Connie Beauchamp
Encyclopedia
Constance "Connie" Beauchamp (nee Chase) is a fictional character
from the BBC
medical drama
Holby City
, portrayed by actress Amanda Mealing
. She first appeared in the series six episode "In at the Deep End", broadcast on 1 June 2004, and remained in the programme until its thirteenth series
, departing in the 28 December 2010 episode "Snow Queens". Connie's role in Holby City was that of consultant
cardiothoracic surgeon on Holby City Hospital's Darwin ward.
executive producer Kathleen Hutchison
as a cardiothoracic consultant for the show's Darwin ward. She was introduced as a replacement for former Medical Director Tom Campbell-Gore, with actor Denis Lawson
having departed from the series two weeks previously, in episode "If You Can't Do the Time...". Actress Amanda Mealing
was cast in the role, signing a three-year contract to play Connie and stating: "I quite honestly loved Holby before I got the part, so to come in as Denis Lawson's replacement, is fantastic. He's one of my favourite actors so it's a real treat". The role marked Mealing's screen comeback, with the actress having taken time out from working since having been diagnosed with breast cancer
in 2002. As such, she stated that "The Holby setting is very familiar, a home from home". She has described the role of Connie as "a dream come true for any actress".
Emma Cook, "steely" by the Daily Mail
Liz Thomas, and "snooty" and an "egomaniac" by the Daily Mirror Clare Raymond and Jim Shelley
respectively, the BBC
describe Connie as "an outstanding surgeon who wields her power just as comfortably in the boardroom as in the bedroom. She gives her all to Holby and expects those around her to do the same, no matter what". Upon being cast in the role, Mealing commented on her character: "She's not averse to using her feminine wiles - and she doesn't believe in wasting time. She has described Connie as: "powerful, feisty, good at what she does; she's not just a wife or mistress, there to serve the story for a man." When asked why Connie so frequently charmed and manipulated her male colleagues during her early storylines, Mealing responded: "Simply - because she can. The idea with this character is to 'break the glass ceiling' as they say - business, medicine, finance, whatever are all dominated by men. The few women who make it through obviously know how to play the game the man's way but have the added advantage of a woman's charm. So we have fun with Connie - a chance to turn the tables". When Connie was seen to set up her husband Michael, resulting in his arrest for manslaughter, Mealing commented that: "Connie can seem like a bit of a caricature of Dynasty
evil Alexis
. But there's more to her, I promise!" Considering Connie's series eleven battle with Ric Griffin
(Hugh Quarshie
) over the position of Director of Surgery, Mealing has assessed: "It’s great to see a woman play the powerful political game, especially a woman like Connie who is essentially a loner – she doesn’t need to make friends and isn’t concerned about who she upsets. She’s a wily old cow – you knock her down, she gets up again." She has stated that she admires Connie as she is "a phenomenal surgeon" and "absolutely driven", adding: "She’s intelligent, strong, independent and articulate and she’s not governed by men.[...] I think women like seeing characters like this – someone who’s her own woman, matching the boys."
. Mealing explained: "Ric comes along and thinks 'Hello she's a bit tasty' and when he realises she's also a phenomenal surgeon he's rather smitten with her. They spend the day flirting with each other and then, at the end of the day, she and Griffin get it on in his office - even though she's married! Connie then literally leaves him in his underpants saying 'Oh by the way, I'm your boss, so don't be late tomorrow' - That's the sort of woman she is". Connie goes on to begin a flirtation with her Registrar
, Will Curtis, although their initial professional relationship is a strained one, with Mealing offering the insight: "being a military boy, he finds it difficult to take orders from a woman so they have a complete headlock". The two characters later share a kiss, although this is the extent of their romantic involvement. Mealing describes the event as follows: "Connie insists that Will goes along to Ric Griffin's 50th and when he arrives, he finds Connie, usually suited and stern, completely transformed. She pulls out all the stops to seduce him - and he finally gives in. [After they kiss] Connie walks off saying "I just needed to know I could have you". She does it to remind him who's in charge. In someway she does like him but she has to say no for now". Mealing's relationship with co-star Noah Huntley
was markedly different off-screen, with the actress explaining: "Sometimes it's hard and I have to apologise for relentlessly going on at him. But at the end of the day we'll go to the bar and it's just us again. We get on really well, which makes the on-screen relationship work".
