Amanda Mealing to reprise Connie role

[Perdita]

Former Holby City star Amanda Mealing is joining Casualty.

The actress - who played Connie Beauchamp on the BBC medical drama between 2004 and 2010 - will now reprise the role in Casualty, The Sun reports.

Connie Beauchamp from Holby City
© BBC
Amanda Mealing as Connie Beauchamp



Viewers last saw Connie three years ago when she resigned from her position at the hospital.

As part of a new storyline, Connie will join the hospital's Casualty department as a "demanding but fair consultant".

Mealing admitted that she was surprised when she was first informed of the plan to bring Connie back.

She said: "When the idea was first proposed I was surprised to say the least. Then when I heard some of the ideas for the character, I thought it was genius.

"I hope this will be as exciting for fans as it is for me. I can't wait to get those heels back on and get to work."

[alan45]

Excellent News

[Perdita]

Amanda Mealing has admitted that she is "really nervous" about reprising her role as Connie Beauchamp in Casualty.

The actress originally played Connie in Holby City between 2004 and 2010.

Earlier this week, the BBC announced that Connie will be causing a stir in Casualty from March 2014, when she joins the emergency department at Holby City Hospital as a "demanding but fair" consultant.

Speaking on ITV's This Morning today (July 25), Mealing explained: "Since I left Holby, I have literally had daily requests for Connie to come back and I had a call from the executive producer of Holby and Casualty a while ago and he put forward this idea - and I'm really nervous about it!"

Asked if she knows what is planned for Connie, she replied: "They have some brilliant stuff coming up. I don't start filming yet, but I'll be relocating to Cardiff."

Mealing will begin filming at Casualty in November.

[JustJodi]

Fantastic news,,, its about time they get some one like "Connie" aboard :-)

[Perdita]

Casualty's executive producer Oliver Kent has promised that there are new rivalries ahead for Amanda Mealing's character Connie Beauchamp when she joins the show.

Connie, who previously appeared on Holby City between 2004 and 2010, will be joining the BBC's Saturday night medical drama early next year - becoming a "demanding but fair" consultant in the ED.

Amanda Mealing during a photocall at the Tower Hotel, London.
© PA Images / Adam Davy/PA Wire
Amanda Mealing


Speaking in an official BBC video interview, Kent revealed: "Connie will be a new brilliant top dog for Casualty. We felt that we needed a top dog and it would be interesting to bring in a female top dog, and that is Connie. We were very lucky when Amanda Mealing said yes.

"Connie's arrival in Casualty will really set the cat among the pigeons, not least with Ash and Zoe, who she will instantly upstage.

"I think what it will do is unlock a fun rivalry between Zoe and Connie. It will also put Ash in a very different place, and it will be the start of what we're seeing as Connie's year in the ED."

[Perdita]

Talk about a Casualty cliffhanger!

The show has left us wondering over the fates of Connie Beauchamp and her daughter Grace, after they went plunging over a cliff in the closing moments of Saturday night's tense episode (July 30).

The dramatic moment followed a difficult day for Connie, as she'd been forced to deal with a case that was way too close to home.

When Grace's friend Carmel was admitted to hospital following an accident on a trampoline, some disturbing facts began to emerge as the youngster was found to have nasty scratches on her stomach.

Connie Beauchamp, Carmel Sims and Grace in Casualty
© BBC Alistair Heap
Although Grace initially came under suspicion for causing the injuries, it was later revealed that Carmel had actually been self-harming after a barrage of cruel and abusive comments from her mum Steph.

The case appeared to have reached its resolution when Steph was reported to children's services, but she wasn't prepared to take Connie's involvement lying down.

As Connie and Grace left the hospital by heading off in the car, seething Steph followed in her own vehicle and repeatedly tried to get Connie to pull over.

Driving dangerously, Steph pulled ahead but was then forced to slam on the brakes as they came up to a bend.

Connie Beauchamp's big Casualty cliffhanger
© BBC

Connie Beauchamp's big Casualty cliffhanger
© BBC

Connie Beauchamp's big Casualty cliffhanger
© BBC

With Connie's path blocked, she went straight through a road barrier and hurtling off a cliff - leaving fans up and down the country horrified.

Will Connie and Grace survive? Casualty now goes off air until its 30th anniversary celebrations at the end of August, so we'll have a little while to wait to find out...

Digital Spy

[Perdita]

With just a month to go until Casualty's much-anticipated 30th anniversary episode is aired on BBC One, the soap is ensuring that we go into the episode with bated breath by ending its current series on quite the cliffhanger.

Saturday night's shocking episode left Connie Beauchamp and her daughter Grace with their lives in danger as the pair went plunging over a cliff in the closing moments.

Casualty shocker! Has the show just killed off Connie Beauchamp and her daughter Grace?

We have to wait until the series returns on Saturday, August 27 to find out what happened, but in the meantime, Connie actress Amanda Mealing has been keeping fans guessing by thanking them for their support... and keeping silent on her character's fate.

Follow
amanda mealing ✔ @meamandamealing
Thanks for all the love. It was tough to shoot. Congrats to my gorgeous tv daughter @TheEmilyCarey ❤️🙏🏼
11:28 PM - 30 Jul 2016
91 91 Retweets 380 380 likes


"Thanks for all the love. It was tough to shoot," she tweeted. "Congrats to my gorgeous tv daughter @TheEmilyCarey."

Mealing then went on to quote tweet a number of fan reactions about what comes next for the actress but made sure she definitely didn't let the cat out of the bag.

Follow
amanda mealing ✔ @meamandamealing
Thank you https://twitter.com/jonmdexter/statu...99806524006400 …
11:25 PM - 30 Jul 2016
7 7 Retweets 96 96 likes

Follow
amanda mealing ✔ @meamandamealing
That's very kind. X https://twitter.com/char_loughlin/st...00685314494464 …
11:30 PM - 30 Jul 2016
12 12 Retweets 129 129 likes


Follow
amanda mealing ✔ @meamandamealing
Haha X https://twitter.com/surrey_steve/sta...00741862166528 …
11:29 PM - 30 Jul 2016
11 11 Retweets 98 98 likes


Follow
amanda mealing ✔ @meamandamealing
Don't you dare! https://twitter.com/thegolfcoach/sta...06507599937536 …
11:54 PM - 30 Jul 2016
12 12 Retweets 139 139 likes

She replied "thank you" to someone who wished her all the best in the future "should tonight's Casualty have been [her] last" and laughed along with another viewer who argued that there's no point in watching Casualty without Connie.

"Please don't leave Casualty," another fan pleaded. "You're the best actress... I love Connie as a character... you act her so well."

"That's very kind," she answered.

Well played, Mealing.

Casualty now goes off air until its 30th anniversary celebrations at the end of August, which include the BBC National Orchestra of Wales recording a special soundtrack at their home in Cardiff Bay.

Digital Spy

[lizann]

i think connie survives grace dies