REVEALED: Casualty doctor Ethan Hardy deals with some big emotions when he makes a special guest appearance in Holby City
It’s no secret to viewers that Casualty doctor Ethan Hardy has been keeping a serious illness under wraps from his friends and colleagues. In a dramatic storyline in 2015 involving his now-deceased brother Cal, it was revealed Ethan (played by George Rainsford) had inherited the genetic disorder, Huntington’s disease, from their biological mother, while Cal had not.
On occasion there are subtle acknowledgements of Ethan’s condition but it’s been some time since the storyline has been given focused attention. But stop the press! Next week, Casualty’s Ethan makes a special guest appearance in sister show Holby City, where further revelations are made about his condition. Currently none of Ethan’s ED co-workers, with the exception of clinical lead Connie Beauchamp, know about his illness or how it’s affecting him mentally and emotionally. But it looks like Ethan’s Huntington’s isn’t such a secret upstairs!
In Holby City Ethan accompanies patient Gina (played by former EastEnders star Sian Webber) to the AAU, after the ED reaches full capacity. Gina is experiencing worrying symptoms including seizures, tremors, fatigue and high blood pressure. And Ethan has a hunch what may be causing her sudden deterioration. When handing Gina over to neurosurgeons, Professor John Gaskell (Paul McGann) and Roxanna MacMillian (Hermione Gulliford), Ethan reveals to Roxanna he suspects Gina has Huntington’s disease – the same genetic disorder he’s secretly living with…
As the episode progresses, Ethan’s struggle with his Huntington’s diagnosis is revealed in big emotional scenes with Roxanna, who we discover is already familiar with Ethan’s medical history! It turns out Gaskell and Roxanna may once have considered Ethan as a candidate for their pioneering yet risky stem cell trial!
Does this in-depth exploration of Ethan’s anguish on Holby City mean Casualty are planning to explore this storyline further in the near future? George recently mentioned Ethan’s health concerns in an interview with What’s on TV saying: “Ethan’s got another secret – he’s got Huntington’s, and I’m sure there are many more stories we could find!”
Either way, we recommend Casualty fans tune into Holby City on BBC1, 8pm on Tuesday 10th July (this tx time could change due to the World Cup!) for an insight into Ethan Hardy’s emotionally journey with his secret illness...
Written by Elaine Reilly and Victoria Wilson
