Doctors

Has there ever been a spoiler for this programme? I can't be the only person to watch it!! I'm worried about Jimmi:(

There was not enough interest for a thread on Doctors. I watch it when I can, usually only on a Friday because I finish work early. Have been off sick for a few days and hope that this storyline ends soon, fooking ridiculous, Jimmy phoning Julia instead of police when he had the chance. :wall: But I gather that it will come to an end at the end of this week.

hey does anyone watch this? I need to start watching this for uni, and am a bit lost with the storylines. what's going on with all the characters and stuff?

I love this show i usually watch it on i player

some of the storylines currently are Zara is not really Zara her real name is Alex Grey and is under a false name 2 get revenge for her dad who's in prison shes sleeping with the son of the finance directer of a company her dad and this guy used to run together. Their was a fire and 1 person died and Ales' dad got the blame and got 10 years when it was the other guys fault. She's now balckmailing Daniel into sleeping with the mans wifeto wreck thier marriage. (Goes on I Know)

Lilly the one whos always in black is about to foster a troubled teenager alone

Charlies the one with the white hair was recently being a right pratt recently by making innapproapriate remarks over all the female staff but the girls got their revenge.

Simon is the (one with glasses don't know how else to desctibe him) he's ay and recently went on a date set up unknowingly ny his friend Cherry (blonde nurse) but was a disaster (not exactly interesting I know)

Cherry's also recently had a big storyline when she found out her boyfriend Scott was a drug dealer. he died after overdosing on Heroine

Karen whos the receptionist was recently held hostage by her son Jacks' 'mate' Lewis at the uni where he attends. Lewis was shot dead after Jacks dad Rob the copper stormed in and the police marks men shot lewis dead. Lewis also shot his lectuere

Hope this helps its just some of whats been going on recently and i know some of it goes on but thats just me!!

That is quite a good description, Debbie :)

Jimmy, one of the doctors was also held hostage by a brother and sister, they drugged him all the time and chained him to the radiator or bed. The sister wanted to sleep with him to have a baby. Ran nearly 3 weeks, I think, with this storyline before Jimmy was found

Had too much time on my hands I think lol

Former Emmerdale star Alyson Spiro has landed a guest part on BBC daytime drama Doctors.

The actress, who played the Yorkshire soap's Sarah Sugden between 1994 and 2000, is filming her one-off appearance this week for an episode due to air in July.

Spiro is taking on the role of Gill Ferry, the daughter of an elderly Alzheimer's sufferer named Lorna Robson. Lorna is introduced to the serial as a neighbour of regular character Julia Parsons (Diane Keen).

As previously revealed, veteran actress Susannah York is also filming with Doctors this week in the role of Lorna.

The pair's episode, titled 'Gibberish', is due to be screened on Monday, July 12 on BBC One. It will see Julia becoming embroiled in the lives of Gill and Lorna after making a shock discovery.

Doctors is celebrating its tenth anniversary this week and has been marking the occasion with Decade of Doctors, a five-part series of behind-the-scenes shows.

Former Coronation Street star Madhav Sharma is to appear on BBC medical drama Doctors for a guest part.

The actor, who played Dev Alahan's businessman acquaintance Prem Mandal on the Weatherfield soap in 2008, recently finished filming a two-episode stint at the Doctors set.

In instalments which air in May and June, Sharma will be seen in the role of Ravi Choudhry, a former colleague of regular character Dr. Heston Carter (Owen Brennan).

Heston's latest story begins when Ravi and Hugo, another one of his old friends, turn up out of the blue to remind him that it is his turn to host an annual get-together.

Later, Cherry Malone (Sophie Abelson) volunteers herself as co-host for the event and the night itself sees her struggling under the pressure to create a good impression.

Sharma's two episodes are due to be screened on Thursday, May 20 and Friday, June 4 respectively.

Doctors celebrates its tenth anniversary this week and has been marking the milestone with Decade of Doctors, a five-part series of behind-the-scenes shows.

Earlier this week, DS revealed that former Cutting It star Annette Badland, veteran actress Susannah York and ex-Emmerdale regular Alyson Spiro will also be seen in guest parts later this year.

DS

Former Holby City star Mark Moraghan is to make a one-off appearance on BBC medical drama Doctors.

The actor, best known for playing Holby General's Owen Davies between 2001 and 2005, will be seen in the role of Tony Mullen, a patient of Dr Heston Carter (Owen Brenman).

In a forthcoming episode, Tony arrives at the Mill with wife Sandy (Julia Dalkin) and is told that their chances of having a baby are slim. The couple's struggle to conceive stems back to a childhood accident which saw Sandy being hit by a car.

The instalment, titled 'Past Tense', is scheduled to air on Tuesday, June 1 and will explore how the pair's problems leave Tony in a bitter and angry state.

As well as his Holby role, Moraghan has previously starred in Brookside and Dream Team.

Doctors has been celebrating its tenth anniversary this week. Over the past five days, DS has exclusively revealed the castings of Annette Badland, Susannah York, Alyson Spiro and Madhav Sharma in other guest roles on the serial.

The cast and crew of daytime soap Doctors fear that the show could become a casualty of the BBC Trust's network-wide drama review, according to a report.

Last week, it was revealed that the BBC's flagship serials - including EastEnders, Casualty and Holby City - are to receive a value-for-money assessment as part of the Trust's published work plan for 2010 and 2011.

According to The Mirror today, the news has left the Doctors team feeling pessimistic over the programme's future because the Trust could decide to cut back on the number of BBC medical dramas.

The newspaper quotes a show executive as saying: "We're preparing to find ourselves on the chopping block. Three long-running shows with a similar audience, themes and storylines are up for review and Doctors is probably the weakest link in terms of ratings."

Doctors last month celebrated its 10th anniversary and continues to be a strong performer for BBC One's daytime schedule, regularly winning its timeslot and attracting consistent audience numbers.

Responding to today's reports, a Doctors spokesperson told DS: "We welcome the forthcoming review into the BBC's continuing drama. It's an opportunity to highlight creative programming that attracts a large and dedicated audience on a regular basis.

"EastEnders, Holby, Casualty and Doctors tackle a variety of social issues and have won many awards. Not only are they key programmes in the BBC One schedule, but they also provide a training ground for developing and nurturing diverse new talent on and off screen."

Meanwhile, a source close to the show this morning told DS: "It's all speculation at the minute. The Trust's review isn't about axing shows, it's about ensuring they're value for money. Doctors airs 234 episodes a year and we're currently filming nine episodes at any one time, so we're confident that the Trust's review will highlight that."

Man if the BBC cut anything else they'll be nothing left to watch except repeats.
They've axed so many good drama's and then just repeat show like New Tricks which i do like but i don't need it repeated coz they've axed all the other good shows! soooo annoying.
They better not axe Doctors its a great show.

Digital Spy's Producer Season continues with an exclusive interview with Doctors' long-standing series producer Peter Lloyd. The BBC daytime soap scooped two trophies at this year's British Soap Awards - Ami Metcalf (Sapphire Cox) as 'Best Dramatic Performance For A Young Actor Or Actress' and Jan Pearson and Chris Walker (Karen and Rob Hollins) for 'Best On-Screen Partnership'. Here, Peter teases about what's to come over the next few months in the fictional Birmingham suburb of Letherbridge and reveals which series regular is to bow out in the summer.

Will Dr Lily Hassan ever be returning? Was her exit always planned?
"You never know! We did feel that we'd reached the end of Lily's story with Sapphire and wanted to give the character a positive 'out'. But I thought Lily was a successful character who provided a great contrast to the others in the gang."

How do you feel about bringing Christopher Timothy's Dr Brendan McGuire back, even if it's only for one episode?
"I don't know why we'd do that unless there was a very good reason. The show has moved on a great deal since Chris was with us so I don't think anyone would want the character back just out of nostalgia. But if it's motivated, if it has an impact on our characters and makes sense dramatically, then never say never. Actually, we are bringing back another face from the past later in the year which will make a lot of people happy, but I'm going keep you guessing on that one!"

If Julia can forgive and forget with regard to everyone else, why can't she do so for Daniel? Will we ever see Julia's attitude towards Daniel change? Does Julia secretly fancy Daniel?
"It's interesting, isn't it? I love the dynamic between these two - I have my own theories, so do Di and Matt but we've yet to answer the question, maybe we will, maybe we won't. Something is going to happen between them in September which might shed some light on this."

Are there any new arrivals or departures you can tell us about?
"We will be saying goodbye to Michelle in the summer. Donnaleigh has been with us for just over four years now and feels it's time to spread her wings and try something new in her career, which is understandable since she's been here virtually from drama school. She's got a great exit story which I'm very excited about which I think will be very popular with viewers. We'll also be getting a new female doctor called Elaine who will have a new take on the surgery and will be very interesting to have around."

What does the future hold for Michelle?
"A huge challenge that's going to test her physically and mentally. It's heart-breaking and heart-warming and a radical life change for her, I can't wait for the viewers to see what happens in the summer because I'm really excited about what we're doing with her."

The tenth birthday celebration of Doctors was very short and not as good as fans expected - why didn't you push the boat out?
"Money, in a word. As everyone knows, all our budget goes into the programmes, we just don't have the resources to do something huge. Daytime were great in making the mini documentaries, but I understand people wanting more."

