Fans of Michael Stevenson have cause for grave concern as heroic Holby City paramedic Iain Dean puts his life on the line in Casualty after a training exercise with the Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) takes a terrifying twist.
In the episode titled Precipice airing on Saturday, January 25, 2025, Iain and ED consultant Stevie Nash (Elinor Lawless) are midway down a vertiginous ravine when the ropes supporting them are critically compromised.
Here, Michael Stevenson, 42, who has played the brave medic since 2013, talks exclusively to What To Watch about filming this deadly storyline…
Michael Stevenson - exclusive Casualty interview
This is a gripping, must-see episode, Michael. Can you set the scene for our readers?
“Iain and Stevie are on the same HEMS training course doing various simulated rescues when there’s a problem and one of the ropes snaps. The situation is they’re hanging on by a thread, their remaining rope is fraying and it can’t stand the weight of two people, so Iain makes the decision to cut himself loose, to lighten the load and give Stevie a chance of making it.”
What is going through his mind when he makes that call?
“Iain’s a realist, he has to have some belief that he’s going to make it, but he knows there’s a high chance that he won’t. Not only does he fall from the height of a multi-story building into a forest where there’s nobody to scoop him up, he’s not going to be rescued immediately because they will have to hunt to find him. He knows it's a life and death call and his chances are slim but, regardless, he would sooner see himself fall than anyone else, particularly a close friend like Stevie.”
Where and how were these intense scenes shot?
“It was filmed in a beautiful quarry location near Chepstow that overlooked the River Wye. Elinor and I were lucky enough to be allowed to do our own stunts so we spent two days harnessed up and dangling off the side off a cliff making ‘hanging around’ jokes! It was extra difficult because not only were we harnessed to each other, but we were harnessed to our characters’ rescue equipment.”
Was that a scary experience?
“I’m alright with heights, but when they initially strap you in and you go over the edge, that’s the bit where you have to put your trust in everybody. The safety precautions on the show are amazing and, having worked with the stunt coordinators over the years, I trust them and they know I’m not going to do anything daft, so it’s all fine once you've settled into it!”
Did you enjoy working closely with Elinor on this?
“I’ve always loved working with Eli because you're always going to get something extra with her, so we had a lot of fun, albeit uncomfortable and sometimes painful fun - my nether regions took a bit of a bashing! I think what’s lovely about this episode is that Stevie’s going through a rough patch in her personal life [her former flame, fireman Rich Walker, played by Michael Keogh, is also on the HEMS course]. There are certain things that come from Iain that give Stevie the strength to move forward. She’s best friends with his girlfriend Faith Cadogan [Kirsty Mitchell] and here she and Iain really bond and connect.”
The outcome of this episode is top secret, but what was your reaction when you discovered his fate?
“Every now and then you get a script that is so well written with scenes that take you by surprise that you can’t help but praise it on the floor after you read it - and this is a great script!”
What impact do you think Iain’s death would have on his friends and colleagues?
“In the immediate sense Faith would be devastated and I think the whole paramedic team would feel his loss. There’d be a lot of guilt for Stevie even though he made the call himself. And I would imagine the rope access team at the top of the cliff would be getting their story straight!”
Finally, if Iain does somehow manage to survive, do you think this experience will change him?
“You know, Iain’s always been a bit reckless, especially in the beginning when he was a bit of a loner and never really had anything to lose. Now with Faith and her children there’s a family aspect to him, so it adds another dimension to the choices he makes and their repercussions, particularly in light of how Faith’s paramedic ex-husband Lev Malinovsky [Uriel Emil] died. But would it change him? Probably not!
Casualty episode Precipice airs on BBC1 on Saturday 25 January 2025 at 9.20pm. The episode is available on BBC iPlayer from 6am.
The comments section on this interview are open for readers who wish to share their thoughts on Iain Dean’s latest - and potentially last - dramatic chapter.
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