Casualty has cast its first transgender character in a continuing role.
Arin Smethurst will join the long-running BBC One series as Sah Brockner and their first scenes will air later this month.
Sah, who is transgender and non-binary, is the latest recruit to the paramedic team at Holby City Hospital and will work alongside Jan (played by Di Botcher), Teddy (played by Milo Clarke) and Iain (played by Michael Stevenson).
Show bosses say Sah is a “cool character” who dislikes being publicly vulnerable and does their best not to be seen as trying hard.
However, they will meet their match when working with boss Jan, who is keen to discover their big heart beneath the cold exterior.
Smethurst 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!”
Deborah Sathe, senior executive producer of Casualty and Holby City, said: “We are delighted to welcome Arin to the Casualty family and launch our new paramedic Sah for the Saturday-night audience.
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“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?”
Casualty is Smethurst’s first television role, after having graduated from Rose Bruford College in Sidcup last year.
The series, which tells the story of life in Holby City Hospital, began in 1986.