gutted

Casualty fans are heartbroken as they are convinced the show is killing off a beloved character for the 40th anniversary

Casualty could be killing off a show legend after more than 10 years, and fans are not best pleased about it.

The beloved BAFTA-winning BBC show has been a staple on screens for 40 years. As the world’s longest-running medical drama, Casualty has captivated audiences thanks to its powerful storytelling and characters.

And to celebrate its 40th anniversary later this year, a special double-bill episode will air on Saturday 5th. And as expected, it’s going to be seriously dramatic.

In a trailer that was aired at the end of Saturday’s (July 25) episode, viewers were shown a sneak peek at the episode, in which a high-stakes explosion throws Holby into chaos.

Lives are left hanging in the balance, and the ED team are pushed to their limits in a tense and emotionally charged story. And now, after watching the trailer, fans are convinced that the show is going to kill off Dylan Keogh (William Beck).

“I think the building will explode to kill Dylan! I think that’s his final episode,” mused one person on Casualty’s Facebook page. Someone else agreed: “I thought this as well.” A third chimed in: “Dylan better not go. He’s the best – I just love his character.”

Viewers will know Dylan made his debut on the show back in 2011 when he was introduced as a replacement for fellow emergency medicine doctor Ruth Winters (Georgia Taylor).

And over the years, he has played a part in several big TV moments. What’s more, since the departure of Charlie Fairhead (Derek Thompson) in 2024, Dylan has been the longest-serving character on the show.

Meanwhile in 2024, Dylan actor William spoke about the handful of cast exits at the time including Charlie. He told Digital Spy: “When Derek [Thompson] left, it was surreal. For me, it was just an absolute privilege to be there.

“I said a few words on Derek’s last day, and it was only in saying it, that I really appreciated that for everybody that was there at that time.

“Without Derek, Casualty would never have been the show that it has become and the opportunity to mark that and to celebrate it and to celebrate a unique achievement of being the lead in a continuing drama for that length of time, is a one off. To be there and to be present, and to acknowledge that, was such a privilege that in a sense that I haven’t even had time to miss it yet.

Watch Casualty on BBC One and iPlayer

EastEnders fans have been left gutted after Karen Henthorn, who plays Julie Bates, appeared in her final sceens of the BBC soap last night – 29 years after her debut

An EastEnders legend has bid a sad farewell to the BBC soap – 29 years after her debut.

Last night’s episode marked the end of actress Karen Henthorn’s time on EastEnders, almost 30 years after she made her debut in Walford. She had returned as part of Nigel’s dementia storyline in July last year, having previously appeared on the soap between September 1997 and April 1998.

Thursday’s episode saw Karen Henthorn, who plays Julie Bates, leave Walford for India, just weeks after the death of her husband Nigel. Julie finally read Nigel’s letter, which revealed he had left her his pension, meaning she could take the trip of a lifetime.

READ MORE: Question Time debate halted as Fiona Bruce makes two huge announcementsREAD MORE: Tyson and Paris Fury give huge wedding gift to Venezuela and new husband Noah

Following her final scene Karen appeared in a farewell video on EastEnders’ official social pages. Stood on the BBC set she said: “It’s my last day and I’ve had the best time. The best 10 and a half months.” She went on to pay tribute to the cast and crew and said: “Whatever you do in life, it’s always about people and kindness.”

Karen then thanked the EastEnders fans, saying: “thanks for your love, your support and your commitment and dedication to the programme, which you love as much as I love. And I’m going to really miss you. So thanks everyone, take care of each other, loads and loads of love.”

The video then showed a snippet from Karen’s final scene before she was presented with flowers and applauded by the crew and co-star Steve McFadden.

Executive Producer Ben Wadey gave a speech, he said: “Your constant waterworks, your endless tears, but your performance has really been amazing. Thank you for everything, you’ve been amazing.”

The video posted on Facebook was captioned: “Tonight we say goodbye to the outstanding Karen Henthorn and Julie Bates. You’ve been an absolute delight and we will miss you dearly!”

