It was a heartbreaking night for Casualty fans who didn't expect to see beloved Lisa "Duffy" Duffin (Cathy Shipton) die in devastating scenes.

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But according to Cathy, the dementia-suffering Duffy was always supposed to bow out in this manner.

"I wanted the character to die because I wanted complete closure," Cathy exclusively told RadioTimes.com. "But I wanted her to be a nurse to the end."

Earlier on Saturday night, Charlie Fairhead (Derek Thompson) had a panic when he woke up to find Duffy gone along with her nurse's uniform.

He then went on a frantic rush along her work route, figuring she would have tried to get to Holby after having her memory triggered.

Sadly he found her lying outside in the cold snow and she was rushed to hospital with severe hypothermia.

It later transpired Duffy had a brain bleed and would probably not wake up from the coma she was in following a seizure.

Sadly for Charlie, he had to make the devastating decision to donate her organs and the ED rally round as a guard of honour for Duffy's final journey in the hospital.

Casualty Duffy
Casualty's Duffy

According to Cathy, the ending couldn't have been more appropriate.

"It all feels right," Cathy explained. "I know you can say this with hindsight but in all sorts of ways the character has been honoured.

"The things Duffy has been through, she's lived about nine lives really. It feels absolutely right to have brought it to a conclusion in the way that it has."

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Casualty continues Saturday, 8th February at 8.55pm on BBC One

Authors

Helen Daly
Helen DalyAssociate Editor

Helen Daly is the Associate Editor for Radio Times, overseeing new initiatives and commercial projects for the brand. She was previously Deputy TV Editor at a national publication. She has a BA in English Literature and an MA in Media & Journalism from Newcastle University.

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