Henrik Hanssen (Guy Henry)

Holby City star Guy Henry has quit the show, it has been announced.

The actor will bow out later this year after playing medical boss Henrik Hanssen for three years, the Sunday People reports.

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Henrik Hanssen (played by Guy Henry) being held hostage in a future episode of Holby City
© BBC


His next role will be as Captain Hook in the Royal Shakespeare Company's Wendy and Peter Pan from December 10.

"I've had a wonderful time playing Henrik Hanssen - he's such a weird man, but fun to play. The Holby City cast and crew have been delightful to work with," Henry said.

Show boss Simon Harper added: "His brooding, *enigmatic performance *delivered one of the truly great Holby characters."

Henrik's storylines during his time on the show have included being held hostage and fleeing to Sweden.

There is already a Hanssen thread http://www.soapboards.co.uk/forums/s...hlight=Hanssen

Holby City bosses have announced that Henrik Hanssen, Oliver Valentine and Estelle 'Essie' Harrison are all returning to the show.

Guy Henry, James Anderson and Kaye Wragg have agreed to reprise their roles on the BBC One medical drama and will reappear on screen next year.
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Guy Henry as Henrik Hanssen in Holby City
© BBC
Guy Henry as Henrik Hanssen

Hanssen's return storyline will see him make waves at the hospital after deciding to bring his surgical brilliance back to Holby.

The popular character was last seen in October 2013, when he returned to Sweden to spend time with his son and grandson.

Speaking of Hanssen's shock return, Henry commented: "I'm so pleased to be reunited with Mr. Hanssen. He's such a weird and wonderful character to play - I've missed him! And the cast and crew at Holby are such fun to work with - I've missed them too.

"We don't know what dark acts may have befallen Henrik during his time away in Sweden but I do believe that, when he looms down the corridors of Holby once more, his wit and his scalpel will be as incisive as ever! Can't wait - see you on the ice!"
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James Anderson as Oliver Valentine in Holby City
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James as Oliver

Oliver made his last appearance on Holby City in July 2013, wanting a fresh start following the death of his wife and colleague Tara Lo.

Anderson explained: "I'm so thrilled to be given the opportunity to bring Ollie back to Holby. There are lots of surprises in store, but one thing I can say: he's older now - wiser, even - and I can't wait to get stuck into playing this altogether more grown up Valentine to the one I left behind. Step up Oliver 2.0! Holby is a wonderful, nurturing family to return to, and I'm hugely excited."

Finally, Essie will resume her nursing duties and her relationship with Sacha Levy (Bob Barrett) when she makes her return. After appearing as a recurring character, Essie will now become a more permanent fixture on screen.

Wragg said: "Essie is a such a layered character that I can't wait to see how things unfold once I return. She's a fantastic nurse with a big heart, but a broken life that leaves her unsure of who she is and where she's going. I adore working with Bob Barrett and am very excited to work alongside his big hearted Sacha again, ups and downs regardless.

"As for joining the Holby family, I'm very lucky to be a part of a talented team of cast and crew, and am delighted to be given the opportunity to nurture Essie and open the character into a new chapter of her life."
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The cast of Holby City
© BBC / Kieron McCarron
The cast of Holby City

All three cast members will return to filming in the New Year and will be back on screen from the spring.

Holby City's executive producer Oliver Kent added: "This news is sure to excite Holby fans old and new and we're delighted to welcome back characters that are so loved by our viewers.

"The arrival of Henrik Hanssen and Oliver Valentine will cause waves from the boardroom to the operating theatres, where new friendships will be tested as old alliances are reformed. Also with Essie's return we'll find out if Sacha finally gets his happily ever after!"

Hurray re Henrik Hanssen!!

Holby City star Guy Henry has revealed that his character Henrik Hanssen will be his usual self when he arrives back at the hospital.

The actor reprises his role as Hanssen in next week's episode, which sees the fan favourite reclaim the position of Holby's CEO.