Loyal viewers took to the comments to share their thoughts on Karen’s departure. One wrote: “Great actress and amazing portrayal of such an awful disease. I hoped you might end up with Phil, it’s the most he’s smiled since you arrived.”

Another commented: “Have absolutely loved her. Please get her back, it won’t be the same without her. Maybe Karen (Julie) could come back after a period of time and slowly become Phil’s love interest? They could be the equivalent of Corrie’s Vera and Jack!”

A third wrote: “So gutted she’s left. Her performance has been absolutely phenomenal throughout Nigel’s dementia storyline. Best wishes for the future Karen.”

EastEnders airs on BBC One and is available on BBC iPlayer.

Ali Bastian played Becca Hayton in Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks for six years before the character was brutally murdered in a heartbreaking storyline

A Hollyoaks legend has opened up on being killed off unexpectedly by Channel 4 bosses.

Ali Bastian joined the cast of the popular soap opera back in 2001 as Becca Hayton. At the time, the show was attracting millions of viewers and she found herself at the centre of some of its biggest storylines.

After deciding to leave the show in 2007, the actress admits she initially worried she’d made a huge mistake by walking away at the height of its success. However, she was soon rewarded with a regular role in ITV crime drama The Bill.

Opening up about her time on the soap to new online bingo brand Zingo Bingo, Ali recalled: “I was 19 when I started Hollyoaks, and it was a huge break for me. I’d always really wanted to be an actress. It was something that was just kind of in me.

“Becca went through loads of highs and lows in those six years and as an actor, I got to try loads of different things: comedy and heartbreak! My character, in the end, went through a lot of heartache, but it really challenged me as an actor and the speed as well that soap works at is insane.”

Fans will remember Becca was brutally murdered by her prison cellmate, Fran Hathaway in 2007. She had been sentenced to two years imprisonment for sexual activity with a minor, but the claimant, Justin Burton (Chris Fountain), admitted to lying.

Becca was stabbed shortly after being released, and died in hospital. She was officially exonerated posthumously in July 2007. Opening up on a storyline fans didn’t get to see before her emotinal exit, Ali explained: “If I hadn’t left at that point, I think that the plan was for Becca to return [to Hollyoaks village] and end up with Jake.

“This was a plan that was floated by me, but it was never sort of officially down on paper. By that point, I was also just really ready to go home as well. I’d been in Liverpool for six years and I felt that I was ready for a new start. At that point, I made the decision to leave. That is why that storyline ended how it ended [with Becca being killed off].

“I went home and I had about a month of thinking, ‘Oh my God have I made the biggest mistake here? What’s going to happen?’ Then I got an audition for The Bill. I went in as a guest and actually managed to get a regular role. I got a phone call that night saying, ‘You didn’t get the job, but they want you to come back tomorrow because they’re casting for a new regular’.

“I was like, ‘oh my God!’ I went back to that audition and I got the job and then I started as a regular on that and was there for three years. Our industry is so bonkers. You never know what’s around the corner. One door closes, another opens.”

Over the years, Hollyoaks bosses have brought back several iconic characters from the dead and Ali isn’t ruling out a return as Becca, saying: “I was ready [to leave], but I don’t think I would have chosen to die. I remember when I heard that I was like, ‘Oh, great. That is really the end of that. I’m never coming back’. I was a bit gutted, because I had that sense of knowing there was no way back.

“At the same time, it gave such a strong ending to that storyline and to her journey. I am quite glad I didn’t just disappear into a cupboard and never come out again. I did get a cracking final story. You hope for that, of course, but it did make it feel final!

“I mean, If they wanted me to go back as a ghost, I would definitely consider it. I feel like [Becca’s son] Charlie Dean (Charlie Behan) could do with some guidance. I’d be right in there to be like, ‘what’s going on here?’ That phone call never came. In some ways it’s like it kept me moving forward and kept me doing new things and different things and I’m glad for that too.”

Hollyoaks airs Monday to Wednesday on E4 at 7pm and first look episodes can be streamed Channel 4 from 7am