The only remaining original Casualty cast member, Charlie Fairhead actor Derek Thompson, is getting set to depart the soap after 37 years.

Casualty fans were left in disbelief as Charlie Fairhead (Derek Thompson) was stabbed by a patient as the character nears the end of his tenure on the show. The character, who is the only original cast member of the long-running BBC medical drama, became the latest victim of the violence in the ED, which has punctuated the latest series of the show.

While it has been widely publicised that actor Derek Thompson is leaving the show after 37 years fans were hoping that he would would walk out of the ED. However, tonight’s (March 9) developments left his fate up in the air as Stevie Nash (Elinor Lawless) and nurse Faith Cadogan (Kirsty Mitchell) stumbled upon him slumped in a corridor bleeding out just before the credits rolled.

Viewers couldn’t believe that this was the beginning of the end for the fan favourite and took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share their dismay. @MattBlack2022 exclaimed: “Oh my god, Charlie! #casualty”. @Im0genV asked: “Why couldn’t we have a #casualty weekend with part 1 today and part 2 tomorrow like previously for big finales. Because 7 days to wait is just too much.” @Dawn_Ashlea was stunned writing: “Watched this week #Casualty OH MY GOD THE EPISODE CANT END LIKE THAT.” (sic)

@MrLeeAntony gushed: “Thank you #DerekThompson for 37 years of Charlie. Growing up watching him on TV. These last 2 episodes of @BBCCasualty really are the end of an era. Casualty will definitely not be the same without him. #Casualty.”#

@EETrueFan exclaimed: “Casualty better not kill off Charlie!!! #Casualty #HistoryOfViolence.” Meanwhile, @islawalsh10798 chimed in: “I’m praying for a happy ending for the lovely Charlie. I’m not ready for him to leave #casualty.”

Kyle pulled a knife on Charlie Fairhead int he character’s penultimate episode of Casualty (Image: BBC)

The tragedy came about as Charlie tried to stop a manic patient called Kyle (Angus Castle-Doughty) from stealing drugs from the ED. The shifty character had lost a drugs consignment during a motorway pile-up that saw several casualties brought into the department.

Desperate to make up for his loss he commandeered a box of drugs from the department but was caught in the act by Charlie who managed to wrestle them off him.

Attempting to reason with Kyle he explained that they were drugs for breast cancer patients. However, Kyle claimed not to care saying that bodybuilders would pay £8 a tablet for them as he brandished a knife at Charlie.

Determined that he wasn’t leaving empty-handed he lunged at Charlie stabbing him before running off leaving the nurse hovering between life and death.

With Derek Thompson’s final episode confirmed for next week, fans are now desperate to learn the outcome of the cliffhanger which could see him leaving either alive or dead.

Charlie Fairhead’s life hangs in the balance after he was stabbed by a manic patient in Casualty (Image: BBC)

Elsewhere in the episode, Sunetra Sarker returned to the show as Zoe Hanna much to the delight of everyone except Dylan Keogh, (William Beck) who was annoyed to learn that she had kept in touch with several of her former colleagues but not him.

Stevie Nash was relieved to learn that professional standards felt she had “no case to answer” over a recent incident where she injected a patient with a sedative when she thought he was going to attack someone. She also properly began to confront her past.

Meanwhile, evil PC Harry (Rod Hallet) caused his long-suffering wife Mel to crash her car in the middle of nowhere as he pursued her. When he later got caught in an explosion that came about during the motorway pile up he found himself admitted to the ED with serious injuries.

However, his wife’s whereabouts was still unknown and as he lay critically injured Charlie pleaded with him to reveal her location finally getting the truth from him before they put him under anaesthesia.