Casualty nurse Jodie Whyte could really do with a break given all she’s endured since joining Holby ED.
However, after speaking to Anna Chell, who plays her, What to Watch can reveal that more troubled times are in the pipeline for the plucky medic!
Warning — Casualty spoilers from this point onwards
In the latest episode of Casualty viewers were horrified as Jodie was drugged at a nightclub and abducted by vile predator, Noah Davies.
Courageous doesn’t quite cover Jodie’s actions, as she escaped her abductor by fighting for her life and managing to contact close friend Rida Amaan (Sarah Seggari), who came to her rescue in the nick of time.
Jodie abducted in Casualty episode Believe Me
Fans could be forgiven for wanting Jodie to have a quiet few weeks in upcoming episodes after all her recent ordeals — prior to her abduction Jodie was central to an explosive storyline, which saw her holding a World War Two bomb!
Jodie holds the future of Holby ED in her hands in Casualty episode Keep Breathing
Sadly for Jodie, however, new troubles are on the horizon thanks to nasty rumours at work.
This difficult new chapter begins brewing in Believe Me, as Jodie's secretly treated in the ED by nurses Faith Cadogan and Rida…
While recovering Jodie bravely vowed to report Noah to the police and hopes that DNA evidence she managed to gather during her attack may lead to his capture.
Unfortunately some of Jodie's colleagues were unwittingly making an unimaginably traumatic time for her even worse — namely her secret dad, Max Cristie, and so-called-friend, Ryan Firth!
The Max factor
Before the credits rolled clinical lead Max Cristie (Nigel Harman) started kicking off when he discovered Jodie had been treated in the ED, assuming she was drunk and abusing hospital resources.
Irate Rida resolved to make a complaint about Max, forcing Jodie to tell her friend that the senior consultant is her estranged dad. Swearing Rida to secrecy, Jodie believes her secret is safe for now, but she couldn’t be more wrong!
Talking to What To Watch Anna Chell, who plays Jodie, reveals: “At this point Max and Jodie’s relationship isn’t great. During the bomb story you saw what Jodie really meant to him. But Jodie is not ready to let him in, as much as she longs to be held by her dad, especially after everything that’s happened. But instead of going to him, she turns to her friends because they’ve been there for her more.”
Meanwhile, Max is left shamefaced as Faith (Kirsty Mitchell) — who has troubles aplenty of her own in this episode — is forced to explain something of Jodie’s nightmare night out to both him and nurse manager Donna Jackson (Jaye Jacobs).
All this will, no doubt, add fuel to the rumour-fire that has started burning (see below!), as Holby staff question just why Max has such strong emotional reactions when it comes to Jodie!
Ryan’s rumours
Sitting at the smoking heart of Jodie’s upcoming anguish is rival junior nurse Ryan Firth. A couple of episodes back Ryan (Eddie-Joe Robinson) overheard Jodie and Max having a hissed conversation in the hospital and jumped to the conclusion that they are sleeping together. Believing he’s sitting on gold-carat gossip, Ryan has chosen the very night of Jodie’s attack to spill the saucy scandal to anyone who will listen — starting with nice-but-trusting Cam Michelthwaite (Barney Walsh).
Anna explains: “The Max and Jodie storyline gets stranger when Ryan decides to start a couple of rumours — even though Jodie reassured Ryan, protected him and saved him during the bomb episode when he was in a state of true panic.
“She knows he can be a bit of a one, but she saw him as a friend — until now!”
What’s next?
If you’ve seen the latest Casualty trailer, you already know that Ryan’s rumours are going to spread around the hospital like wildfire, with traumatised Jodie coming in for tough criticism.
“It’s very tricky for Jodie. She was a midwife and has come into the ED off her own back, after growing up without Max. So, when the rumours start to spread, it’s absolutely horrible, especially as they’re rumours that don’t really bear thinking about,” explains Anna.
“As the rumours take hold she believes that people can think what they want, because what has she got to lose? She’s certain she won’t lose the people who are closest to her, Cam and Rida — who already knows the truth — as mates.
“You’ll see Jodie spinning loads of plates and managing to keep them all up… for a while,” teases Anna. “It’s a really hard situation for her to navigate, but she’s really strong-willed and will deal with it by not taking any guff from anyone!”
