Holby City's Rosie Marcel can’t understand why her character Jac is donating a kidney to the mum who abandoned her as a child... This is a nice storyline for Jac... "It’s great. Everybody always has had their family dragged into things on the show, apart from me. It’s actually been five years since I started and now we’re finally getting to meet Jac’s family. It’s exciting." Jac harbours a lot of resentment towards her mum Paula, so why has she agreed to the transplant? "She doesn’t want to initially, but she figures that she’d never forgive herself if she didn’t. Also, it’s a really good way to get her mum out of her life. She thinks if she gives her the kidney she won’t have to deal with seeing her every day on dialysis – she’ll just leave her alone." So she hasn’t softened toward her mum? "At this point no, she doesn’t until something goes quite wrong." It’s a big operation – is Jac taking it all in her stride? "No, she’s nervous. She likes to be the one in control because she’s very independent. Now she’s putting her life into other people’s hands, she’s not happy about it at all. That’s why she’s got Michael and Ric doing it – she wants the best people possible. If she could, she’d do the operation herself." The transplant takes place on Jac’s birthday and a series of flashbacks shows the unhappy birthdays she endured as a teenager... "She was abandoned by her mum, at 12. Paula never contacted her, never came back for her. The reappearance of her is bringing back all these memories that she thought she’d dealt with. It makes her dislike her mother even more. It’s a tough two weeks." But at least someone gets her a birthday cake... "Which Paula doesn’t arrange! Jac is touched by it – she’s not aware that her mum didn’t arrange it. I think it’s a moment when she realises life is short and she should try to make it work with her mother. Little does she know Paula forgot it was her birthday." So her mum may continue to let her down. What about men? "I think it suits Jac to keep her away from romance storylines. It would take a very special person to be with her. Who would put up with her? She’s very picky. The thing with Joseph really hurt her, she still harbours deep feelings for him. The fans all want Jac and Joseph back together and as long as we are both there, there’s still hope for that. With Faye going – who knows? Ollie… they never went beyond kissing, they never slept together." If it doesn’t happen with Joseph, is there anyone else Jac might have her eye on? "Dr Greg Douglas is coming back (played by Ed Macliam) in June. He was briefly in the show in February - it would be great to have some stuff with him. He’s the new sex bomb who is going to sleep with all the nurses so I think it’d be great for Jac to put him in his place eventually."
