Beating the likes of Emmerdale and EastEnders, many stars of the long-running drama chatted to the press in the winner’s room. There the team explained why the BBC shouldn’t axe the show and follow in the footsteps of Holby City and Doctors.
Elinor Lawless, who plays Dr. Stevie Nash, explained: “There’s been a lot of actors who’ve cut their teeth on Casualty, you’ve got the likes of Jodie Comer, Tom Hiddleston, Kate Winslet, Daisy Ridley.
“I think it’s incredibly important and significant for that reason as well, it’s one of those shows that for a lot of actors – definitely for me it was my first experience of being on a TV set.”
Jon Sen, a producer on Casualty, added: “I think that’s what is often overlooked, the brilliant hhig-end drama of tomorrow rests and relies on the vibrant, continuing drama of today.
Jon Sen speaking in the winner’s room on Sunday (Image: Getty)
“And we need to give it the attention and the credit and the funding that it needs in order to provide the drama industry with the start of tomorrow, both acting, writing, directing, cast, crew, technicians, artists we are the furnace for for tomorrow.”
Last year, the hit BBC series went on a hiatus for several months with the broadcaster saying that the medical show will eventually return. Casualty came back earlier this year in 2024, much to the delight of fans.
The extended break came during when the BBC announced that Holby City would be coming to an end in December 2023. In a statement, the broadcaster cited that “the cost of the programme has increased significantly.”
The long-running medical series hopes to continue in the years to come (Image: BBC)
They also added “with a flat licence-fee, the BBC’s funding challenges mean we have to make tough choices in order to deliver greater value to audiences.”
It was also announced at the same time in October 2023 that the BBC soap Doctors would be cancelled after 23 years. The series aired for the final time in December.
Most recently, further shake-ups to the industry were made when Channel 4 confirmed that soap Hollyoaks would be reducing the number of episodes it airs a week.