Connie Beauchamp will be returning to Casualty in the not too distant future, the BBC medical drama has confirmed.
Fans of the show will be thrilled to learn that the Casualty badass will be seen back on our screens in the New Year.
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Saturday, January 4, to be precise!
Fan favourite Connie was last seen in August when she left under a cloud of shame.
After a storyline that saw her struggle with an addiction to prescription drugs, Charlie Fairhead was forced to dismiss her from the ED.
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She hasn’t been seen since – apart from in a comical Children in Need sketch in which she strutted around the hospital like the Queen of Sheba and got the cast to ask viewers multiple medical questions.
Actress Amanda Mealing, who plays Connie, directed the special video herself.
When Connie returns in 2020, Amanda teased that “there are hints of romance to come” but also added that “it’s not what anyone will think or expect”.
The 52-year-old previously revealed that Casualty bosses were “resetting” Connie after her exit.
Giving viewers hope for the character’s future, Amanda told Digital Spy: “We are resetting Connie, which is really exciting for me.
“We’ve seen her vulnerable side, but I am now pushing to get back into that strong, strident Connie that viewers love.
“I go back to work very soon, so she will be off screen for a while. But she will come back so much stronger.
“When you hit rock bottom, there’s no one else left but you. You have to look at yourself, and that’s what she does. She has a chance to look at herself.”
January 4th by the sounds of it. Ha! X https://t.co/j17ikvAfZb
— amanda mealing (@meamandamealing) November 20, 2019
How do you know that? Always the last to know. haha https://t.co/F5juEPPXec
— amanda mealing (@meamandamealing) November 20, 2019
Everyone is counting down the days for Christmas with such excitement.. .. It's like they have forgotten in the new year Connie is back!!!!!! Lets skip to 2020 #missingconnie #Casualty #skiptojanuary@meamandamealing pic.twitter.com/9BhKDtAdGa
— xCharlottex (@charls880) November 18, 2019
Amanda – who originally appeared on sister show Holby City from 2004 to 2010 before joining the cast of Casualty four years later – received numerous tweets from fans delighted that her return date had been confirmed.
One wrote: “Is it January 4th yet? My queen is coming back!”
Another said: “Cannot wait!!!! Cue the heels!”
A third added: “Can’t wait for Connie’s return! I’ve missed the fabulous @meamandamealing on my screen.”
“Everyone is counting down the days for Christmas with such excitement,” said one more. “It’s like they have forgotten in the New Year Connie is back! Let’s skip to 2020 #missingconnie #Casualty #skiptojanuary @meamandamealing.”
Earlier this year, Amanda spoke openly about the anxiety she suffered following her breast cancer fight, saying it caused her to “crumble” and collapse at work.
The star told The Mirror her PTSD left her drained – despite her determination to resume her acting career after a wearying health battle which saw her undergo a mastectomy, chemo and radiotherapy.
Her cancer diagnosis came just one day after the birth of her second son.
Speaking about her keeling over at the studios of Holby City, she admitted: “I literally crumbled down on my haunches at the steps, going up to reception. And there were only five steps and I couldn’t make it up.”
She also acknowledged that she returned to her busy work commitments before dealing with how her cancer diagnosis and treatment had affected her.
Amanda continued: “At the time I couldn’t because I’d just had, what I call, my hand-to-hand combat of fighting the cancer, so I didn’t have time to look at my emotional and psychological state.”
However, Amanda is convinced therapy has helped her cope and manage her symptoms – describing the process as “essential”.
Are you looking forward to Connie’s return to Casualty? Let us know on our Facebook page @EntertaimentDailyFix.