Casualty is currently on a short break, and viewers were left on a huge cliffhanger when the most recent episode ended with paramedic Iain Dean getting brutally attacked.

There is a lot more in store for Iain in this current series, ‘Storm Damage’, with a big new story for the character who has been part of the medical drama, on and off, for the last 12 years.

Digital Spy recently caught up with actor Michael Stevenson, who plays Iain, for an exclusive chat about the impact of this attack, Iain’s future with girlfriend Faith, and his important role in the recent mental health themed series.

How important was it that Iain was involved in the scenes following Rash’s suicide attempt at the end of the previous series?

“I think that was really important. What’s wonderful about our show and the writing team is they don’t forget what’s gone before. And it just adds another wonderful layer to each of these heartbreaking storylines, that the audience really appreciates. You read lots of things online, and the audience really appreciate the fact that we don’t forget Iain’s history, and all the cast’s history.”

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What was it like as an actor to play the scene where Iain was giving Tariq advice, showing how far he has come in the five years since his own suicide attempt?

“What was great about that was we shot that scene after we’d done the resuscitation, where we got ROSC (Return of Spontaneous Circulation) back for Rash. What you saw on screen was exactly how we filmed it, we filmed it in real time. There was no real cutting in between scenes – I think it played out over something like ten minutes. So we all felt it in the room, it was really exciting to play that.

“And then for Iain to be the one giving advice… it’s a really tough one to play because I don’t think he’ll ever get over that period in his life. It’s something that he’s worked hard to manage, he’s matured and he’s moved on enough to be able to offer advice to anybody that’s going through the same sort of thing.”

Iain and Faith were apart for a while, but they reunited at the end of the last series. Did you have hope that they would eventually get back together?

“Absolutely, yeah. They are a great couple. Faith and Iain have spent a lot of time getting together through circumstance, through comforting each other, through loss and drug abuse. A lot of their relationship is based on comfort. And it would be a shame for them not to have an opportunity to be together because they love each other. They want to be together because they find each other attractive, they find each other funny, and they have similar interests.

“So I think it’s nice that they’re back together and hopefully we can see them enjoying time together, rather than it being a relationship of situation and convenience.”

In the latest episode, we saw Iain put himself in danger when he rescued a man from a car that had sunk underwater. What was it like to film those dramatic scenes?

“Really cold! They seem to like throwing me in lakes in December, I don’t know what I’ve done to upset the people in the storyboarding room [laughs]. It was really cold but really fun. The production values on that episode in particular were extraordinary. We had rain machines and wind machines; it was just incredible. And everything felt real and in the moment.

“We kept forgetting that they were going to turn the rain machines on. So you would block the scene in the dry and everything’s looking really good, you know what you’re doing. And then obviously you go for a take and they turn the rain machines on, and it’s absolutely freezing cold water hitting you on the head! But that adds the extra layer of reality to those scenes.”

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How does Iain feel when Faith tells him her concerns about the danger involved with his job, especially now he has formed a relationship with her children?

“That’s really tough for Iain. You can never change who he is and his DNA, and his whole life has been about rescuing people and putting himself on the line – right back to his army days, and his survival mode as a child, as he didn’t really have the best upbringing. So at his core, he is somebody that likes to put himself on the line.

“However, he is getting older and he is getting to a point in his life where he is presented with an opportunity to have somebody in his life of value that he has to think about, other than himself. And that’s really lovely and really rewarding, but then with that comes the crossroads of where the boundaries are, of changing the person that you are for a relationship, which is tough.”

Iain is later in more danger when he intervenes after seeing a gang looting a car. Does he feel that he needs to play the hero even when he’s not on duty?

“I don’t particularly think that scene was about playing the hero, if I’m honest. Sometimes all of that can be misconstrued as Iain sticking his nose in where it’s not wanted, but I feel like in that situation, Iain behaved in a way that most of us should in society, and that’s calling things as they are.