Connie's relationship with her husband Michael was explored in 2005, when Anthony Calf
was cast as her on-screen husband. Although he was introduced as becoming Chairman of the hospital's Board of Directors
in order to secure Connie's job, he later turned on his wife after the pair failed to cover-up a patient's death from MRSA within the hospital. Mealing explains: "To her horror, Michael tells the hospital board that it was Connie's decision to fake the death certificate and he insists that she step down as medical director! Connie has always known that the Trust is extremely important to him, but she believed him when he said her job would be safe". During the same episode, Connie walked in on Michael kissing Matron Chrissie Williams
. Mealing continues: "As usual Michael tries to get out of the situation by using his remarkable charm. She thought he'd done his worst, but this really is the ultimate betrayal. [...] Connie won't give up without a fight". It was later revealed that Michael had committed fraud, and exposed the hospital to VRSA
. Mealing explains of the development: "Connie is horrified when one of their patient dies. And Michael has hidden the results. So despite still loving Michael, she decides the only way to stop him is to set him up. Connie lays a trap by telling Michael she's spoken to the person who's heading the investigation into the first case and that he's willing to be bribed. She then lets Michael unwittingly spill the beans. It breaks Connie's heart. She's watching both Michael's career and their marriage being destroyed".
Connie later had an affair with John Grayson (Benedick Blythe), husband of hospital CEO
Jayne Grayson
(Stella Gonet
). She ended their relationship when she discovered he was Jayne's husband, which Mealing has deemed "the ultimate sacrifice", explaining Connie's motivations as being unwilling to hurt Jayne. She has assessed that: "Connie truly loved John and she thought he loved her, too." When Connie discovers John has moved on and has another lover, "it breaks her heart. She realises what they had wasn’t love... It was sex."
episodes with Holby City sister show Casualty
. The first full length crossover episode between the two, styled Casualty@Holby City
was broadcast as a 2004 Christmas special, and saw Connie perform a heart transplant with only emergency power and a rudimentary theatre team, trapped inside a burning building as the hospital exploded. Mealing has commented on the crossover: "I think it was a fantastic idea to show the two dramas in one hospital - as it is supposed to be. Connie and Harry
are the bosses of their individual dramas so to see how they work together is great. And yes, it is going to be very dramatic - fantastic Christmas viewing".
in episode "In at the Deep End". On her first day, she seduces colleague Ric Griffin
, before revealing herself to be his new boss. She clashes with her registrar
Will Curtis, and actively belittles and berates him, taking particular offense at the discovery he is a Lord. This soon develops into tormenting him on a more personal level, for instance ordering him to go for a drink with her instead of disciplining him professionally in the episode "Letting Go". The tension between the pair grows, culminating in the episode "Thicker Than Water" when Connie kisses him at Ric's 50th birthday party, before informing him she just needed to know she could have him, and walking away.
Connie makes an enemy of colleague Zubin Khan, who is unimpressed with her leadership skills, and causes unrest by bedding colleague Mubbs Hussein, despite the fact he is at the time attempting to conceive a child with fellow staff member Rosie Sattar. She also finds herself the subject of a lesbian crush, having caught the attention of the midwife she is mentoring, Mickie Hendrie. In episode "A Shock To The Heart", Connie battles to save Will's life after he is impaled on scaffolding
. As Will recovers in the intensive-care unit, Connie confesses to Zubin that she has only ever been hard on him in order to encourage him to be the best he can be. Despite Connie's efforts, Will dies, and Connie breaks down in tears as she informs his widow.
Following Will's death, Connie finds her position within the hospital increasingly challenged. An emergency Board meeting is called in episode "It's Kinda Rock and Roll" with the intention of forcing Connie's resignation
. However, the meeting ends up being chaired by Connie's own husband, Michael Beauchamp. Between them, Michael and Connie manipulate the situation so that Connie is able to keep her job, and the hospital's Chief Executive who had put forth the motion against her is forced to resign. Connie is upset when Michael begins an affair with Matron Chrissie Williams
, and in episode "Doing The Right Thing", uncovers evidence that Michael has committed fraud and unwittingly spread the VRSA
virus through the hospital, resulting in the death of a patient. Michael is subsequently arrested and jailed for manslaughter. Although he is released from prison after serving just ten months, Connie declines to move abroad with him, and they later divorce.
During series nine, it emerges that, following a brief relationship with her registrar Sam Strachan
, Connie is pregnant with his child. She gives birth to their premature daughter, Grace, in episode "Deep Dark Truthful Mirror" – going into labour after shocking herself with defibrillator paddles whilst operating on Lola Griffin. Sam is not allowed to attend the birth
, and is kept distant from his daughter during her first few weeks of life, with Connie declining to inform him that she intends to turn off their daughter's life support when her ECG results show minimal brain-stem activity. However, Grace pulls through, and Connie gradually begins to soften towards Sam and allow him increased access.