John Michie's character Guy Self has been CEO since November 2013, but is now focusing on his neurology commitments at the hospital.

Speaking to Inside Soap about his Holby return, Henry explained: "The first shots of Hanssen show him flicking through his iPad and scrutinising all the staff members. The team are speculating about who the new boss is going to be, then suddenly Hanssen looms in the doorway!

"He knows precisely who everyone is, and little about him has changed. He's still a bit of a weirdo!"
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Henrik Hanssen returns
© BBC
Henrik Hanssen returns

On the dynamic between Hanssen and Guy, he added: "I don't think John will mind me saying this, but he was happy to be a bit more 'gung-ho surgeon' and a bit less 'office man'. I was worried about how my return would affect his character, but John actually told the powers-that-be he would like to play a more active surgical role.

"We've been working on some lovely scenes together. He's the butch chap, and I'm the mimsy, gimlet-eyed one who isn't ruffled by anything he throws at me!"

Holby City airs Hanssen's return on Tuesday, April 28 at 8pm on BBC One.

When we caught up with Holby City's producer Simon Harper recently, there was so much exciting gossip to share that we had to bring you the chat in two parts.

Following yesterday's teasers on Jac's return, Dominic's love interest and the next big Casualty crossover, today we reveal what Simon had to say on Ollie and Zosia's future, Ric's comeback and plans for the always-enigmatic Henrik Hanssen...

The NHS is never out of the news. With that in mind, how topical do you like Holby City to be?
"We have to balance drama and fictionalised stories while respecting how much the NHS is loved, valued and revered in Britain. We'll tell stories where characters break the rules in a way that can be heightened and fictional, but it's for the best possible reasons and for the good of the patients.

"We tell highly dramatic stories on the show, but we never want to make it look like we're being disrespectful towards the NHS, especially at the moment when people are particularly protective of it."

Will we see some new opening titles?
"Yes, we are actually currently looking at a new title sequence."

Does Jac ever explain why things didn't work out with Jonny?
"You never say never with these things, but I've now watched a number of episodes following Jac's return and it works rather well that she never explains it more after that ruthless line she had last month: 'Seriously, me and a nurse? That was never going to work.' Typical Jac!

"Their off-screen split was all perfectly amiable and they're still co-parenting Emma. Jonny and Jac gave things a go, but Jonny was such a homebody and so romantic - and obviously Jac isn't. As Jac hinted last month, the love of her life was and always will be Joseph."

Fans were quite excited by that recent mention of Joseph. Is he coming back into the show?
"There's nothing planned for Luke Roberts to return - he's quite busy in the States these days, I understand. I saw him recently at Paul Bradley's leaving party and I did say that the door is always open for his return. He was very gracious and open to the idea, but he's quite busy at the moment.

"If Jac ever left the show - and can I just emphasise that she's not leaving and we don't want her to - you'd probably have to get Joseph back to sweep her off her feet and carry her off in his arms. But there are no plans at the moment."

What's coming up next for Ollie and Zosia?
"There's lots more delicious chemistry coming up between them, and they do continue dancing round each other for a while. Also, one great aspect of Jac's return is that she's particularly annoyed to find that she has to share Darwin with Guy. There's some beautifully-written rivalry between Guy and Jac, so Ollie and Zosia find themselves caught in the crossfire between them."

How long will we be left wondering about whether Ollie and Zosia will get together properly?
"Let's just say that as it gets nearer Christmas, some questions start getting answered between Ollie and Zosia. What's lovely is that we've got some great romances in the hospital at the moment, which the audience really care about and are invested in. We've got 'Zollie', we've got Arthur and Morven, and we've got the perennial Mo and Mr T.

"I know that it's a double-edged sword sometimes. You want to play 'will they / won't they?' stories forever, but on the other hand the audience can get frustrated with it. So with all of those stories, some questions will be answered as we get nearer to Christmas and New Year."

