Casualty fans were left sobbing last night after Holby ED stalwart Charlie Fairbank made his exit after 37 years.

Casualty bosses are reportedly hoping Barney Walsh will fill the void left by Derek Thompson’s departure from the BBC show. The Gladiators host, 26, joined the BBC cast last year as nurse Cameron Mickelthwaite.

Fans have been left devastated after Charlie Fairhead finally departed the accident and emergency department after almost four decades. Derek had been a star on the soap since it started back in 1986. Viewers feared he would die after being stabbed by a drug dealer, but thankfully he survived and promptly retired.

It followed claims Derek’s soap fate was sealed because his salary was too high to be justified following reports he earned between £349,999 and £399,999 a year. It has since been claimed Barney will help fill the void by Derek, as Cameron will be offered bigger storylines. BBC bosses are said to believe he could help pull in younger viewers.

A BBC insider told the Daily Mail: “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 from grabbing him.”

Casualty: Fans were left sobbing by Charlie’s emotional exit (Image: BBC)

Barney, who is the son of Bradley Walsh and his wife Donna Derby, also hosts the rebooted show Gladiators with his famous dad.

After studying performing arts at London’s Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Barney started off with small TV roles in shows like Doctors, Death in Paradise, and Law and Order: UK.

Derek has admitted his departure from Casualty has marked the end of an era.

The actor confessed he felt “heightened emotions” while filming his exit, as he revealed: “Charlie gets it wrong, and makes a mistake that he pays a dreadful price for.

Casualty: It is reported Barney will fill the void Derek left (Image: BBC)

Last weekend, the patient was in a mess, and Charlie tried not to lose his temper, but he ended up getting on the wrong side of the man. As everyone saw, it ended with him being stabbed.”

“I don’t want to spoil it by saying whether or not he survives, but everything felt heightened when I filmed my last scenes,” Derek added.

“It felt like one of those big emotional moments in your life, like the birth of a child or your wedding.”

“This final story really does create a realism, which will poke people in the eye and say, ‘This really is painful for these people, and yet they struggle on'”, he told OK! Magazine.