Healing hearts... the couple are back together
Casualty star Cathy Shipton reveals how Charlie and Duffy rekindle their romance.
But, she adds it’s not been easy….
Are you happy Charlie and Duffy are back together in Casaulty?
Cathy Shipton: "It’s nothing but good! I think everyone believed they would come together again. I’m sure there’s been a collective sigh of relief!"
Has Duffy’s one-night stand with Bill been forgotten?
CS: "The Bill thing shouldn’t have happened, but they’ve got a bigger fight on their hands. Everything’s more complicated thanks to Duffy’s dementia diagnosis. Last week Duffy realised she had to talk to Charlie, and he saw that he has to trust her. They’ve both taken a good long look at each other."
They’re now visibly loved up. How do their work friends react to the news?
CS: "The department realises that there’s been a sea change. Mum and Dad are talking to each other again, so there’s a kind of frivolity when that happens. It was one of those scenes where I’m sure the directors gnash their teeth because the eight of us together never stop laughing. They have to shout to get us back in order!"
Does anyone realise Duffy’s struggling with being the centre of attention?
CS: "Charlie senses Duffy’s getting angsty about it. It’s turning into something public instead of something meaningful to them…"
Does Charlie do anything to help Duffy cope?
CS: "He takes her off to a rubbish dump! But it’s special to him as it’s where he first realised his feelings for her. It’s tin cans and bedsprings, but it’s lovely. After what they’ve been through, they need a moment to get on the same page, and that’s what it does."
You and Derek [Thompson, who plays Charlie] have played Duffy and Charlie since Casualty first started. Does that affect your performances?
CS: "Writers have said that when they look at a scene Derek and I play, they go back to see what they actually wrote because there always seems to be about twice as much as they’ve written! Often that comes from a look, or a pause, a slight change in dialogue, or something omitted. Because of our history, we can’t help it."
Casualty is on BBC1 this Saturday at 9.10pm.