In a visit to her home town of Peckham
, Connie discovers that her now-deceased mother suffered from depression
during Connie's youth, a fact which her father had kept hidden from her. It is revealed that after her mother's death in 1995, Connie became estranged
from her father for a period of twelve years. The pair reunite when Connie reveals he has a granddaughter, and encourages him to receive treatment for his pulmonary condition.
In series ten of the show, Connie takes a sabbatical to carry out research in Hamburg
. When she returns to Holby, she alienates herself from her staff with her insensitive approach to the aftermath of a crossbow attack which occurred while she was absent, killing a member of the nursing staff. In episode "We Serve All Who Come To Us", Connie ignores several calls from her temporary nanny in favour of performing pioneering surgery. As she leaves the hospital later that evening, she is shocked to be met by the nanny, who informs her Grace has fallen down the stairs and is badly injured. Grace requires surgery for a collapsed lung, and as she recovers, Sam, who has been diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma
, collapses from septic shock
. Both father and daughter go on to make a full recovery.
In episode "Only Believe", Connie applies for the new Director of Surgery position, alongside Ric Griffin and Michael Spence
. She agrees with Ric that she will support his application on the understanding he will step down in six months time, and recommend her to assume the role in his place. She also begins a new romance with a man she knows only as "John". Through a series of clandestine meetings, she falls in love with him, and is shocked to discover he is the husband of her colleague Jayne Grayson
. When John and Jayne's son Christian is rescued from drowning and Connie is asked to operate on him, she realises she cannot break up the Grayson family, and ends her affair with John.
Throughout the show's eleventh season, Connie battles Ric for the Director of Surgery position when he refuses to step down as agreed. When she discover's Michael's aneatthesist wife Annalese Carson (Anna-Louise Plowman
) has attended an operation which resulted in the death of a patient drunk, she reports her to Jayne, leading Annalese to leave Holby General. Jayne reveals to Connie that she suspects John is having an affair. Connie warns John, and discovers he is already seeing someone else. Jayne learns the truth then she observes the two of them rowing, and tells Connie that personal matters ought not affect their working relationship.
Later Connie goes on to apply for Director of Surgery, to replace the resigning Consultant Ric Griffin
. After the interview the board are seen deciding who to allocate the vacant job to, and Holby's CEO Jayne Grayson
recommends in an unofficial tie breaker General Surgeon Michael Spence over Connie down to the fact she allegedly ruined her marriage with her husband John following their affair. Connie later goes on to resign, but Michael Spence goes on to blackmail Jayne into resigning and she subsequently goes on to quietly leave the building. This offered some much needed persuasion to Connie, who much to the delight of Michael decided to stay at Holby.
Connie soon clashed with Jayne's replacement, Vanessa Lytton
, an old friend of Michael's. Vanessa warned Michael that she believed Connie was after his job as Director of Surgery. In the series two-part opener Faye's son Archie died in supicious circumstances leading Joseph to plead with both Connie and Ric to lie to Vanessa, telling her that they had authorised Faye to inject Archie with saline despite the fact that she wasn't officially on duty. When no clear cause of death could be initially determined, Vanessa suspended the pair until the matter was resolved. Following Lauren Minster's confession that she had given Archie an incorrect dose of potassium, the suspension was lifted but it was revealed that Connie had had enough of Holby and taken up a new position at the Trafalgar Hospital in London.
In February 2010, both Michael and Elliot visited Connie and persuaded her to return - but the only way Connie would ever set foot in Holby again is if Vanessa would leave. Connie returned on March 9th 2010 when Elliot begged her help as her replacement Toby Geddes abandoned him during a series of shooting from a recent hostage situation. Connie then decided to stay which resulted with Geddes being fired and Vanessa leaving Holby.
Connie later became joint Director of Surgery with Henrik Hanssen
, and was deeply unhappy about making members of staff redundant as part of The Coalition
's NHS spending cuts. When Connie discovered that Hanssen was planning to fire Elliot Hope
, she did everything in her power to prove to Hanssen that Elliot is a brilliant surgeon and a valuable asset.