Is Seán Gleeson still going to direct for Doctors in the future?
"I'm sure we will see him again, we enjoyed what he did with his last episodes, so keep an eye on the listings in the future…"

What have you planned for the Hollinses as a family?
"Karen's going to be changing career, kind of, and so is Rob, later in the year. Jack and Imogen both have a little growing up to do, and Michelle's story is going to have quite an impact on them. Plus, it's time Imogen had a proper boyfriend and Jack buckled down and did some proper work! This family have been so successful, you can pretty much throw anything at them, including their recent Soap Award! Towards the end of the year, I'm throwing them a really doozy..."

Can viewers expect a 'happily ever after' for Daniel and Zara?
"Well, that would be far too easy, wouldn't it? They're just too alike, too contrary, it's always going to be a rocky road for them, but that's what makes it so much fun with these two. They do try to be in a 'normal relationship' and the results are hilarious, they even go on a conventional date – bowling! But things are slowly going to even out for Daniel as he gets to see his daughter regularly and he feels a bit more stable in life. Inevitably that's all going to come crashing down later, but stay posted for that one..."

Is Charlie hiding any dark secrets? If so, can you give us any clues?
"Oh yes. Just when you think you know Charlie, something else crops up. Our writers have loved writing for him, because he's one of those characters who'll happily say that wrong thing and be completely unapologetic about it. But of course he has a sinister side and that's going to come out more and more – his treatment of the female members of the team is an indication, so is his increasing homophobia towards Simon. How dark can he get? Very! Keep watching!"

Any update on a BBC Three repeat slot or a weekend omnibus?
"No is the short answer! There aren't any plans for either, but do remember that Doctors is repeated every day on the BBC HD Channel at 6.30pm and of course you can always catch up with us on BBC iPlayer."

And also on the cards...
§ Julia starts to crumble, but what could be causing it? Is she just getting too old?
§ Life starts to take a turn for the better for Jimmi - about time, say viewers!
§ What happens when Daniel finds out about Zara’s early menopause?
§ Heston starts behaving controversially - and gets us all in trouble.
§ We really need to keep an eye on Simon...
§ ... and Ruth faces her biggest challenge so far.

Doctors star Donnaleigh Bailey is to bow out from the BBC daytime soap later this year, it has been announced.

The actress, who has played senior practice nurse Michelle Corrigan since 2006, will leave the medical drama in the summer following a poignant final storyline for her character.

Speaking to DS, Doctors' series producer Peter Lloyd confirmed: "Donnaleigh has been with us for just over four years now and feels it's time to spread her wings and try something new in her career, which is understandable since she's been here virtually from drama school.

"She's got a great exit story which I'm very excited about which I think will be very popular with viewers."

Asked what the future holds for Michelle, he replied: "A huge challenge that's going to test her physically and mentally. It's heart-breaking and heart-warming and a radical life change for her, I can't wait for the viewers to see what happens in the summer because I'm really excited about what we're doing with her."

Although best known for her Doctors role, Bailey has previously had guest parts in Holby City and Crossroads.

Donnaleigh Bailey has revealed why she decided to quit Doctors after playing Michelle Corrigan for four years.

Doctors' series producer Peter Lloyd confirmed to DS in June that the actress would bow out in a poignant storyline.

Bailey told What's On TV: "It was the hardest decision I've ever had to make, but I'd reached a point in my life and my career where I just wanted to embrace new things.

"It was hard because I'd got this job straight out of drama school, but I thought I should start to take some risks while I'm still young enough."

She admitted that the nurse had had a bumpy few years in the fictional Birmingham suburb of Letherbridge, but Michelle's decision to leave was the right one.

"100 per cent [it was right]! I really wanted to see Michelle grow up and stop being selfish," she said. "Michelle often acts without thinking, but there's no room for error in what she's doing now, she has to think before she acts. It's a great exit!"

She added: "It's been a bumpy journey sometimes with all her ups and down, but she's been a great character to play."

Bailey's final scenes in the BBC daytime soap will air next Friday, August 13.

I shall miss her, like her character a lot :(

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Donnaleigh Bailey bows out of Doctors this week after four years in the role of senior practice nurse Michelle Corrigan. With Michelle's 30th birthday on the way, she stuns her colleagues and loved ones by revealing that she's made a life-changing decision and will be leaving Letherbridge behind. Meanwhile, in real life, Donnaleigh is keen to spread her wings and pursue new projects. Digital Spy recently caught up with the actress to find out about this week's episodes and what the future holds for her.

Why did you decide to leave Doctors?
"Doctors was a fantastic opportunity for me to receive as a young actor - I joined the show practically on the back of leaving drama school. I learned so much about continuing drama and acting for television and I was there for a long time - but it got to the point where I just wanted to try new things and explore new opportunities."

Having been with the show for four years, was it a difficult decision?
"It was a really difficult decision because they're like a family, but I still see everyone and I go and visit them on set. But I just wanted to try new things - try theatre, different types of television and explore new opportunities while I was still young enough to embrace them."

We heard back in June that you'd be leaving - but how long ago did you make the decision?
"This is something that I've been thinking about for a long time - I told the producers that I wanted to leave back in October. And I'd been thinking about it around this time last year - whether I wanted to sign another year's contract, because it was coming up to renewal time and I wasn't sure whether I wanted to do a full year. I just spoke to the team and told them I was thinking about leaving and obviously we were all upset, because I love Michelle and I love Doctors. But they've all been very, very supportive and understood that, as a young actor, I wanted to try new opportunities while I could. I still visit them and they're there if I need them for advice."

The full circumstances surrounding Michelle's exit are being kept secret - but were you pleased with how she was written out?
"Oh, it was fantastic - one of the best pieces of serial that I've had during my time at Doctors. I think it's a fantastic thing for Michelle - it's a life-changing decision that she makes, it shows her to be a bit more grown-up and selfless and to put other people first. I think what it shows is the core element of Michelle - that she's a really good nurse and she cares about her patients. Sometimes we don't see that because she's so bolshy and so gregarious, so I think it was a great way to bring her full circle. The way she does it isn't always necessarily the best way, but Michelle really wants to help people, and I think that really comes across in my leaving serial."

What was it like to film the recent scenes which saw Michelle working with injured soldiers?
"The soldiers storyline was a fantastic opportunity for me and a really great thing that Doctors chose to do. We're a fictional surgery set in the West Midlands, and wounded soldiers that come back from Afghanistan come to a hostel in the West Midlands, so I think that it's something we should have touched upon before and I think it's great that we've done so now. I know that the producer had wanted to for a while. Of course we had to handle it delicately and sensitively, and I definitely think that we did. But I don't think we're making any bold statements on the war or anything like that - I think we're just highlighting the fantastic quality of the nursing staff in the military, and also what these chaps do for our country on a daily basis. From the feedback I'm seeing from the fans, people seem to have really enjoyed it. I loved every second of it."

We see this week that Michelle's mother Vera is reluctant for her to leave Letherbridge - why is that?
"I think that Michelle and Vera have a very strained relationship after the whole Adam fiasco. I think that Michelle still feels a lot of resentment towards her mother and they have their issues. Their relationship will always be slightly strained, but I think that any mother will have concerns for their child. Vera and Michelle are like two peas in a pod and they're very, very similar. Vera's reluctant for Michelle to leave Letherbridge because she wants the best for her."

And Michelle is also saying goodbye to a love interest, Louis…
"Yeah! I'd said to the producer, 'Please get me a nice chap - it's about time she had a good guy in her life!' She'd had her half-brother and all sorts! But Ian Virgo, who plays Louis, is someone who I knew anyway, so it was great working with somebody who I knew well. And Louis is everything Michelle has ever wanted, and more! He's fantastic - he's sexy, he's funny, he's full of banter, and he really, really loves her. But I guess it's just that she feels this is something she has to do now, otherwise she'll always regret it. I think Michelle thinks that if it's meant to be, it'll still happen. If he's meant to be with her, he'll still be there for her."

Did you get emotional on your last day?
"Oh my God, the tears you see on that last day are all real! There's a scene where Michelle's birthday is coming and she thinks everyone has forgotten about it and she's deciding to leave The Mill that day. But they surprise her with a cake, and that was my scene saying goodbye to the gang. Everyone's tears were real - the actors were coming up to me and saying goodbye as their characters, but they were definitely saying goodbye as the actors as well. I was heartbroken and it was so sad! It was a very, very, very emotional day. I cried from the moment I woke up to the moment I went to sleep!"

What have you been up to since leaving Doctors?
"I've just finished doing a new writing season at the Birmingham Rep theatre, which was brilliant and scary - because obviously I don't get another take if I mess up! I can't go, 'Please can we do it again?', I've just got to do it! That was fantastic and a really great way for me to get into something new. It was weird because I didn't have my long-time friends around me, and it was a new thing to embark upon. But obviously I did theatre and television before Doctors, so it was just great to use the old skills. Now it's just about taking time to figure out what I want to do and where I'm going next. I really want to do more theatre, but I also want to do some comedy. It's so exciting that there's so many opportunities out there, so we'll see what comes up."

What were your favourite storylines during your four years with Doctors?
"This final one, definitely - my exit storyline is one of the best things I've done. I've loved working with Donna, who plays Vera - all the family stuff has been great. Also, the whole Adam and Ruth storyline - Selina Chilton is one of the most talented actresses I've ever worked with, it was a real honour and a pleasure to work with her and she's one of my dearest and best friends now. But I've had some great 'story of the day' plots as well. I can only think of my time on Doctors fondly. I've been really lucky to have been given such great storylines constantly. I've never been bored."