The fans saw Dom, Arthur and Zosia as a real dream team and seem sad that they've been split up. How do you feel about that?
"I know where the fans are coming from with that. That was a really tough decision and I remember [executive producer] Oliver Kent and I talked a lot about it. In some ways it would have been great to keep them on Keller ward forever, but if you're going to tell a real story, you can't. The reality would be that those characters, as they mature and progress, would go on to their separate disciplines and wards. The three of them are also terribly close in real life. I call them The Three Musketeers, so they wanted to stay together forever as well.

"What's great about the changes is that gives them different stories. Dom on Keller with Sacha and Essie, with whom he has a great relationship, is a joy. And of course Keller being Hanssen's ward surgically speaking means we've been able to pit him and Dom against each other in their unique relationship.

"Zosia on Darwin has also given birth to 'Zollie', which from what I've seen on social media is one of the most successful romances we've ever played on the show. I have to 'fess up that it was me who was quite insistent on the point of splitting them up and Ollie Kent was very grumpy with me and sceptical, bless him, as he does love that friendship trio. So I had to win him over with promises of birthday crossovers and suchlike and scenes set in the flat they still share."

Will Ric be back and prominent again?
"He definitely will be. When an actor of Hugh Quarshie's calibre has been in the show for so long and wants to try new things, you look at it like a long-term investment. You want them to stay for even longer, so sometimes you let them have a break to go and do other things. Hugh went off to play Othello in Stratford-upon-Avon and also directed an episode of Holby very successfully.

"Hugh is absent from your screens at the moment, but he's actually been back filming for some time now. Ric will be back on your screens in the New Year episode. He'll be very prominent, because he's back properly from that point on. Ric has got a new role in the hospital and he's on a new ward. Let's just say he is not entirely pleased about it."

What's coming up for Sacha and Essie?
"I love Sacha and Essie. As part of their 'will they / won't they?' dynamic, they're facing big questions about the future of their relationship. Will they be able to have a baby, or have they left it too late? Is it the right thing for them?

"They haven't talked about it much recently, but there's also the question of how they met in the first place. There's the background of Essie's grandfather and the fact that Sacha comes from a Jewish family. As Sacha and Essie raise their relationship up a notch, will Sacha's family ultimately be able to accept Essie?"

Hanssen has seemed a bit quiet since his return. Will we see more from him in his own right?
"That's a really interesting question because the thing about Hanssen and why he works so beautifully is that he is an enigma. You could say that he was always a bit quiet - that's kind of the whole point of him. The great thing about Hanssen is that he always looms beautifully in other people's stories. He's the moral centre, the captain of the hospital, and the conscience of the other characters who keeps them on the right track. In a sense, to keep Hanssen as Hanssen, you never want him to give away too much.

"When Hanssen left in 2013, we finally cracked him wide open with the Sweden episode because we thought he was leaving and not coming back. When he did return, we closed him up again, to use a surgical metaphor. That does beg the questions of why has he frozen over again, what happened in Sweden and what has he left behind? Without giving too much away and ruining the enigma of the character, we'll be cracking him open again just a little and alluding to those questions."

This one might surprise you, but several of our reader questions mentioned a chemistry between Arthur and Dom. Would you ever put them together as a couple?
"Arthur remains straight and Dominic remains gay. I've heard this too, though. Someone messaged me on Twitter to say: 'How lovely to show such a positive gay relationship.' I so appreciated the message but didn't have the heart to say that it's not actually going to be a gay relationship! (Laughs.)

"Arthur did make a beautiful gesture in support of his gay mate to challenge his father's homophobia by planting that smacking kiss on Dominic. But they won't be getting together, sorry."

Nurses seem to be less of a force in the show at the moment. Is that something that could change in the future?
"It hasn't been a conscious decision, but we were talking about it at story conference the other week that we don't have many nurses at the moment. I think it is something that we will address to up the numbers again. It's always a surgical show, but that doesn't mean that the nurses aren't important too. It is something that we're looking at."

Already posted http://www.soapboards.co.uk/forums/s...-bitch-is-back