Casualty spoilers follow for Saturday’s episode (June 7), which is available to watch now on streaming service BBC iPlayer and hasn’t yet aired on TV. This article contains storyline details that some viewers may prefer to avoid.
Casualty has aired a character exit in the latest episode, as Rida Amaan and Russell Whitelaw’s harrowing storyline concluded.
In the current boxset, ‘Internal Affairs’, nurse Rida started a new role in Russell’s surgical team – but her dream job turned into a nightmare when Russell sexually assaulted her during an operation.
Rida made public an online group exposing the behaviour of dodgy surgeons nationwide, but there was another frightening incident when Russell discovered what she had done.
She bravely disclosed her assault to HR, after Flynn flagged a complaint about his father-in-law – a decision which destroyed his own personal life.
However, in today’s series finale, Rida was called into a meeting and discovered that Russell had made a counter allegation against her. She was encouraged to sign an NDA – with Russell taking ‘early retirement’ and Rida receiving a settlement fee before leaving Holby.
The nurse struggled to make her decision, and consulted Flynn, who urged her not to let Russell win. But she eventually chose to sign the NDA and told her best friends Jodie and Cam that she had handed in her notice.
The hospital was then plunged into chaos when Indie crashed an ambulance into the ED, with Rida and Russell working together to save the life of a patient who was impaled during the incident.
Rida was later horrified to find out that an operating theatre was being named after Russell, with the development coming after his decision to take up a post in a teaching hospital in London.
She subsequently crashed Russell’s leaving drinks and exposed his predatory behaviour in front of everyone, with Sarah Seggari delivering a phenomenally powerful performance during the scene.
While no one backed her up, Russell’s daughter Claire was shocked by the revelations about her dad. Disgusted by his actions, she decided she wouldn’t be going to London with her father.
Rida was devastated by the lack of support from her colleagues, but she then discovered a series of new comments posted on the online group that backed up her experiences with Russell.
Russell’s job offer was withdrawn and he left the hospital a disgraced man, with Rida realising that she was finally able to move on. As she looks to the future, will it be at Holby?