Some viewers were angry with Michelle at the time of Ruth's breakdown because they thought Michelle was treating her too harshly - what did you make of that?
"I'm aware of Digital Spy's forum boards and when that was all happening, sometimes I'd go on and have a look. I could see that there was a real backlash against Michelle. That was difficult for me to understand as an actor, because to play a character I have to love her, despite all her faults. But I totally understood what they were saying. I cling on to the fact that Michelle is a good nurse, so it was surprising that, as a nurse, she couldn't accept the fact that Ruth had a mental illness and wasn't well.


"I think the way the story developed was fantastic - there's no drama and there's nothing interesting if Michelle forgave her straight away. Michelle had to take a real journey to get to the point of forgiveness and to ask for forgiveness from Ruth herself. She should have handled it better, but I think Michelle had just been overwhelmed by the whole situation - the trust that she'd had in her best friend was taken away and she had a proper identity crisis. She was overwhelmed by her own emotions, her own grief, her father dying, everything. She'd hit breaking point and was at her lowest ebb. The fact that viewers were so evoked by Michelle's response showed that the writers and I were doing a good job in provoking a reaction. I hope people have forgiven her now!"

Are there any particular cast members who you're keen to keep in touch with?
"Oh, all of them! Diane Keen and Adrian Lewis Morgan are dear friends to me. I know everyone says this, but Doctors was one of the nicest places for me to work in my entire life. It was a great way for me to start my career. There's a great cast and crew. Names that I'd mention off the top of my head would be people I worked with more closely - people like Sophie Abelson and Selina Chilton. Charlie Clemmow is one of my best friends. It's such a small cast so we're always together and I love all of them to bits. We still have drinks at the pub every Thursday. I miss them all dearly, but I think we'll be friends forever regardless."

Would you appear in another soap?
"Oh yeah, of course! I think soap actors are some of the hardest-working actors in the business. Actors work hard generally, but for soap actors, the turnaround is so quick with learning your scripts and performing them. Especially on Doctors - it was so fast. I think the storylines on all the soaps are great - this year especially. I'd love to work on another soap. Corrie would be great - it's one of my favourites!"

You're in the running for 'Best Daytime Star' at the Inside Soap Awards this year - what do you think your chances are?
"Well I'm up against not only great actors from Doctors, but also well-loved names and faces from Home and Away and Neighbours. We'll see. I mean, all I can do is keep my fingers crossed, but it'd be a fantastic way to end my time on Doctors, and I'd obviously be extremely grateful to those who've supported me on this great journey that I've had. It's a really nice night to just dress up and see old friends and faces - not only from my show, but friends that I have on other television shows. I'm so flattered and thankful to be nominated."

When you work on a show like Doctors, do you gain a greater respect for people who work in the medical profession?
"Oh yeah, definitely! I've always had a respect for nurses and doctors, but from playing a nurse, I got to spend a day with a senior practice nurse in a surgery. It was great watching them - they're all so dedicated to what they do. But then, when I got the Housman storyline and had to work with military nurses and saw how they work, it totally overwhelmed me. I got to spend the day on a military ward here in Birmingham and saw that what people do there is exceptional. I just think they're fantastic. I do a lot of things for the charity Help For Heroes and have nothing but respect for the military in general."

Did Doctors change much over the four years you were in the show?
"Well, there are more episodes now, which is great - it means the show is on more and gets seen by more people. But I think the basic structure of Doctors hasn't changed. The 'story of the day' and serial plots are always of a high standard. Because you have the 'story of the day', you can tune in and tune out and perhaps never watch it again, or continue to watch it. I think that's great. What I love about Doctors is that it's always evolving - we're in HD now, and when I first joined the show it had single camera days, which they don't do anymore. I think Doctors will continue to grow and continue to be loved by its fans. I think it's a great show to work on."

And finally, Doctors has a very loyal following - is there anything you'd like to say to the people who have tuned in and supported you over the years?
"Just thank you for watching Doctors and continuing to support Michelle through her ups and downs! I know it's been quite a turbulent journey that she's had, and sometimes she hasn't been liked and sometimes she has been - and sometimes she hasn't shown her best. But I think at her core, she's a great nurse and a great character, and I really hope that you've seen her grow up and develop. Especially with this exit storyline - I really hope that it shows her grow up into a more thoughtful and selfless woman. I think it's great that the fans are so supportive and loyal to the show. We're very aware of our following and our fanbase, and so I send lots of love, thanks and gratitude."

Doctors actress Elisabeth Dermot-Walsh has revealed details of a "dramatic" upcoming storyline.

Dermot-Walsh, who plays Doctor Zara Carmichael in the soap, admitted that she is excited by a future plotline between her character and fellow GP Daniel Granger, played by Matthew Chambers.

Speaking at the Inside Soap Awards, she told Digital Spy: "There's a fantastic five-part story coming up in the next few weeks involving my character and Daniel.

"I don't want to give everything away, but something terrible happens to Daniel's baby daughter and Zara steps in to help. It's all very dramatic!"

She added: "It's nice to be the good guy for a change. Normally Zara plays the baddie and for once she gets to play the heroine, which makes a nice change for me!"

Actor Chris Walker, who stars as police sergeant Rob Hollins, also teased an upcoming story with his wife Karen.

"There's a big, big storyline between Rob and Karen," he revealed. "It's huge, in fact! No-one leaves the show, but it gets close to that."

Both storylines are due to air before Christmas.

Daniel Granger faces every parent's worst nightmare on Doctors next week when his young daughter Izzie goes missing. The dramatic incident occurs after the GP takes his eyes off the 2-year-old for just a moment while they are out shopping with his partner Zara. In the aftermath of her disappearance, a police investigation is launched and Daniel's colleagues rally round him - but initial efforts to find Izzie prove devastatingly fruitless. Meanwhile, viewers will see that Izzie has been abducted by a family who now wish to raise her as their own - but will this ever come to light? We recently chatted to Daniel's portrayer Matthew Chambers to hear more about the storyline, which plays out over the course of five consecutive episodes.

How did you feel when you first heard that you'd be part of this big storyline and special week of Doctors?
"When I first heard about it, I was very excited. I also felt flattered because there are several regulars here now, and so to be one of the actors who's part of a five-parter is an honour. So I was very excited and I couldn't wait to get my teeth into it!"

Would you say that Daniel is at fault for Izzie's disappearance, or is it something that could happen to anyone?
"Well, I have children and I know how quickly they can disappear sometimes. I guess it is something that could happen to anyone, but I think in this particular instance, Daniel has got to take the blame because he's the adult in charge and he takes his eye off the ball for a moment. That's all these things take - just a moment, and suddenly your life can change forever."

Daniel shows a real angry side after Izzie goes missing - can you tell us a bit more about that?
"In situations like this, it's difficult to imagine how oneself would react, but during filming I tried to put what I know of Daniel into that situation. When I was imagining what he was feeling, I felt that his anger came from the helplessness - the fact that there was nothing he could do. He's normally somebody who can talk his way out of something, or phone somebody, or raise a few grand if he needs it. He can do all those things, but suddenly he's presented with a situation in which he has absolutely no control and feels utterly helpless. I think that's where his anger was rooted. Daniel can be a dangerous guy in terms of when he's threatened, and I think we're all capable of being all things - it's just a question of degrees and where certain situations can lead you, particularly when they're out of your control."

What else happens in the aftermath of Izzie's disappearance?
"Well, I can tell you that at the end of the first episode of the week, although Daniel and Zara don't know, we do see that Izzie is well and seemingly being well looked after. There's absolutely no way that the writers or the BBC want to dupe the viewer into believing for a moment that Izzie is not being treated well. So that's at the end of the first episode. But like I said, obviously Daniel and Zara don't know that and are very much in the dark about what's going on."


What happens next?
"Over the course of the next few episodes, there's heavy police involvement, at times we see Daniel's exasperation at how little he feels is going on, and it's a fine line of how far does oneself get involved in a situation like this to find one's child? Does one leave it to the police, even when one thinks that they're not doing as they should be? So it's a real quest on the part of the police and Daniel and Zara as they try to find Isobel. We also see the emotional rollercoaster that comes with that - the agony, the pain and the joy at the slightest of leads. It's a real journey for Daniel and Zara. It's also a fantastic journey for Lisa as she comes back into contact with Daniel and we see the dynamic that's kicked up because of that. We all hope it's going to be very exciting."

Daniel and Zara's relationship seems to come under real strain as the week progresses - why is that?
"I think it's inevitable in this kind of situation that everything becomes strained. You turn on each other at times - again, because of those feelings of helplessness. We tend to turn on people that we love in times of stress. Daniel and Zara have a great understanding of each other, and they have a love for each other, which most of the time they can't tell each other about! We do see them work together well as a team and separately in their efforts to find Izzie, but inevitably with Lisa in the picture, things come to a head. Without wanting to give too much away, tensions are high. The stakes are high in this situation and so people do things that they might not otherwise do…"

As the investigation continues, Daniel starts being viewed as a potential suspect in the case - how does he react to that?
"He's in utter disbelief. I don't think he even computes it. If he was standing outside the situation, I think he'd be able to see why, but because he's in it - and because Isobel is his daughter and he cares for her so deeply - he can't compute it. It's another way in which a very angry side of Daniel rears its head."

Daniel also finds his dark history broadcast on the news as the media attention increases - what does he make of that?
"I suppose he reacts in the way that anyone would react if the seedier parts of their past were exposed! I think he's very saddened by it, because it's detracting from the important thing, which is about Isobel. Of course, Daniel knows that her disappearance has nothing to do with him, and he thinks that putting him in a bad light is contrary to the benefit of the investigation."

