Jing Lusi has spoken about her departure from Holby City after viewers watched her character Tara Lo lose her battle with a brain tumour following complications in surgery.
Tuesday's episode of the BBC1 medical drama saw Jing bow out after a year playing eager doctor Tara - and she revealed that she learned about Tara's fate when she first auditioned.
Jing told whatsontv.co.uk: "When I got the job I was told that Tara was going to die. So we committed to it and used humour to get Tara through it for the first six months, then as it progressed towards the end, I thought: 'Oh, this is sad, this is quite real!'"
On filming her final episode, Jing said: "I had a very difficult time filming it because I couldn't hold back the tears. Usually, I need to cry and I can't - here I couldn't stop! We all worked extremely hard for that final episode and the crew knew how difficult it was for me filming the last moments of Tara's journey."
But Jing admitted there was some laughter on set, too. "In that final scene, I'm wired up to all these machines and I've got my little 'condom' hat on and the director said: 'That's a wrap for Jing, do you want to make a speech?' But I'm there trying to pull off this hat and unwire myself and was so embarrassed. It wasn't the emotional situation I'd expected it to be."
Jing has fond memories of her time on Holby. She said: "I've really enjoyed my time on the show, I've laughed every day, so it's been like being at school - but without the books!"
Looking ahead to future roles, Jing said: "I'd love to play a Bond siren. And I'd love to play a lawyer, like Ally McBeal - she's kooky, just like Tara. Whatever happens, I'm pretty sure my next project won't involve as much crying. I don't think I've got any tears left!"
