Casualty fans were left devastated after a beloved character was killed off in Saturday night’s episode. The BBC medical drama, which first aired on 6 September 1986, returned to screens on Saturday night, with viewers recalling that Cassie Woods (Charlie Ann Upton) had been hospitalised following a brutal attack a few weeks prior.

The character, who first appeared in June, is the foster sister of Dr. Nicole Piper (Sammy T Dobson), who spent much of the episode delving into her past in her hometown of Newcastle. After travelling north to visit Tina Piper, her long-lost mother, Nicole was allowed in when Tina mistook her for the district nurse who had come to assist her mother-in-law.

Initially ejected from the house when the truth emerged, Nicole spoke to Ngozi (Adesuwa Oni) back at Wyvern’s hospital, who disclosed that her sister’s condition had deteriorated. Despite this, Ngozi urged Nicole to stay overnight in Newcastle.

The following day, Nicole returned to her mother’s house, and a series of flashbacks unveiled the difficult childhood she had suffered before being placed into care, as her father was abusive towards her mother. Nicole then found out that her mother was diabetic, not a drug addict as she had initially believed, and was saddened to realise that she could have taken her out of the care system at any point.

In heartbreaking scenes, Cassie’s life support was switched off

Tina then informed Nicole that she had endured a ‘diabetic coma’ and by the time she regained consciousness, she had already been placed in emergency care. Further revelations emerged when Nicola learnt that her mother had been wed for 22 years and her mother-in-law, Ruth, was the woman she had pretended to visit when she entered the house, reports the Mirror.

Meanwhile at Holby, it emerged that Cassie had sustained catastrophic brain injuries, and medics concluded that withdrawing her life support was the only course of action available. A disagreement arose when Flynn Byron (Olly Rix) insisted that Cassie’s mother, Vicky, ‘needed more time’ to accept the situation, though the doctors were confused when he called her Claire, his former partner’s name.

It subsequently transpired that Doctor Lauren’s initial patient, whose life support was discontinued, was Flynn and Claire’s baby son, as he tearfully confided to Dr Dylan Keogh (William Beck): “She just wanted more time with him. I pushed her into making a decision more he was ready.”

The entire ordeal had sparked a debate about the appropriate moment to withdraw life support, and ultimately granted Vicky additional time. In a heart-wrenching episode set in Newcastle, Tina informed Nicole that she couldn’t have possibly cared for them both.

Dr Nicole Piper (Sammy T. Dobson) was in tears at the end of Saturday night’s episode after being dealt with a tragic death

Following this, Nicole received the devastating news from the hospital and began her journey back. Later that evening, she returned to the ward and was reunited with Cassie’s mother at her bedside.

She said: “Cassie would be really pleased that you’re here.” Through her tears, Vicky responded: “She’d be really pleased that you’re here too.”

No further words were exchanged and Cassie was taken off life support. In a state of shock, Nicole then re-entered the hospital corridor where she was enveloped by her colleagues in a group hug.

The episode proved to be an emotional rollercoaster for fans of the long-standing drama, which is set to celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2026. Viewers took to social media to express their sadness over the episode.

One viewer commented: “Everyone hugging Nicole. That actually broke me.”

Another posted: “Poor Nicole [crying emoji]” and a third added: “What an episode, poor Flynn @Olly_Rix poor Nicole @sammytdobson[crying emojis] #BBCCasualty #Casualty.”