Was this quite a challenging storyline to be involved in?
"Yes - I think that, as an actor, anything with high emotion is challenging because, of course, you want it to be believable. That's a very, very big part of our work - to make what we're doing seem believable. So anything with high emotion is more risky ground for actors. Of course, there are many who love the drama - the term 'drama queen' ain't there for nothing! For this storyline, it's a journey. You can't suddenly break down all the time in floods of tears - there's elements of light and shade. If something terrible happens to you, you don't sob every moment of the day - there are moments when you're more reflective. Choosing those moments can be a great challenge for actors."

What kind of impact do you want this story to have?
"I think that, in terms of the show, it's yet another fantastic storyline. We see Doctors' ability to not shy away from the very tragic subjects in life. They tackle those subjects head-on and they highlight them, and they hopefully help people who have been in similar situations. I'm not a moral compass or anything like that, but I just think that Doctors does a great job of highlighting very important subjects and issues - and confronting them so that they can be talked about. I think that's very important."

If they manage to get Izzie back safe and well, do you think Lisa would struggle to trust Daniel with her again after this, or will she be understanding?
"I think it will be very difficult for her to trust him. He hasn't exactly had a shining past with her, so I think this will further deepen any lack of trust she may have had for him. I think it'll be very hard for him to gain her trust. But let's see how she reacts - because people in these kind of situations react very differently and strange things happen!"

What's Elisabeth Dermot-Walsh, who plays Zara, like to work with?
"Elisabeth is, first and foremost, in my opinion a wonderful actor. She's great fun and she brings a level of professionalism to the working day which is refreshing. But she still joins in with the banter and she's a good, fun person to be around. She's great to work with."

There's been quite a change in Daniel since Izzie was introduced to the show - will that be a permanent change, or will he slip back to his old ways eventually?
"Never say never! Who knows? I think the great thing with Daniel is that he is volatile, but now he is trying to do the right thing since Izzie came along. He's trying to lead a better life and trying to make better decisions. I think he's doing all of those things, but the great thing about Daniel is that he finds himself in situations where he just makes bad decisions. I guess that makes him fun to watch and very fun to play! I think he's one of those men who finds commitment a bit of a dirty word with regard to relationships with women, but I think that his lynchpin, focal point and reason for being is now Isobel."

The scenes between Daniel and Jimmi have proved popular on our forum - can we expect to see more of those two together?
"I hope so! I think the writers can see when two actors have a little bit of chemistry, and I hope that they would then try to steer us together a little bit more often, because Adrian Lewis Morgan is a great actor to work with and lots of fun. It's a challenge working with him, and I mean that in a very positive way. He makes you work and he makes you think about what you're doing in terms of performance. It's not in a demanding way, but working with him is great and I really hope that we have more to do together in the future."

Julia seems to treat Daniel more harshly than she does the other characters - do you have any theories on why that is?
"Diane Keen and I have always had a bit of a giggle about that! I think Julia likes him and sees him as a bit of a wayward lad, but one who's very good at his job. I think she's quite forgiving of him, even though it comes out in a way where it seems she's heavy-handed with him - and in some respects quite mumsy or like a headteacher! I think it's because she likes him and wants the best for him - and thinks the best way to get the best out of him is to be very strict. It certainly keeps him in check and lets him know that he can't muck about! Remember that he has a very chequered past with her - he stole money from her when she extended the olive branch of a job to him and he had nowhere to go. He really does owe her a lot."

Finally, are you happy at Doctors and will you be staying for the foreseeable future?
"I'm very happy at Doctors and I always have been. I like the place, I like the people, and at the end of the day, I'm doing what I want to do - I'm acting, I've got a job and I feel very lucky. As to how long I'll be here, I couldn't say - who knows what's going to happen in the future and whether the show would want me to stay? We'll just have to wait and see. But I know that I'm categorically at Doctors until December, so on screen that takes me up to March. I know that I'm there for sure until then, but beyond that, I don't know!"


Doctors airs weekdays at 1.45pm on BBC One.

Comedienne and former EastEnders star Josie Lawrence is to make a guest appearance in Doctors next week.

The actress will be seen in the one-off role of Katrina Kidd in Tuesday's episode of the BBC daytime drama, which wrapped up a week-long child kidnap plot today.

Katrina is regular character Ruth Pearce's former school music teacher. The pair are to come face-to-face unexpectedly when Katrina pays a visit to the Campus Surgery in the hope of obtaining some mood stabilisers.

As Ruth (Selina Chilton) catches up with her old tutor, it emerges that Katrina is feeling nervous as she is preparing to audition for one of Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber's TV talent shows.

Soon afterwards, Katrina invites her ex-pupil along for some moral support as she rehearses for her audition - but whether she has what it takes for West End success remains to be seen.

Lawrence bowed out from the role of Manda Best in EastEnders earlier this year. She is also well-known for her work on Whose Line Is It Anyway?

Doctors airs weekdays at 1.45pm on BBC One.

BBC soap Doctors is to celebrate its 2,000th episode with an hour-long special which will see a deadly virus unleashed at The Mill, it has been announced.

The milestone edition of the daytime show will feature Peak Practice star Simon Shepherd and Dad's Army actor Ian Lavender as guest artistes on a dramatic day for the fictional health centre.

Shepherd takes on the role of virologist George Liston, who is approached for help by Simon Bond (David Sturzaker) as The Mill's staff learn that someone inside is infected with a potentially fatal virus.

Meanwhile, Lavender plays retired brigadier Rowland Beckley, who is among the patients who get caught up in the chaos at The Mill as it goes into lockdown.

The storyline will see regular character Cherry Malone (Sophie Abelsen) exposed to the virus before developing a worrying rash. As events reach a climax and the pressure mounts, The Mill's staff face a race against time to save Cherry and track down the source of the virus.

Speaking of the dramatic instalment, Doctors' executive producer Will Trotter commented: "It's wonderful that Doctors has reached its 2,000th episode, and is celebrating by having this hour-long episode featuring all of our regular Doctors cast and some wonderful well-known guest stars joining us to mark this milestone.

"Doctors is a homegrown award-winning British drama for BBC One Daytime and we look forward to the next 2,000 episodes!"

BBC Daytime's controller Liam Keelan added: "Doctors continues to attract stellar British actors and consistently has relevant, challenging and thought-provoking storylines - I'm delighted we've been able to commission this special anniversary episode."

Doctors' 2,000th episode - titled 'Quarantine' - is currently being filmed in and around Birmingham and will air on Wednesday, February 16, 2011.

Doctors' series producer Peter Lloyd has said that he wants the BBC daytime soap to have greater diversity in its cast.

In an interview, the show boss confessed that the programme needs to provide a more accurate representation of what life would be like at a health centre in the Midlands.

Speaking to Inside Soap, Lloyd explained: "Since the departure of Michelle, our cast is all white. That's something we will address as soon as possible, because it's not a realistic situation to have, either within the NHS or in the city of Birmingham."

He continued: "I'd also like to have a female character who is 'anti-glamour'. In saying that, I mean a woman who's normal and lumpy like the rest of us. At our last story conference, we asked people to come up with suggestions for a new regular and some great stuff came out of that."

Lloyd also revealed more details about Doctors' forthcoming 2,000th episode, which will see a deadly virus unleashed at The Mill.

He said: "It's going to be very exciting. A deadly virus will strike at the surgery and we hope to do a helicopter stunt. We're filming it at the moment, as long as the weather holds. We saved up some of our budget for the chopper! We'll have some special make-up effects as well, which will be very creepy."

Wednesday 16 February
1.45-2.45pm BBC ONE
www.bbc.co.uk/doctors
Feature

Julia (Diane Keen) is first to hear about the code blue situation
As Doctors celebrates its 2,000th episode, Ian Lavender and Simon Shepherd guest star in a special hour-long episode of the award-winning continuing drama, which sees the Mill surgery under lockdown as a deadly virus is unleashed.

A woman, Charlotte, collapses in a hotel conference room with a mysterious rash. She later wakes in an isolation tent. When asked by Elliot Taylorman, the scientist investigating the virus, if she's been in contact with anyone else and if so where they are, Charlotte says only "the Mill" before she passes out.

At the Mill, as practice manager Julia takes a call to say they have a "code blue" situation, nurse Cherry is trying to take blood from an obstreperous young woman called Vic and Dr Jimmi Clay is trying to pacify a paranoid ex-prisoner, Michael. Julia is sure it is a drill but can't take any risks, so asks receptionist Karen to call everyone to make sure staff and patients stay where they are. Dr Heston Carter is with Rowland Beckley, an ex-brigadier who is quite happy to sit and wait, while Dr Zara Carmichael's patient, Mrs Potter, gets worked up about the offers she's missing at the supermarket.

George Liston, a virologist based at the University, is called to see the woman who has collapsed; but although he clearly recognises Charlotte's condition, he claims not to.

While tensions mount as the staff and patients locked inside the Mill deal with the pressure of the situation, it becomes a race against time to try to track down the source of the virus.

When Cherry develops a rash that indicates she has the virus, Dr Simon Bond goes to see George Liston for help. George is adamant there is no cure, but Simon manages to get him to reveal the medication that might save her. But will Simon be able to persuade Jimmi to break the lockdown and get the medication to Cherry in time?

Quarantine features guest stars Ian Lavender as Rowland Beckley, Simon Shepherd as George Liston, Verity Hewlett as Charlotte, Simon Chandler as Elliot Taylorman, Daisy Head as Victoria Liston, Fraser James as Michael Buchan and Carol MacReady as Mrs Potter. Julia is played by Diane Keen, Cherry by Sophie Abelson, Jimmi by Adrian Lewis Morgan, Karen by Jan Pearson, Heston by Owen Brenman, Zara by Elisabeth Dermot Walsh and Simon by David Sturzaker.

