Our very special birthday!

Di Botcher, George Rainsford and Kirsty Mitchell chat to TV Times as the medical drama celebrates 35 years on screen

- ELAINE REILLY

CASUALTY

SATURDAY / BBC1 / 8.45PM / DRAMA

On a sunny July day in Cardiff, Casualty cast favorites Di Botcher, George Rainsford and Kirsty Mitchell can’t hide their excitement during an exclusive photoshoot for TV Times to celebrate the BBC1 medical drama’s 35th birthday.

The milestone will be marked on screen this Saturday with a very special feature-length episode, Begin Again.

Opening a month after the tragic deaths of paramedics Fenisha Khatri and Lev Malinovsky, the plot then travels back in time to a 2016 shift, which will prove to be crucial to future storylines.

Along the way, there will also be the much-anticipated guest appearances from three beloved past characters – registrar Cal (Richard Winsor), ex-healthcare assistant Big Mac (Charles Dale) and receptionist Noel (Tony Marshall) – plus the arrival of two newbies in the form of irreverent consultant Stevie (ex-EastEnders star Elinor Lawless) and cheeky paramedic Teddy (rising star Milo Clarke).

Here, George, 39, Kirsty, 47, and Di, 62, chat to TV Times about the drama to come, their all-time favorite characters, and how Casualty has stood the test of time…

‘JAN FEARS THAT SOMETHING TERRIBLE COULD HAPPEN…’

Di Botcher has played no-nonsense paramedic boss Jan Jenning since 2018

How is Jan coping with the loss of Lev and Fenisha?

She’s trying to bury her feelings. She feels guilty because she believes it’s her job to protect her co-workers.