DEREK Thompson has signed off from his role as hospital consultant Charlie Fairhead after 38 years.
BBC One bosses are now in talks with Barney – son of actor Bradley Walsh – to fill the gap left by the soap’s longest-serving cast member.
Charlie Fairhead played by Derek Thompson left the soap after 38 yearsCredit: BBC
Barney joined the show last year as accident-prone nurse Cameron ‘Cam’ Mickelthwaite and bosses believe they can make the most of his fame to boost the show.
He currently presents Gladiators on the BBC and has starred in the likes of Doctors, Death in Paradise and Law and Order: UK.
The 26-year-old was also talks to star in this year’s Strictly Come Dancing but turned it down.
Hoping to draw in younger viewers to the soap, Cam is set to have a more prominent storyline following Charlie’s absence.
A BBC insider told the MailOnline: “Charlie was a bit of a rubbish nurse when he first arrived, as is Cam, which is why this makes it all such a lovely idea from the bosses.
“They think that turning Cam into the ‘face of the nurses’ in lieu of Charlie is a no-brainer.
“His popularity has soared so much since Gladiators so it would mean he would be given bigger storylines and he would be used more, to stop anyone else grabbing him.”
On Saturday night’s episode of Casualty, viewers said goodbye to its longest-serving cast member.
Derek announced last year that he would be leaving the show after nearly 900 episodes.
The 75-year-old actor joined the series back in 1986 and was the last remaining original cast member from the first episode.
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In the episode, titled “Charlie”, his final scenes saw him take one last walk through the A&E department, before a drink with his colleagues.
He then departed Holby City in his yellow vintage Volkswagen Beetle.
Speaking to the BBC, Derek said his exit storyline was “some of the best episodes of my career”.
He said: “How [Casualty writer] Michelle Lipton wrote these episodes comes across like she’s written eight plays, taken from so many points of view.
“I don’t think there’s another writer who could have done it.”
Speaking of his departure, the actor said: “I never envisaged that I’d stay 38 years. I originally signed up for three years, but it soon became apparent what a great character he was to play.
“Medicine and television have both changed a lot since I started.
“But the basics are still there – the reception area and desk where people roll up is still performing the same function it did on my first day.”
