Faith Cadogan has been a Casualty favourite since she joined Holby’s ED team as an advanced clinical practice nurse in 2019.
Since then Faith has gone from a happily married mum of three to a widowed single mother.
This Saturday (BBC1, 8.45pm, Saturday 14 August 2021 - See our TV Guide for listings) in Casualty’s special anniversary episode, Faith is back at work one month after her husband Lev Malinovsky’s tragic death. It’s a tough time for the grieving nurse, but unknown to Faith, her life is about to take a major detour with the arrival of new ED consultant Stevie Nash!
Here, Kirsty Mitchell, 47, who plays Faith, tells us more…
How are Faith Cadogan and her family coping since Lev's death?
KM: "They’re devastated. It’s a terrible shame that, just as Lev was going to live a life that was honest to who he was, he was taken from Faith and the children.
"She sees a counsellor who helps her deal with it and guide the children through their loss. They spend evenings dedicated to remembering Lev and all the things he loved to eat and do and the kids seem to cope better than Faith expected."
We’re introduced to Stevie Nash, an old friend of Faith’s, this week. Is she happy to see her?
KM: "Faith’s shocked to see Stevie working at Holby. They had fun-filled friendship through Uni, but it began to fall apart when Faith became more responsible with a husband and three kids.
"In Faith’s eyes Stevie abandoned her when she really needed a friend. They are chalk and cheese as people now and, although Stevie is still a liability as a friend in Faith’s eyes, you can’t help but like her and be amused by her.
"They are a good influence on each other and Stevie teaches Faith to not always be so serious. We get to see moments of who Faith was before she became a wife and a mother."
How is it working with Elinor Lawless, who plays Stevie?
KM: "Off screen Elinor is always a joy to see! She’s a fantastic, funny and extremely interesting addition to the cast."
Do you have any other upcoming storylines you can tell us about?
KM: "Faith has a lot of self discovery in front of her. It’s a massive change becoming a single parent and, with Stevie as a friend, she is encouraged to take some new steps in her life. Good or bad steps? We’ll just have to wait and see!"
She has two potential suitors in Iain Dean and Dylan Keogh. Could romance be in the air?
KM: "My lips are tightly sealed on this one! If I were sitting at home watching Faith, I’d tell her to focus on herself and her kids and leave work romance well alone. But where’s the fun or drama in that?!"
Speaking of drama… Why do you think Casualty stands the test of time?
KM: "It’s one of the few shows that you can watch as a family. Due to the length of time on air, it’s a show we find tremendous comfort in due to its familiarity. It always educates and entertains.
"There’s a great team working behind the scenes to produce new and exciting storylines and everyone who works on Casualty cares very highly about the show and the fans. We all feel very lucky to work on such an iconic, long running series and we are so grateful to the public for supporting us."
What is your earliest memory of watching Casualty?
KM: "My wee treasure of a nana was the biggest fan of anything medical on TV. She was an auxiliary in her working years, but she would have loved to have been a nurse and would have made a fantastic one. She never missed an episode of Casualty. It was an event!
"I remember being bathed, in my PJs, snacks at the ready, sitting down to watch it with her. I would get excited to see how excited she was. My wee nana is long gone now, unfortunately, but I know she’d have been over the moon to have seen me as Faith in Casualty."
Who is your all-time favourite Casualty character and why?
KM: "That has to be Charlie Fairhead! Do we need a reason? He’s a Saturday night staple!"
What is your favourite behind-the-scenes memory of working on the series?
KM: "Learning to ice skate! I didn’t get to skate that much in the episode but it’s something I’d love to go back to do now the ice rinks are reopening."
What has been your favourite storyline for Faith?
KM: "What I love most is when Faith deals with the patients. I love interesting medical storylines that make me spend time on research and teach me new things. I really enjoy going down a medical rabbit hole, and so love playing Faith the ACP at work, healing patients and solving medical mysteries. Maybe because I love to fix things in real life… I’m a bit of a science geek!"
On a slightly different note… With Big Mac, Noel and Cal returning for the 35th anniversary episode, are there any past Casualty characters you’d love to see make a return in the future?
KM: "I would like to see Archie, played by Gynesis Lynea, return. Selfish reasons mainly… She’s a fabulous energy to have on set and we didn’t get to hang out off set long enough before she left!"
Casualty celebrates its 35th birthday with a special extended episode on Saturday 14 August at 8.45pm. Keep checking our Casualty page for more exclusive interviews.
