"I think so - hopefully! He's a good bloke, he's fun, he likes to have a flirt, and I think people can see that he's got a bit of charm about him. The patients who come into the ED can certainly see that, and they seem to enjoy chatting to him. I think people will relate to him - he seems like quite a nice bloke to be a nurse."

Could he be hiding any secrets?
"So far, he's a very straight-down-the line character - he's got three kids, he's very happy, he loves his job, he's enjoying learning new skills and he enjoys getting involved with the patients. He doesn't have any dark secrets yet - or at least I haven't found out any yet! But who's to say that he won't?"

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What can you tell us about the dynamic between Lloyd and Fletch?
"I think Lloyd was expecting a mentee who would be younger and slightly more impressionable. He wanted to do some proper mentoring and show the correct way of doing everything. But then all of a sudden, somebody ten years older turns up and already has a lot of confidence.

"The rest of Lloyd's colleagues and friends all seem to like Fletch, but the jury's out with Lloyd - he's not quite sure. Fletch can also see that Lloyd is a very serious character, so he enjoys winding him up a little bit. It's not to be malicious, he just wants to be fun and get past the seriousness of Lloyd. I think they will eventually get along, but at first Lloyd's not so sure."

Will we get to meet Fletch's family?
"They're off screen at the moment, but there is talk of the family coming in. So fingers crossed, it might be quite nice to see them! I'm not sure in what kind of context yet, but I think they are going to make an appearance at some point."

As Fletch is flirting quite a bit, is there a chance he could be unfaithful?
"Oh, with his flirting, there's no ulterior motive other than it is quite fun to flirt! He's quite happy to go home to his wife, but if you're surrounded by attractive ladies and there's a twinkle, then twinkle away! That's his kind of attitude, anyway."

Fletch already has a history with the hospital as his daughter was born there, wasn't she?
"Yeah, that's the reason he went into nursing. He was a mechanic beforehand, but he saw what was on offer as a nurse when his daughter was born. He was half-way there already with his people skills, so he just thought, 'I used to fix cars, so why can't I fix people?'

"So it's a cool place to be for Fletch - it reminds him of his family and he has happy memories there. He's quite a nice, rounded bloke who's very happy to be around and wants to enjoy his work."

Who else does Fletch share lots of screen time with?
"I think Fletch and Tess seem to be getting on really well - she quite likes the fact that he's a bit of a joker and that there's a bit of laughter going on in the ED.

"Fletch has also been working with Zoe, but he oversteps the mark with her because he doesn't really acknowledge the hierarchy when they're having a chat. When they're in resus, he understands that she's in charge and that Nick Jordan's in charge. But once they're out of that high-pressure environment and they're all chatting, he's liable to say anything to anyone! He's not worried whether you're the boss or not."

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How welcoming were the Casualty cast when you joined?
"Do you know what, I couldn't have asked for them to be any nicer, really. I knew a few of the cast from previous jobs, but everyone was just so lovely straight away. They really tried to put me at ease, so it was honestly a really nice and relaxing transition into this place. It couldn't have been better."

We've recently seen you on Waterloo Road, so were you sad to say goodbye to the show?
"Yeah, Waterloo Road was great fun and they're a cracking cast and crew. I had a real ball doing that, so it's a shame to say goodbye to all my pals, but onwards and upwards - that's the nature of the game!"

After being in so many big shows, do you still get nervous taking on a new job?
"Oh, yeah - definitely 100%! There's a lot of pressure when you're going into big shows that are really well-supported and well-loved. People are honest and if they think you're rubbish, they'll let you know!"

Are you enjoying working in Wales?
"Yeah, I've thoroughly enjoyed it. Most of the time I am at work and I haven't been able to explore as much as I would have liked to, but from what I've seen, it's lovely. There's beautiful countryside, and the people have been very friendly and welcoming. It's great and I'm having a very nice time here, actually."

Will you watch your first episode when it goes out?
"I'll probably watch it a bit later - just because I get a bit nervous, really! It's a bit too much pressure when I know that everybody else is watching - there's a lot of people that watch Casualty. So I'll probably stick it on the iPlayer and have a little watch!"

[Perdita]

Casualty star Alex Walkinshaw has hinted that his character Adrian 'Fletch' Fletcher will have a big storyline at Christmas.

The actor confirmed that he has recently been shooting challenging scenes which will air at the end of the year.

Walkinshaw told Inside Soap: "We're filming Christmas at the moment, and I have some really heartbreaking stuff.

"The scenes were very emotional and stayed with me for days afterwards. I had an inkling about what was going to happen, but soon realised it was more difficult than I thought."

Fletch recently had a fling with work colleague Tess Bateman (Suzanne Packer), which came as a surprise to many fans.

Walkinshaw admitted: "It's like Marmite - people either love it or hate it. Personally, I'm really enjoying the storyline. It's had lots of interesting twists and turns, and put together two people you wouldn't expect."

This week's episode sees Fletch admit that he still loves Tess after she returns to work following her termination, but whether she will be honest about her feelings remains to be seen.

Casualty continues on Saturday (August 24) at 8.40pm on BBC One.

[Perdita]

Casualty star Alex Walkinshaw has confirmed that he will be leaving the show and joining Holby City.

The actor, who has played staff nurse Adrian 'Fletch' Fletcher in the BBC medical drama since 2012, has revealed that his character will leave the ED to pursue a new challenge.

However, Fletch's transition to the new department won't run smoothly as he will come face to face with someone from the past - Director of Nursing Colette Sheward. The unresolved issues between the two will make Fletch's new role far from straightforward.

Speaking on Lorraine today (April 1), Walkinshaw said: "My Casualty days are over.

"With the storyline and the way it has panned out with the gambling starting - that spirals out of control for Fletch and he has to do certain other things to make up the shortfall in his wages and puts himself under pressure.

"He makes things difficult for himself and lots of other things happen. His relationship with Tess all comes back up and they have to deal with certain things about that. It has to play out and to play out, it means Fletch has to leave Casualty.

"He leaves Casualty during that storyline and then I think, at a later date, potentially gets offered another job within the same hospital. But switching from Saturday nights to Tuesday nights."

Oliver Kent, executive producer of Casualty and Holby City, said: "We at Holby City were thinking of a new male nurse to play alongside Jonny and lock horns with Colette.

"When Alex suggested he might get in the lift and come upstairs to Holby City, we accepted like a shot. Alex as Fletch has been a wonderful asset to Casualty and I am very excited about him bringing his unique blend of warmth and blokiness to the wards."

Fletch's biggest storyline to date involved his fling with colleague Tess Bateman, which resulted in her pregnancy and subsequent abortion. More recently, Fletch reconciled with his former wife Natasha as she gave birth to his baby.

[Perdita]

Holby City's senior nurse Adrian 'Fletch' Fletcher has been left in a critical condition at the climax of Tuesday's episode after being stabbed by an unstable patient.
Fletch found himself attacked by the screwdriver-wielding James Fielding before being wheeled into the ITU to receive urgent treatment.

The cliffhanger then saw Connie react with shock and concern to what had happened to her colleague while Fletch continued to fight for his life.
In the wake of the broadcast, actor Alex Walkinshaw took to social media with this cheeky post on Twitter.

Next week's episode of the long-running BBC1 medical drama will see initial attempts to wake Fletch not go according to plan when his BP suddenly drops. Staff are then forced to delay until further tests are done.
Later on, viewers will get to see the medics make a second bid to wake Fletch - but will there be further drama as a result of their efforts? He twittered: As long as my character is saving imaginary lives I'm happy


Radio Times