The Hollins family continue to take centre stage in next week's Doctors episodes as Karen's emotional baby storyline continues.

Having made a final decision to go through with a termination in yesterday's edition of the BBC medical drama, Karen informs Jack and Imogen of her news on Monday.

While the pair both want to support their mum, neither seems keen to accompany her to the appointment, and in the end it's Rob who's at Karen's side at the clinic as she takes the pills that will end her pregnancy.

Later, back at home, Karen is distraught as Rob, Jack and Imogen all try to act normal. Making it clear how she really feels with an emotional outburst, Karen declares that she will now always have to mourn on the day that the baby should have been born - August 23.

When the pills finally take their effect and it's all over, emotional scenes follow as Karen breaks down and Rob tries to comfort her. However, the next day, it becomes apparent that the strain has become too much - Karen takes off her wedding ring and it seems that her marriage could be over.

Karen leaves the family home for a few days, and it's left to Jack to talk to his father - but is it too late for discussions and have the Hollins clan been torn apart for good?

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BBC One's popular daytime drama Doctors reaches another milestone on Wednesday afternoon as the show broadcasts its 2,000th episode. To mark the occasion, a dramatic hour-long special of the programme will see a deadly virus unleashed at The Mill, causing chaos at the health centre and putting lives in jeopardy. DS recently gave the programme's longest-serving cast member Diane Keen (Julia Parsons) a call to hear more about what is in store.

What can Doctors fans expect from the 2,000th episode?
"Oh, wow - everything they wouldn't be expecting, really! It's way out there and it's really good. A regular Doctors fan will be riveted because it's got so much in it that they're not used to and they haven't come to expect from Doctors. It's extraordinary. I watched the episode recently at a cast screening and I thought it was amazing."

What can you tell us about the storyline?
"A potentially fatal virus is unleashed at The Mill, but it's all about what happens because of that and how each person is individually affected by that on all levels. It's all about how the staff at The Mill deal with it because they're locked in with the virus and they can't get out! I can't give too much away, but it's all about how they deal with what's going on and what happens to each of them as a result."

How does Julia react to the situation?
"Well, obviously Julia is the practice manager, so she takes control as Julia always does. However, something happens and then things go wrong… Again, I can't give too much away! (laughs)"

Was there an air of excitement around the set when you were filming this milestone for the show?
"There was! But with it being shot the way it was, and because there was so much packed into the episode, we tended to film in isolation - very much like the storyline in the episode. So I didn't tend to see the others doing their stuff - but then I wouldn't, because they weren't interacting with Julia. Many of the characters end up isolated in their various offices and in various other places in the building. So it was really strange - this extraordinary thing was being made, but you only really saw your immediate part."

It must have been nice to watch the finished product at the cast screening, then!
"Yeah, exactly - it was fantastic to see it all together. Obviously I knew the story because I'd read the script, but to see it all put together was fantastic and amazing. When you think what we do on a very small, limited budget on this show, to watch something like that come out is quite mind-blowing, really. It's great that we can turn out drama of this quality."

Were you glad to get the hour-long slot for the 2,000th episode?
"Yeah, definitely - it needed an hour to do the story justice. But when I watched it, it got to the end and I thought, 'Ah, no!' - because I wanted more. I wanted it to go on. You know when you go to a movie and it ends and you go, 'Oh, I wish it was about 20 minutes longer'? It was like that. It didn't feel like an hour at all, it just rips along."

What do you think is the secret of Doctors' success?
"Oh gosh, if I knew that, I'd be a multi-millionaire, making programmes all over the world and coining it in! (laughs) I do think that one of the main ingredients for it is that it always has excellent actors in it - all of the guest stars who come up to do Doctors are wonderful. It's very difficult for them because they hit the ground running, and at the beginning they look like startled rabbits in the headlights as we work very, very fast. But they come in and they turn out these wonderful performances and they're a joy to work with. I think that's true of the regular cast members as well - I think every single person in this show is the most consummate actor. You have to have that about you, because there's no time for rehearsal, so it has to be instinctive and you have to be terribly disciplined. But at the same time, we have such a laugh on set."

Do you think there's anything else that has made it so popular?
"From the public's point of view, it's the fact that we do have a serial element to it because of the regulars, but also that every single day is a complete story featuring the guest artists with a beginning, a middle and an end. So even if you haven't always caught up with the regulars, you do get a little mini-drama every day. I don't think anyone else does that, so we're crossing two boundaries by having a serial show and a complete drama within it every day."

Who have been your favourite guest artists to work with?
"Oh gosh, I've been here so long that it's hard to answer. We've had some wonderful, wonderful people - we've had Brian Blessed and many other extraordinary people who I'd watched for many years and admired. I also had a wonderful, wonderful episode with Eric Sykes - he was brilliant, and that was mainly him, myself and Christopher Timothy. I also enjoyed working with Richard Briers. It's just a joy to work with these people. It's also quite odd, because you work away here on the set, and eventually everyone seems to turn up to work with you, which is nice!"

As Julia is the longest-serving character, why do you think she's become so popular?
"I don't know - is she popular? If she is, I'm glad she is! I think with Julia, there's an element where you don't always know what you're going to get. People probably don't remember it, but I often think about a wonderful episode that I did with Barbara Dickson. She was lovely to work with and it was a brilliant storyline for me. Her and Julia were old friends, and as young girls in their early 20s, they were rock chicks following the rock bands around and were groupies, for want of a better word. So that tells you a lot about Julia's background - she was absolutely a wild child. I think she still has that wild streak in her, so whenever there's an opportunity in an episode - a party or if we go to a club - I let that come out in her. Also, although Julia is a stickler for work - and quite rightly so - she's got a heart of gold if anybody needs anything. So there's all those different levels to Julia that you get to see, and maybe that's why people like her. Maybe there's a bit of that in all of us!"

Doctors is known for its serious drama storylines but also for being slightly surreal sometimes, with dream and fantasy sequences. How do the cast feel about the more experimental episodes?
"Bewildered, sometimes! Sometimes they work and we generally feel that they often don't. But Doctors is also not afraid to touch on very controversial subjects - I don't think there's anything that Doctors wouldn't tackle, because I think we've had just about everything. We'll pick up on anything - but that's life and that's drama, and drama is life!"

The recent storyline featuring Julia and Charlie had a really strong reaction on our forum…
"Did it? I've also had a lot of reaction from the public about it. As I go about my life, people come up and they've spoken to me about it. I think they were angry with Charlie. It was a terrible thing for him to do in the situation that Julia was in - a very, very bad thing. But the viewers were also desperately concerned and worried about Julia herself, who had by that point descended into another place and really had lost it. So I think they really felt the injustice of it all - Julia was completely unable to defend herself as she didn't know how to, and I think that's one thing that did come across when people spoke to me."

Many Doctors fans think that the show doesn't always get the recognition that it deserves. Do you feel the same way?
"Very strongly, yes - I think the whole cast do. I don't know why that is, because we've delivered episodes that are every bit as good as the evening shows have delivered. I do feel that Doctors is good enough to be in an evening slot. I don't know why we're ignored, to be honest. We're not always ignored and we have had more attention than we did when I first joined the show. But as a cast, we do feel somewhat slighted and insulted by that when we think about the work that we put in and the quality of the work that's delivered. But hey, I suppose that's just showbusiness!"

Doctors also has a strong international following…
"Yes, the extraordinary thing is that we're huge all over the world! I travel a lot, and everywhere you go, people say, 'Oh, Doctors! You're in Doctors!' I mean, Dubai, Zambia - you name it, they watch Doctors! They're avid watchers. Admittedly, some of them are three years behind the British broadcasts - but it's extraordinary when you move around the world and see that this show is going out in so many different countries, and has huge fanbases in them. Here in the UK, we get shown once at 1.45pm and I understand we also get shown later on HD, which doesn't do us an awful lot of good at the moment because so few people have HD.

"But in Dubai it's shown twice a day - including in the evening at 8.30pm - and there's also a two-hour omnibus at the weekend - and yet here it's not, in its home country. I don't know why that is, but it's people who sit in offices who make these decisions."

We asked for questions on our forum, and one thing people were wondering was why Julia always seems to treat Daniel more harshly than the other doctors…
"I think she's coming round to him now - but let's face it, he did ask for it. He behaved very, very badly in the beginning and was always lying and cheating. Julia gave him more than one chance against her better judgement - firstly because she was so fond of Joe and did it for him, and secondly because she saw that Daniel was capable of being an extremely good doctor. I think the reason that she is - or was - harsh with him is because he could have absolutely wiped out her business and closed her surgery down if what he was doing got out. So of course she's harsh - she didn't trust him. But I think now she feels like she can trust him much more because he has settled down and having his little girl has made him much calmer and more reliable. And she's actually made him a partner, so that shows how much she does trust him."

Would you like to see Julia find love again?
"I would in a way, yes - of course I would. I think she was absolutely crazy to let the character played by Ray Fearon go - he said that he loved her and wanted to marry her, but Julia said, 'I don't think so' and I just thought, 'Stupid woman! How many times is someone going to say that to you?' But the writers decided that it wasn't to be! She doesn't have much luck in one way or another, does she really? She even went out with a chief of police who tried to strangle her - that's not very good! (laughs) She married the wrong man twice! I think it would be lovely for her to meet someone, find love again and have a life outside the surgery."

