Casualty may currently be off our screens, but that doesn’t mean we’re not counting down the days until it’s back. And that process has been made a whole lot easier with the BBC releasing new information about the Casualty Christmas special 2024!
We can now reveal that the seasonal special is a format-breaking standalone episode called All I Want for Christmas and will be available to watch on BBC1 and BBC iPlayer in December 2024.
Yet there is another nugget of vital information for Casualty fans within the recent Christmas news, and we’re quoting here: “The Casualty Christmas special… will be followed by the next series of Casualty later in the month.”
When we talked to Elinor Lawless, who plays consultant Stevie Nash, back in September she had some words of comfort for fans worried about the future of the show - especially given its extended break after the double-bill finale!
“I quite like it [the on-screen break] because, for me, there's nostalgia in it,” said Elinor. “Nowadays we’re so used to not having to wait, but I think anticipation makes it all the better. It’s lovely that people are invested in it and I can give everyone complete reassurance that filming doesn't stop [when the show’s off air] and that we will be back with a bang!”
The bang in question was a reference to the special standalone Christmas, written by Erin Kubicki and directed by Steve Hughes, which the cast and crew were just about to start filming. Here, Elinor told us more:
“I can tell you that we start filming a Christmas special next week and it’s going to be big! I read the scripts a few days ago and they’re beautiful. There’s a lovely documentary element and it’s got real It’s a Wonderful Life vibes!”
Casualty 2025
Now that it’s confirmed that the series will return as normal after the Christmas episode airs it’s got us wondering, What will life look like for the dynamic medic, given that her messy personal life has crossed heartbreaking boundaries at work?
When we last saw her, Stevie had come clean to Siobhan McKenzie (Melanie Hill) about her affair with the acting clinical lead’s husband, Rich Walker (Micheal Keogh). And while we don’t know how much time will have elapsed on screen when we pick back up with BBC’s iconic medical drama, Elinor has told us that trouble lies ahead for Stevie…
“Inevitably [the affair] will become public knowledge because Stevie has opened the lid to Pandora's box. Siobhan and Stevie are going to have to get on with the high pressures of the job while dealing with these incredibly personal and humiliating issues. There’s an exploration of this female relationship and how they navigate something deeply uncomfortable and raw. Let’s just say, the punches keep on coming.”
She added: “I’ve enjoyed exploring something that our audience has incredibly strong, personal reactions to. It’s been exciting and nerve-racking because you can’t go into a story like this thinking you’re going to come out as the good guy. Stevie played with fire and chose to put her hand in the flames.”
While hope springs eternal for avid Casualty watchers that fan-favourites Stevie and Siobhan’s friendship may recover, one thing’s for certain — nothing is certain in Holby!
“The lovely thing with Stevie is that you’re joining her on a journey where she’s growing all the time,” explains Elinor, who has become a firm favourite since joining the long running series in 2021. “I can’t tell you what she’s going to be like in three or four months' time because she’s evolving with the episodes and it's exciting.”
Casualty returns in December with its much-anticipated seasonal special. Keep an eye on our Casualty 2024 Guide for updates on both the Christmas standalone and next chapter for Holby ED’s medical team.
In the meantime, just for fun, we asked Elinor who her favourite Casualty characters are and why. Here’s what she had to say…
Casualty faves — Elinor reveals her top 3
Dylan Keogh (played by William Beck)
“Dylan is definitely one of my all time favourite characters. Willam Beck is one of the reasons that I wanted to join Casualty. I remember coming in to do a guest episode about 18 months before I landed the role of Stevie. I was playing a mother who loses her child to sepsis and had a lot of medical scenes with him and he was amazing. I love what he’s done with his character - Dylan is wholly unique. Stevie and Dylan are also two sides of a very specific coin! They both have a peripheral quality and thrive on the edges. I think they recognise that in each other.”
Charlie Fairhead (Derek Thompson)
“I always think that Dylan is the anchor of Holby ED and Charlie is the lifeblood. At the core of Casualty you have his central values, which are believing in the good in people and being a caretaker for them. That’s why he’s had such a profound effect on people since appearing in the very first episode of the show in 1986. People have grown up with him and also seen his character grow. Even though he left in March, I like knowing that Charlie is still out there and think that he might pop his face around the door at some point again. I’m still in touch with Derek and in my head Stevie and Charlie also stay in contact!”
“I loved when Sunetra came back for Derek’s exit episode. I love characters who are not afraid to be potentially misunderstood or even loathed. I find them exciting to watch and Zoe is definitely one of those characters that elicit complicated responses in people. You wonder what it would be like to follow that character home. She’s a character that doesn’t disappear for you when they leave the screen.”