In December 2010, Connie's father was rushed into Holby requiring an operation, where she learned that he had Alzheimer's. During the operation, her father nearly died, but he was saved by Elliot and Faye. After the anguish of the redundancies and the situation with her father, Connie decided that she couldn't work at Holby any more, and handed her resignation to Hanssen. Before she left, she told Hanssen that Elliot is a genius, and warned him it would be a big mistake to get rid of him. Connie later met with Jac Naylor
, giving her some final tips and fashion advice. She revealed to Jac that she would be working in Brussels
two days a week for the European Transplant Board, as well as caring for her father. Upon hearing that Jac had been given the Consultant job, she sent her a bottle of champagne and a pair of her shoes with a card saying "Fill them!".
Awards, and 'Best Newcomer' in the 2005 National TV Awards.
The storyline which saw Connie's infant daughter Grace injured after falling downstairs was received critically by The Guardian
Sarah Dempster, who summarised: "Four years after she first dazzled viewers with her ability to smirk at current hospital expenditure figures while simultaneously patronising sobbing cardio patients, Connie Beauchamp finds herself beset, suddenly and violently, by actual emotion when her daughter falls down the stairs. What follows is a thinly veiled condemnation of working mothers and their potentially deadly desire to occasionally leave the house. Can it really be 1985 already? Apparently so". Fellow Guardian journalist Kathryn Flett deemed the storyline "gripping", and commented that "I empathised hugely with Connie", explaining "although she may be tough and cool and careerist, and therefore have her priorities completely gluteus maximus-over-mammary, she's also a Good Woman who Deserves a Break". Flett's overview of the episode was that: "Despite containing so many mixed messages about whether working mothers should be punished or celebrated it would have needed a dedicated team at Bletchley to decode them all, this was top-notch primetime telly - and a tour-de-force from (working mother of two) Amanda Mealing."
The Daily Mirror
Jim Shelley
named Connie his fictional "Egomaniac of the week" during her series ten campaign to become the hospital's Director of Surgery, referring to her response to colleague Elliot Hope
's inquiry whether she felt opening up the position up to external candidates was a waste of time: "Of course it is. How many incredible candidates can there be?!" Fellow Mirror writer Jane Simon examined Connie in contrast to the "unpleasant rash of annoyingly wet and whispering male docs" resident in Holby City Hospital in September 2008, noting favourably in comparison Connie's ability to silence an entire room with her "death stare".
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
medical drama
Medical drama
A medical drama is a television program, in which events center upon a hospital, an ambulance staff, or any medical environment.In the United States, most medical episodes are one hour long and, more often than not, are set in a hospital. Most current medical Dramatic programming go beyond the...
Holby City
Holby City
Holby City, stylised as Holby Ci+y, is a British medical drama television series that airs weekly on BBC One.The series was created by Tony McHale and Mal Young as a spin-off from the established BBC medical drama Casualty, and premiered on 12 January 1999...
, portrayed by actress Amanda Mealing
Amanda Mealing
Amanda Jane Mealing is a British actress best known for playing Connie Beauchamp in the BBC One medical drama series Holby City.-Early life:...
. She first appeared in the series six episode "In at the Deep End", broadcast on 1 June 2004, and remained in the programme until its thirteenth series
Holby City (series 13)
The thirteenth series of the British medical drama television series Holby City began airing in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 October 2010, and ran for 52 episodes, concluding on 11 October 2011.-Episodes:...
, departing in the 28 December 2010 episode "Snow Queens". Connie's role in Holby City was that of consultant
Consultant (medicine)
In the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, and parts of the Commonwealth, consultant is the title of a senior doctor who has completed all of his or her specialist training and been placed on the specialist register in their chosen specialty...
cardiothoracic surgeon on Holby City Hospital's Darwin ward.
Creation
Connie was created by Holby CityHolby City
Holby City, stylised as Holby Ci+y, is a British medical drama television series that airs weekly on BBC One.The series was created by Tony McHale and Mal Young as a spin-off from the established BBC medical drama Casualty, and premiered on 12 January 1999...
executive producer Kathleen Hutchison
Kathleen Hutchison
Kathleen Hutchison is a British television producer, whose credits include Playing the Field, Holby City and Casualty @ Holby City.-EastEnders:...
as a cardiothoracic consultant for the show's Darwin ward. She was introduced as a replacement for former Medical Director Tom Campbell-Gore, with actor Denis Lawson
Denis Lawson
Denis Stamper Lawson is a Scottish actor and director. He is known for his roles as John Jarndyce in the BBC's adaptation of Bleak House and as Gordon Urquhart in the film Local Hero, but is best known for playing the part of Wedge Antilles in the original Star Wars trilogy.-Early life:Lawson was...
having departed from the series two weeks previously, in episode "If You Can't Do the Time...". Actress Amanda Mealing
Amanda Mealing
Amanda Jane Mealing is a British actress best known for playing Connie Beauchamp in the BBC One medical drama series Holby City.-Early life:...
was cast in the role, signing a three-year contract to play Connie and stating: "I quite honestly loved Holby before I got the part, so to come in as Denis Lawson's replacement, is fantastic. He's one of my favourite actors so it's a real treat". The role marked Mealing's screen comeback, with the actress having taken time out from working since having been diagnosed with breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
in 2002. As such, she stated that "The Holby setting is very familiar, a home from home". She has described the role of Connie as "a dream come true for any actress".