Is there anything else that you'd like to see from Julia?
"With the Lyme disease storyline, we saw her granddaughter and her son - I'd like to see her get closer to her son Patrick. And I'd like to see more of her with her little granddaughter, which we are doing more of. Their last encounter was horrific because Julia left her at the zoo because she was ill, but it would be nice to see more of that part of her life. All we ever really see of Julia is that she goes to PCT meetings, or she's filing, or she's telling off someone, or sticking her nose into somebody else's business! She sorts out people's lives really well, but there's got to be more to Julia's life than that, I think."

Finally, are you happy at Doctors and likely to stay for the foreseeable future?
"Oh gosh, yes! I'm very happy at Doctors. I think there's a lot more to Julia that we haven't explored yet - you always want to take a character further if you can. Every job has its ups and downs and you have your good days and your bad days - we do work fast and sometimes it can get frustrating when you can't do your job to the best of your ability because there just isn't time. But that goes for anyone on the show - the other actors and anybody on the unit - and it's probably true for any production these days, the way our industry is now. It's just a little bit faster than most on this show. But it's a very happy place to be - we're a big family and we have a lot of laughs!"

Former Hollyoaks star Sonny Flood makes a guest appearance in Doctors next week, appearing as the grandson of an elderly patient.

The actor, who played Josh Ashworth on Channel 4's teen soap, takes on the role of suspicious character Jez Field in next Monday's episode of the BBC medical drama.

Jez's storyline begins when his grandfather Fred pays a visit to his doctor Daniel Granger (Matthew Chambers) and asks for a repeat prescription of painkillers.

Later, Fred makes a return visit and claims to have lost his prescription, meaning that a reluctant Daniel is forced to print out another one. However, events take a twist when a pharmacist calls Daniel to report that two identical prescriptions have been brought in for 'F Field'.

Following the discovery, Daniel heads out to quiz Fred but his suspicions are soon directed at Jez when he spots him hanging around outside The Mill.

When Daniel decides that Jez must be stealing prescriptions for his own purposes, he confronts him and a group of his dodgy-looking friends - leading to a showdown. However, whether Jez really has done anything wrong remains to be seen.

Flood starred on Hollyoaks for nearly five years, but his character was written out of the soap in mid-2010 as part of a shake-up instigated by then-producer Paul Marquess.

Doctors airs weekdays at 1.45pm on BBC One.

DS

After more than two years playing Doctors' Heston Carter, actor Owen Brenman recently went behind the camera to direct for the first time, taking the helm of a trio of episodes which will air over the next three days. Prior to his work going on screen this week, Owen recently chatted to DS about making the transition from actor to director and what it's like to play Heston.

What made you decide to do some directing for Doctors?
"It's the first time that I've done any directing for television, but I've always been interested in it and it's very rare that an actor would get an opportunity like this. But Doctors had a precedent for it because Christopher Timothy did it years ago when he was a regular, and I remember that when I did a guest role on the show in 2003, I chatted to him about the directing and he'd loved it. After that chat, I made a mental note and I thought, 'Gosh, if I'm ever a regular in Doctors, I would love to do that'. It took quite a long time, though - I was in the show for a year before I even asked them, and then it took another year and a half before they let me. But I've always been interested in that side of it, as well as the acting itself."

Did it take a while to learn the ropes before you started work on the episodes?
"Well, I've always been the sort of actor who sits and watches what other people are doing because I'm interested in it. Also, I spent a year asking questions, being in edit suites and looking at the decisions that different directors were making on things. So I think I was quite well-prepared. As well as that, on other TV jobs I'd done like One Foot In The Grave and stuff like that, I've always been interested in the whole process rather than just my role as the actor. So it kind of came naturally, although it was the hardest work that I've ever done in my life - I've never worked so hard. But I loved it!"

How did the experience of directing compare to what you'd expected it to be?
"As actors on the show, we see the directors working very long hours and not having enough time, because we shoot about 12 minutes of finished product a day, so we're a very fast show and you realise that there's never enough time to do things as well as you'd like to do them. You end up having to think on your feet and I quite like that - it's hard work, but I felt quite prepared for it."

Did it feel slightly strange to be directing colleagues who you'd worked with for a long time?
"I had to be a bit careful, but they were really very nice to me. I thought that it was one thing directing guest artists who you bring in for one episode, but if you're directing your fellow regulars, you'll be back working alongside them in a couple of weeks - so I didn't want to upset anybody, and I'm glad to say that I didn't! They were very nice to me and they were also very much on the money - I didn't have to do much directing with them."

In total, how long did it take to film your three episodes?
"Well, you're allocated about five weeks. Seven days of that is the actual shooting, but most of the work is before that stage, where you're casting, looking at locations, maybe making adjustments to scripts - as well as a short period of editing afterwards. It was great - I had a lovely producer and a lovely camera crew who were very nice to me. This sounds corny, but the thing about Doctors is that it's a very happy ship and it's a very nice collaborative atmosphere. The regular directors were very generous with their time when I would discuss things with them before we started filming. I'm an actor coming along saying, 'I want to have a go at directing', and they could easily have said, 'Well, who does he think he is, thinking he can do this?' But they were very generous and I appreciate that."

Storyline-wise, what can we expect from your three episodes?
"One of them is about two sisters who are jealous for their father's attention, but he's got a fatal disease and one of the daughters is his actual child, while the other is adopted - although she doesn't know that and there's a reveal about it. So that's the one on Monday, called 'Jealous Girl'. Tuesday's episode, 'Relax and Rejuvenate', is Julia going to a spa and meeting an old friend - she's convinced that she's a bitch and wants to avoid her, but then she changes her mind during the course of the day at the spa - although later there's a sting in the tail! And then the third one, 'Dare to Bare', has '80s elements to it with '80s music threaded throughout it. We see the Hollins family getting ready for an '80s party, so they're all dressed up in '80s gear, but it all goes horribly wrong! So the episodes are quite varied, really."

Working alongside the writers, was there much room to put your own stamp on the episodes?
"Well, you get given the scripts and I'm not there at the commissioning stage - you just get presented with the scripts. But if there's a scene that I think was maybe a bit too long or a little bit wordy or something, I might suggest to the producer that it could be trimmed a bit. So my job was more fine-tuning rather than altering the substance of it. At Doctors, they're quite good with letting you put your own mark on it in that way."

What did you think of the episodes when you watched them back?
"With some of them, I think, 'Oh, that's not bad!' and I'm pleased with them, but there were also bits that I thought I'd do differently if I had the chance to do it again. But that's inevitable given that I'm a first-time director. The feedback I got was that I'd done a good job, and I think they're not bad. I really enjoyed it and I'd love to do it again. They're going to let me do some more directing later this year, which is great!"

Would you like to see Heston find love again?
"Yeah, or at least try to! I do feel that Heston has been a bit of a loose cannon without anybody around, and everybody else having relationships. So I would, yes! I like it when he has a strong woman, so I liked it when he had Lily to play opposite, and there was also another doctor called Diana. I like it when he has a feisty woman to interact with. I also liked it when Anita Carey was playing Vivien, the receptionist - we didn't have a romantic relationship but there was an interesting tension there between two bossy characters. Although I think he was more bossy then than he is now!"

Do you miss working with Seeta, who played Lily?
"Yeah, I think there was a nice dynamic there. I do miss Heston being in a relationship and I think it would be nice to have that strand. I'm looking at it from an acting point of view, because I think it makes the character more interesting."

Who are your favourite people to work with at Doctors?
"How do I answer that question without upsetting somebody I don't mention? (Laughs) I like working with them all. For me, I just like it when there's an interesting story or something nice to get your teeth into, so it doesn't really depend so much on who the actors are, but rather the story and the dialogue. For example, we've just got two new characters who've only just started and who won't be on air for several months. I've been doing some scenes with them, and Heston's laying down the law a bit, in a friendly but firm way!

"I quite like it when Heston is decisive and authoritative - probably slightly more than when he's the buffoon, although sometimes I quite like the buffoon! I like it when he has strong things to do, even if he makes mistakes, and I think it's more interesting when he's being single-minded about something."

Last December, the Doctors fans on our forum voted Heston as their favourite male character - why do you think he's so popular?
"That's very nice to hear - what good taste they have! (Laughs) I think the way they conceived the character, before they even cast me, was that there's a lot going on with him - he's this rather pompous surgeon who's had to become a doctor, which is perceived as going down in the world in medical terms. I think that they write nicely for him, he's not like any of the other characters, he's like a fish out of water in some ways, and I think they can do a lot with him. They can do the day-to-day medical stuff, but they can also go off, explore his past and explore some slightly more upper middle-class storylines, which suit him.

"I think Heston is an interesting character and I think they've made him more interesting as time has gone on, because when I first arrived, I was more like a sitcom character because I suppose my background was more sitcom. But I think what happened is that they humanised the character and they put some tragedy into his life, because there's a story with his ex-wife Christina and losing his son. Also, the writers respond to what they see - they throw a lot of stuff at you, and when they watch it back, they see what works and then they develop that. It's a two-way process."

Is Heston a person who you'd be friends with in real life?
"Oh, it's an interesting question - I don't know! I think initially I'd look at him and think that he's a pompous prat! But if I got to know him, I might realise that there's a bit more to him than what you may think."

What have been your favourite storylines from your time at Doctors?
"One of them is a storyline that I did recently which hasn't been out yet, so I can't talk about it! I also liked the stuff with Lily and I liked the stuff with Heston's ex-wife Christine. Often, I'm more into individual episodes than a long storyline, and I just like working with interesting directors and interesting scripts. Sometimes a 'story of the day', rather than a long serial, can be really fun to do - I really enjoy that."

