Long-running BBC series Casualty has announced it has cast its first ever full-time transgender character since first airing back in 1986

Hit BBC show Casualty has cast its first ever transgender character in a continuing role.

The long-running BBC One series will see Arin Smethurst’s first scenes as newcomer Sah Brockner air later this month.

Sah, who is transgender and non-binary, will work alongside Jan (played by Di Botcher), Teddy (played by Milo Clarke) and Iain (played by Michael Stevenson) as they become the latest recruit to the paramedic team at Holby City Hospital.

Casualty bosses have describe the newest arrival to the Holby family as a ‘cool character’ who does their best never to be seen as trying too hard.

Newcomer Sah Brockner will join Teddy (Right) in the paramedic team

Despite disliking being publicly vulnerable, Sah will meet their match when working alongside boss Jan, who is on a mission to discover a big heart under their frosty exterior.

Speaking about landing a role on the iconic BBC series, Arin said they were excited to be ‘a source of awareness’ for viewers tuning in to watch the much-loved show.

The actor, who uses They/Them pronouns, said: “I am honoured to be joining the spectacular Casualty family as a shiny new paramedic.

“I’m so excited to portray this transgender, non-binary, salty but fiercely compassionate character. and hope they are not only well-received, but also a source of awareness for those who have never met someone like me. I can’t wait for you to meet Sah!”

Their role in Casualty is Arin Smethurst’s first ever television appearance
Deborah Sathe, senior executive producer of Casualty and Holby City, also spoke ahead of Arin’s first scenes airing in the coming weeks.

“We are delighted to welcome Arin to the Casualty family and launch our new paramedic Sah for the Saturday-night audience,” she said of the brand new casting.

“Sah will get themselves into all sorts of professional adventures whilst masking their own personal sorrow. In a world where our privacy is something to be treasured, will Sah be able to keep theirs?”

Arin’s role in Casualty will be their television debut, after having graduated from Rose Bruford College in Sidcup last year.

Prior to being cast in the BBC series, the actor has appeared in several theatre productions

The long-running series has been on the air for over 30 years (Image: BBC)

The series, which tells the story of life in Holby City Hospital, began in 1986 and is one of the BBC’s most popular outputs.

The hospital based drama has previously touched on issues impacting the trans community and had trans actors cameo in roles.

Speaking about their time on the BBC series, trans actor Misia Butler said the experience was ‘great’ on the whole.

“The experience was really great on the whole and the whole cast and crew were so lovely,” the actor told Gay Star News in 2016.

“I think some of the crew thought I was a cisgender girl playing a trans guy so used she pronouns but I corrected them and they got it right after that. I found that as an actor the whole process was a lot less about me than I thought but I definitely didn’t feel like my voice wasn’t being heard.”

Misia continued to reveal that he was allowed to change some of the dialogue featured during his scenes.

“I was allowed to change lines slightly to make them more correct like “I’m a guy now” to “I’m a guy”. I really liked the storyline and though I haven’t experienced transphobia like that from anyone it really touched me,” he explained.

“The speech I make wasn’t hard to act because the words made me so emotional anyway.”