“In my personal life, I had a situation a few days ago where there were two adults on a street eating ice creams, and they just threw the paper on the floor. And me and my wife didn’t really know what to do about it, we were like, do you call these people out? I just think as a society, sometimes we’re scared to call people out on their actions, and Iain’s not afraid to do that.

“I don’t think it’s him playing the hero, I just think he is a very honest person that calls people out on their mistakes and actions. And unfortunately, that one resulted in him taking a bit of a beating.”

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In the moments after this brutal attack, what are Iain’s primary concerns?

“Well, there’s a lot of shame that comes with that beating. First of all, he didn’t deserve it – he wasn’t being a hero, he was just calling these people out for what they were doing, they were thieving and stealing. But he did it at a point where he was with his girlfriend and their child, which could have put them in danger.

“The lads were a lot younger than Iain as well. So I think there’s a lot of shame and embarrassment that comes from that beating, that we touch on going forward. It took him by surprise, and it’s hurt his pride a lot.”

Can you tease what’s coming next for Iain in this series – has his mindset changed following this attack?

“Yes, certainly in his day-to-day. I think he’s dealing with a dented pride at the moment, after the beating. For all the heroics of the day, it ended really, really badly, and his pride is definitely hurt.

“And it’s now how that dented pride manifests itself. Maybe he needs to get over that, really, and have a look at himself. He shouldn’t have lost any pride over it; it was a chance beating and there was nothing he could have done about it. It’s going to be interesting to see how he deals with that pride that has been taken away from him.”

Do you see a long-term future for Iain and Faith as a couple?

“Definitely. Like I said, a lot of their relationship has been built on convenience, and being there for each other, to support each other through emotional journeys. And I think at some point, it would be nice for us and the viewers to see them together as a couple that are desperately in love. Hopefully there are some happy times ahead for them!”

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Iain has been a mentor for fellow paramedic Teddy and has supported him when he opened up about his sexual assault. How has it felt for Iain to step into this role, after being mentored by the likes of Dixie and Jeff as a student paramedic?

“Well, it’s a daily reminder of how old I’ve gotten! [laughs] It’s wonderful. When I came into the show, it was great to be mentored by those characters. I always used to look up to those characters and aspire to have a legacy like Jeff and Dixie.

“As an actor, Jane [Hazlegrove, who played Dixie] and Matt [Bardock, who played Jeff] were my idols at the time, I always used to look up to them. What they did with those characters – they were extremely funny and risk-taking, but also hugely empathetic. And it’s lovely to see Iain go on that journey and become the character that he always looked up to.”

You’ve played Iain on and off for 12 years now – how has Iain changed over the years?

“Obviously we change on a daily basis, but he’s grown up a hell of a lot. But he will always be a child at heart, he will always be a loveable rogue. And I think it would be a shame if that ever changed. So there are potential family opportunities that are arising for him now, but he will always be the loveable rogue that we want more from.”

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How does it feel to have played this character for so long and to have been part of a show like Casualty for this long?

“I’m very, very lucky. I came into the show with an open mind and I always made it clear from day one – I remember on my first day saying to Matt Bardock that I wanted to make this a long-lasting character, I never wanted to just come in and out. I’ve been extremely lucky that I get to work in a place that is like one big family. I still get a buzz every day I walk on set.

“I’ve known the crew for the last 12 years, there’s people that were trainees when I started that are now heads of departments. As an actor, opportunities to have a long-lasting character like mine are very few and far between, so I’m very much a lucky boy.”

Iain has worked alongside many characters over the years – are there any of his previous colleagues who you would like to see return one day?

“First of all, many of them have died, so that’s impossible! But there’s some great characters that could always come back. You always wonder what would happen to Iain if some of his old flames came back, like Lily? I’d love to see his sister Gemma again and see how she has grown up, it’d be wonderful to see that.”

Casualty airs on Saturday nights on BBC One and now streams first on BBC iPlayer, where episodes are released at 6am on the day of transmission.