What do you think of the experimental elements that Doctors episodes sometimes have?
"I quite like that about Doctors. Some work better than others and some will appeal to some viewers more than others. But I like the fact that Doctors takes the work seriously, but it doesn't take itself too seriously. So you can have a jokey episode and then you can have a very serious episode. I don't think the other soaps do that as much - they tend to stick to the party line, while Doctors has a long-running serial but can also have a bit of fun at the same time."

Finally, are you happy at Doctors and likely to stay for the foreseeable future?
"Yes, I've been in the business long enough to know that this is a very good job and I'm not always thinking that the grass must be greener somewhere else. I really enjoy this job and for the foreseeable future, I am definitely staying. It's a nice place to work, and I know everyone will say that, but it really is. I have to pinch myself every now and then!"

Doctors has had another big year with hard-hitting storylines including Julia's experience with Lyme disease, Izzie's abduction and Karen's emotional abortion plot. The show also celebrated its 2,000th episode with a dramatic hour-long special in February, while viewers have been introduced to new characters Kevin, Freya and Mrs Tembe. Peter Lloyd recently had a chat with us about recent storylines and future plans for the popular BBC daytime drama.

It's been another big year for Doctors with some very well-received storylines! What do you think the highlights have been?
"There's so much to choose from, which is always a good sign. The Simon suicide story worked really well - although there was something of a mixed reception to 'The Living Gaylights'! - and David gave an extraordinary performance, I felt. Finding a great actor in Chris Reilly to play Ed was a highlight, as well as our new characters. Mrs Tembe established herself immediately and it's now difficult to imagine the place without her, 'marmite' character though she may be.

"The Karen abortion storyline was a heavy hitter and struck a lot of chords with our audience, going on the response we had, as did the Lyme disease story for Julia. This last took us by surprise, but people appreciated that we'd highlighted the condition and from the correspondence, Julia got off pretty lightly compared to many others. As an aside, this story also gave me an opportunity to write an episode myself, something I rarely have time for - that was a personal highlight for me!

"And then we have the Cherry/Jimmi courtship, Imogen's shoplifting, the 2000th episode, the phenomenon that is 'Zaniel' and the introduction of Freya and Kevin. Looking back, it's pretty amazing how much we've done with these wonderful characters and I'm very proud of the team for making it work so well."

In the past few years, Doctors has usually picked up one or two prizes at the Soap Awards but this year, the show went away empty-handed. Was that a disappointment?
"It's always disappointing of course, because we'd like some recognition. We accept that we're never going to win an audience prize since the differences in audience size and profile means it's very difficult to compete. So naturally we target the jury prizes, but it all depends who's on the jury in any given year. Many are soap magazine journalists who spend all their time running stories on the big three shows and don't necessarily watch Doctors regularly, so we're at a disadvantage from the start.

"And there is something to be said for the fact that, strictly speaking we're not a soap - we're a continuing drama with a soap element, so that can prove troublesome for us. We were very hopeful that David Sturzaker would be a strong candidate for 'Best Newcomer', but sadly he'd been in the show too long to qualify - it did feel like we couldn't catch a break this year! Ultimately it was a case of being stoical and enjoying the party…"

We ask this question every year, but in light of The Weakest Link finishing next year, is there any chance that Doctors could take a spot in the teatime schedule? Or get another evening repeat slot or omnibus?
"And as every year, my answer is the same - I don't know of any plans at all. Seriously, there could be conversations going on in the corridors of power in TV Centre right now, but we're unaware of them. But who knows, if we survive the BBC cuts, maybe they'll give us a repeat on BBC Two at 6.30pm (Hint Hint)! The people in charge do listen to viewers, so if you have strong feelings, feel free to get in touch with them."


Doctors is now regularly featured on This Morning's soap slot and we've had interviews appearing on Digital Spy more frequently. Do you feel like the show is getting a bit more attention and recognition lately?
"Not without a lot of hard work. We don't have a team of publicists like the other shows do, our publicist works on a hundred other shows, so sometimes it's a bit like wading through treacle. But we're trying our level best to get the show some recognition - improving the website, setting up a Twitter feed etc. We've got the Freya/Kevin documentary now and we're hoping to do more later in the year. And it's down to Elisabeth Dermot Walsh that we're on This Morning - she had a little chat with Phil Schofield!"

The 'Carousel' week and the hour-long 'Quarantine' episode had a great reaction from viewers. Are there any plans for more 'special' episodes like this in the coming weeks and months?
"Very much so, though I don't want to give too much away. The neat answer is that there will be a birth, a marriage and a death, though who's involved is a secret for now. We do have a very dramatic story coming out in the autumn which I hope is going to blow people's socks off."

Are there any other arrivals, departures or returns that you can tell us about, or is the cast looking pretty stable at the moment?
"It's pretty stable, I would say, but you never know what's going to happen. We do have a new receptionist starting in August who's going to rattle some cages. And a face from the past does come back at a crucial time - observant viewers will have already guessed who that is, I'm sure."

Out of the characters who have left in the past year, who do you think the show misses the most?
"See my blog on this! Of course we miss them - Simon, Ruth and Michelle were all popular characters, though to be honest, we invest so much time and effort into our characters that it's unusual if we don't miss them. But I'm pleased with the current make-up of the cast, I think we've got a pretty good cross-section - Kevin and Freya have really helped to even things out."

Since Michelle left, Cherry has been the only nurse in the cast. Are there any plans to bring in a new nurse character?
"We retain some flexibility here - Karen's HCA work involves some nursing, she has a story with Roy Hudd coming up but things can always change. There will be a new nurse after Christmas, but she's coming for a specific story. We don't feel we need someone permanent at the moment - remember that Michelle was the only speaking nurse for a couple of years before Cherry came along."

Often the 'story of the day' plots will focus on a character and an 'old friend' of theirs, and there's a long-running joke on our forum that we must have been introduced to hundreds of Julia's 'old friends' over the years! Is there a danger of the 'story of the day' strands becoming a bit too formulaic in that sense?
"It's a very good point, one that we're very much aware of. We're always trying to find new ways into stories. But the reason is simply necessity. We have a very small cast of characters and because of the workload, each of them must be able to carry stories of the day, or they have less value than those that can. With doctors, nurses and cops, this is easy, but for admin staff and the Hollins kids, this proves tricky as the fans have identified. Karen working part time as an HCA has helped, but improvements can always be made and the work on that continues.

"Perhaps there is a danger that things become formulaic, but that's the challenge to our writers. And Doctors is a formula. One where we cut corners all the time for dramatic purposes - doctors don't do housecalls, you can't get an immediate appointment, test results aren't that fast, etc etc. We know, and trust the audience know too, that 'reality' can sometimes get in the way of a good story…"

Can you tell us a bit about what's in store for the new characters Freya and Kevin? Are they all they appear, or could they have secrets?
"Can I just point out here that the title of their first episode, 'The Asian and the Lesbian' was deliberately misleading. This may give you some indication as to where we're going with them. Of course they both have interesting pasts, and interesting futures - we design characters pre-loaded with areas to explore. They're both proving to be interesting and viable candidates for the permanent post, we'll just have to see who makes it…"

Daniel and Zara remain a very popular pairing! Can you tell us anything about what's in store for them in the coming months?
"Well, you can see the signs already. Are they ready for parenthood? Is Zara trying to conceive because it's her last chance or because she really wants a child? And if she has one, will she regret it? If she gets pregnant, how will she behave? Daniel makes a great play of being experienced in all this, but that's a bit of a con… the possibilities are endless with these two and you can bet we're going to be having a lot of fun with them."


What does the future hold for the Hollins family?
"A disgraced daughter doing community service for shoplifting is Rob Hollins's worst nightmare. He's so appalled that the daughter he thought he had brought up to be a decent, honest citizen has lied so often. He's taking it very personally, something that needs some examination. Meanwhile, Jack is going to be spreading his wings and taking some opportunities to explore the world of crime - he's going to prove to be another pain in the neck for poor Rob. For Karen, it's about trying to keep the family united and enemies at bay, but later on in the series, she's going to have some extremely good news that could change everything for her…"

Heston is another popular character, so is there any interesting stuff on the horizon for him?
"I will admit, we've neglected Heston a little this year and we were concerned that he was becoming too sad. He'd lost his mojo a little. So things are going to be looking up for him as he joins Letherbridge Light Opera and meets a new lady friend. This will take us into a very big story around Christmas that I hope is going to keep everyone gripped."

Can you give us any other teasers on what's ahead in the coming months?
"You'll notice Daniel disappears for a while in October - this is because Matt Chambers will be directing a block of episodes. They transmit the same month so look out for his debut. He's currently in pre-production, hunting for locations and auditioning actors as well as slipping into Daniel's slick suits for a couple of scenes with Elisabeth. And there's a camera crew following him round for a behind the scenes documentary. Busy man!

"Heston as KoKo in the Mikado is a treat, as is Freya as an octopus. Look out for paintballing, nude modelling, zorbing, Mrs T sings, Elaine gets another disastrous boyfriend (what is her problem?!), Julia's family begins to fracture, Kevin ends up in jail, Imogen becomes a Misfit, Jack dices with death, Zara and Daniel face the police, and as for Cherry and Jimmi - things are going to get very dark indeed. All this and Brian Blessed returns!"

Former Coronation Street actress Susie Blake has landed a guest role in Doctors, Digital Spy can confirm.

The actress played Bev Unwin from 2003 until her departure from the Street in December 2006. Blake will play Sheila Barlett in an episode of the BBC drama due to air later this year.

