Radio Times Casualty Interview September 2009

Back with a bang....

Casualty makes an explosive start, and there's a link to the Country's most famous Doctor,too

Tabloid headlines may have concentrated on her relationship with the nation's favourite Doctor, David Tennant, but this week, Georgia Moffett gets to demonstrate her own medical credentials in the new series of Casualty.

In a tense two-parter, Moffett plays junior doc Heather Whitefield who is caught up in an explosion at a shopping centre that's also used by a group of homeless people.

"I've been in a few TV explosions and this was by far the most realistic", says Moffett. "We were stuck in an underground car park of a shopping centre in Bristol, covered in rubble, dust everywhere, in your eyes, your mouth, your ears. It felt like being sent into battle."

As well as the smoke, the noise and the dirt, Moffett also had to worry about her "explosion face". "Whenever I act like I'm being blown up or falling over, I pull the most extraordinarily ridiculous faces," she explains. "I look back at the footage and think, 'Oh my God!' The bizarre thing is that I've started pulling some of those faces in real life, too. What's happening to me?"

This is Moffett's second appearance in Casualty (she appeared as a different character in one episode in 2007), and she acknowledges its iconic status in the TV schedules. "When you see Charlie walk into the room, there's a lot of history. It's a bit like Doctor Who [she appeared as the Doctor's Daughter in 2008]. These shows are important - the whole family sits down to watch them."

Is she a fan? "Yes, of both shows. I used to watch Casualty as a kid and I remember it being very scary. I never saw my father [Peter Davison] in Doctor Who, but, through my son, I became a massive fan of the new series."

Doesn't she have to say that? "Of course! [laughing] C'mon Doctor Who is fantastic TV and the fans are justifiably passionate about it. I was only in it for one episode, but the reaction I had was incredible. So much warmth. I mean, look what happened when David left. It was like the nation was in mourning."

Talking of whom, does she get to see a bit more of Tennent now that he's not travelling around the universe destroying evil monsters?

"You know what," Moffett giggles in reply. "I don't think I'm going to answer that. It's private."

Interviewed by Danny Scott for Radio Times.