Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Holby City cast ‘only told of cancellation an hour before the public’

Former castmember told The Guardian the cast were ‘reeling’ from the news

Louis Chilton
Friday 04 June 2021 04:21 EDT
Comments
Holby City trailer

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

A former Holby City star has claimed the cast of the long-running BBC medical drama were told about the show’s cancellation just an hour before the public.

It was announced earlier this week that the show, a spin-off of Casualty, would be discontinued after 23 years, with the show drawing to a close in March 2022.

The news prompted an outpouring of dismay from fans, with viewers quickly launching a petition asking the BBC to reconsider the decision.

Speaking to The Guardian, Hugh Quarshie, who played the role of Ric for 19 years, said that he was “taken aback” by the news.

He also said that the cast were “reeling too” from the news, and that he understood the cast had been given next to no advance notice before the announcement.

“My understanding is they only found out an hour before released to the press – so no one saw this coming,” he said.

Holby City airs weekly on BBC One. Created by Tony McHale and Mal Young, the series follows the lives of staff at a fictional hospital and has regularly featured crossovers with Casualty.

The BBC statement announcing the cancellation said that the “difficult decision” was motivated by a desire to “make room for new opportunities” that “better reflect, represent and serve all parts of the country”.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in