Dr Kevin's (Simon Rivers) suspicions are raised when he sees that Sheila has bruises on his body. His assumption that she is a domestic violence victim leads to the discovery that her husband is responsible for the injuries, however, it is not in the way Kevin believes.

Blake's guest appearance at Mill Health Centre will be broadcast in the autumn.

The 61-year-old actress, who went on to appear in West End musical Wicked after leaving Coronation Street, featured on the BBC's Let's Dance For Sport Relief earlier this year.

Doctors' warring Hollins family finally reach a turning point later this month as Rob realises that it's time to forgive Immie for her recent behaviour.

Next week's episodes begin with Karen (Jan Pearson) arguing with her daughter over job options, before Immie's luck changes when she lands a position helping out at The Mill under Lauren's guidance.

Later in the week, Karen forces Rob (Chris Walker) into attending a solo therapy session with Elaine and it's not long before he opens up over his history with abusive father Billy Hollins (guest star Ralph Ineson).

When speaking about his troubled past helps him to better understand why he's been treating Immie (Charlie Clemmow) so harshly, Rob finds himself softening towards his daughter. Later, Immie accompanies Rob to get some fish and chips for the family and he doesn't reject her when she slips his hand into his.

Also next week, an insecure Cherry accuses Jimmi of checking Lauren out before suggesting that he'd still be with Eva if she was still alive. Feeling he can do nothing right, Jimmi warns that he can't spend the rest of his life reassuring Cherry.


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Doctors' Cherry Malone makes shocking decisions in next week's episodes as she tells Jimmi Clay that they're over for good - before threatening to quit her job at The Mill.

In the aftermath of discovering that she's been lied to over Eva, Cherry (Sophie Abelson) realises that she cannot forgive and forget - vowing that she and Jimmi have no future together following the deception.

After Cherry hands in her resignation to Julia, everyone tries to convince her to stay, while Jimmi (Adrian Lewis Morgan) begs her to give their relationship another chance.

Ultimately, Cherry decides to delay resigning and take some time off instead, bidding a tearful farewell to her friends and colleagues. When will she be back? And have she and Jimmi really reached the point of no return?

Meanwhile, Elaine (Janet Dibley) is left humiliated as Harrison's pregnant wife Fiona barges in on her final family therapy session with the Hollins clan. As she receives an earful over her affair, Elaine is shocked by how much Harrison has been hiding from her.

Also next week, Julia gets fed up of the partners giving her the run-around, Lauren's bullying ways continue as she makes fun of Immie's appearance in front of Kevin, while Zara gets caught up with two sisters who get their bag mixed up with a Government aide's.

Doctors star Charlie Clemmow has revealed that her character's current bullying storyline is close to her heart.

Clemmow plays Imogen Hollins in the BBC One show, a character who is currently facing taunts from colleague Lauren Porter while working at The Mill Health Centre.

Clemmow told the Daily Star Sunday: "The storyline is close to my heart because I was on the end of some nasty bulling at secondary school.

"But thankfully it didn't become too serious because I spoke out and my parents got involved to stop it before it escalated.

"I hope this storyline will show bullying victims they don't need to suffer in silence."

Clemmow has been nominated for 'Best Daytime Star' at this year's Inside Soap Awards.

Doctors's Jimmi Clay finds himself with a tough decision to make in next week's episodes when Eva Moore returns to his life.

Back for the Harcourt debrief, Eva (Angela Lonsdale) is keen to reacquaint herself with Jimmi (Adrian Lewis Morgan) and romantic sparks fly - leaving Cherry feeling threatened.

However, when Jimmi decides that it's actually Cherry (Sophie Abelson) who he wants to be with, will she be willing to give him another chance?

Meanwhile, Julia finds herself embroiled in drama at work as she tries to shield Lauren from Kevin while he's in a jealous rage. She also teams up with Elaine and Karen to strip off for a good cause!

Elsewhere, Harrison tries to win Elaine back, while Brian Blessed makes a guest appearance as Dominic Duvall.

Spoiler:

Doctors launches a dark new storyline next week as bitchy newcomer Lauren Porter is murdered in a shocking plot twist.

Lauren (Alexis Peterman) carries on causing trouble at The Mill in forthcoming episodes - continuing to bully Imogen, scheming against returnee Mrs Tembe and clashing with Karen when she's finally confronted over her antics.

The show's new villain also winds up Kevin (Simon Rivers) at work, but it's Harrison (James Larkin) who she really upsets when she gleefully admits that she has been cheating on him.

In the aftermath of his fatal attack, Harrison embarks on a plan to frame the murder on a serial killer called The Scraper who's currently at large. But with Lauren having so many enemies, could it be that someone else will get the blame for this?

Spoiler:

Doctors' Kevin Tyler is quizzed by police next week when he finds himself under suspicion of murdering Lauren Porter.

Viewers are about to see Lauren get killed by Harrison (James Larkin), but her body isn't found until next Monday when Julia and Mrs Tembe become worried and pay a visit to her home.

While Harrison ends up being called in to deal with his own crime scene, Kevin (Simon Rivers) is shocked to hear about the death of his on-off girlfriend.

However, the real surprise for Kevin comes when the police decide that he may have been responsible and bring him in to be questioned. Will he be able to clear his name?

Elsewhere, Harrison is hoping to pin the crime on a serial killer nicknamed The Scraper who's at large. However, when The Scraper is caught and interviewed, Harrison worries that his plan may fall apart.

Also next week, Daniel (Matthew Chambers) lies about the last time he saw Lauren and is cagey with Zara.

Elsewhere, life for the Doctors regulars takes new twists early next month as the police are determined to discover who killed Lauren Porter.

Although Harrison initially hopes to pin his crime on a local serial killer nicknamed The Scraper, his plan proves futile when the authorities receive proof that the twisted murderer wasn't responsible.

As scrutiny turns to other suspects in the case, Daniel is taken in for questioning and is forced to admit what he's been hiding from the police - he gave Lauren a lift home on the night of her death.

Additionally, with evidence that Lauren was planning a sexual harassment case against Daniel, it's clear that there's history between the pair.

In a further twist, Jack Hollins is also hauled in for questioning when Rob lets slip that he knew Lauren.

With suspicion at fever pitch, could an innocent party find themselves being wrongly blamed for Harrison's crime, or will the truth come out?

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the present storyline is so ridiculous I might stop watching the programme!! Since when does a pathologist have so much input to a case? Iasked OH who was a police officer and he reckons they make it up to make a good story, well I find it daft and irritating, so it could possibly be "bye bye doctors"

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Originally Posted by fraggle1961

the present storyline is so ridiculous I might stop watching the programme!! Since when does a pathologist have so much input to a case? Iasked OH who was a police officer and he reckons they make it up to make a good story, well I find it daft and irritating, so it could possibly be "bye bye doctors"

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That is the reason I stopped watching around 6 months ago, it just got too daft for my liking. Not missing it at all

Coming up in Doctors, Kevin proves to be an unlikely source of support for Zara when she fears she is losing her baby.

While the pair are working together at The Campus, Zara (Elisabeth Dermot Walsh) suddenly starts suffering pains and begins to fear that something is seriously wrong.

When Kevin (Simon Rivers) finds Zara bent double in pain on the stairs, she reveals that she is pregnant and bleeding, so he takes her straight to the Early Pregnancy Assessment Unit.

To Zara's great relief, everything is fine following the scare and she later hugs Kevin, thanking him for being there for her. With all being well, their main concern becomes suffering Julia's (Diane Keen) wrath for leaving The Campus unattended…


These scenes air on Wednesday, October 19 and Thursday, October 20 at 1.45pm on BBC One.

Doctors' Heston Carter embarks on a new romance next week as he heads off for a date with health visitor Marina.

In the aftermath of the university's re-enactment trial, Heston (Owen Brenman) is initially nervous when Marina suggests that they could go out - and ultimately decides to turn her down. However, he later relents following some advice from Freya and arranges a date with Marina after all.

Although the pair's evening together doesn't go entirely to plan, Heston seems to have impressed Marina (Marian McLoughlin) as she plants a big kiss on him…

Also next week, Cherry (Sophie Abelson) finds her dream house, but the estate agent warns her and Jimmi that the vendor is away and wants a quick sale. Put on the spot, Jimmi (Adrian Lewis Morgan) claims that they have already sold their house.

While Cherry is shocked, Jimmi tells her that they'll just have to get a sale sorted ASAP!

Doctors star Lu Corfield has revealed that viewers can expect to learn more about her on-screen character Freya Wilson in the coming months.

Freya has been appearing on the BBC One drama since May, when she was introduced alongside fellow newcomer Kevin Tyler (Simon Rivers).

Corfield told Diva Magazine of her alter ego's future: "On screen, up until now, Freya has been seen as a reactor and an accomplice - pushing along other characters' storylines.

"This month, that changes in a big way. The scripts start to focus on finding out who she really is - underneath all of those checked shirts."

The actress said that yesterday's episode 'Parts and Fitters', which saw Cherry discover Freya's relationship with male 'friend' Bobbie, was "the start of a major storyline for Freya".

Corfield continued: "Between now and February, a lot will be revealed about Freya. Kevin helps to unravel a thread exposed in 'Parts and Fitters', Cherry and Freya hit some turbulence and I've just started filming with someone who is going to turn Freya's life upside down."

Doctors airs weekdays at 1.45pm on BBC One.

what is wrong with karen's voice? the more intense the plot the squeakier her voice gets. today when she was with her two kids I thought she would explose! seriously, has she got a medical problem or is this just the way she talks, so irritating.