Characterisation
Deemed "ruthless" by The TimesThe Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
Emma Cook, "steely" by the Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
Liz Thomas, and "snooty" and an "egomaniac" by the Daily Mirror Clare Raymond and Jim Shelley
Jim Shelley (TV critic)
Jim Shelley is a British television critic who writes a column for the Daily Mirror each Monday titled Shelleyvision. Prior to writing for the Daily Mirror he wrote for The Guardian and his collection of reviews "Interference: Tapehead vs. Television" was published by Atlantic Books...
respectively, the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
describe Connie as "an outstanding surgeon who wields her power just as comfortably in the boardroom as in the bedroom. She gives her all to Holby and expects those around her to do the same, no matter what". Upon being cast in the role, Mealing commented on her character: "She's not averse to using her feminine wiles - and she doesn't believe in wasting time. She has described Connie as: "powerful, feisty, good at what she does; she's not just a wife or mistress, there to serve the story for a man." When asked why Connie so frequently charmed and manipulated her male colleagues during her early storylines, Mealing responded: "Simply - because she can. The idea with this character is to 'break the glass ceiling' as they say - business, medicine, finance, whatever are all dominated by men. The few women who make it through obviously know how to play the game the man's way but have the added advantage of a woman's charm. So we have fun with Connie - a chance to turn the tables". When Connie was seen to set up her husband Michael, resulting in his arrest for manslaughter, Mealing commented that: "Connie can seem like a bit of a caricature of Dynasty
Dynasty
A dynasty is a sequence of rulers considered members of the same family. Historians traditionally consider many sovereign states' history within a framework of successive dynasties, e.g., China, Ancient Egypt and the Persian Empire...
evil Alexis
Alexis Colby
Alexis Colby is a fictional character and the primary antagonist on the American TV series Dynasty....
. But there's more to her, I promise!" Considering Connie's series eleven battle with Ric Griffin
Ric Griffin
Kobina Eric "Ric" Griffin MBBS MD PhD FRCS FRCS is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama Holby City, portrayed by actor Hugh Quarshie. The character first appeared on-screen on 9 October 2001 in episode "Rogue Males" - series 4, episode 1 of the programme...
(Hugh Quarshie
Hugh Quarshie
- Early and Personal Life :Quarshie is of mixed Ghanaian, English and Dutch ancestry and was born in Accra, Ghana, to Emma Wilhelmina and Richard Quarshie, and emigrated with his family to the United Kingdom when he was aged three...
) over the position of Director of Surgery, Mealing has assessed: "It’s great to see a woman play the powerful political game, especially a woman like Connie who is essentially a loner – she doesn’t need to make friends and isn’t concerned about who she upsets. She’s a wily old cow – you knock her down, she gets up again." She has stated that she admires Connie as she is "a phenomenal surgeon" and "absolutely driven", adding: "She’s intelligent, strong, independent and articulate and she’s not governed by men.[...] I think women like seeing characters like this – someone who’s her own woman, matching the boys."
Relationships
In the character's introductory episode, she ends her first day at Holby City Hospital by sleeping with colleague Ric GriffinRic Griffin
Kobina Eric "Ric" Griffin MBBS MD PhD FRCS FRCS is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama Holby City, portrayed by actor Hugh Quarshie. The character first appeared on-screen on 9 October 2001 in episode "Rogue Males" - series 4, episode 1 of the programme...
. Mealing explained: "Ric comes along and thinks 'Hello she's a bit tasty' and when he realises she's also a phenomenal surgeon he's rather smitten with her. They spend the day flirting with each other and then, at the end of the day, she and Griffin get it on in his office - even though she's married! Connie then literally leaves him in his underpants saying 'Oh by the way, I'm your boss, so don't be late tomorrow' - That's the sort of woman she is". Connie goes on to begin a flirtation with her Registrar
Specialist registrar
A Specialist Registrar or SpR is a doctor in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland who is receiving advanced training in a specialist field of medicine in order eventually to become a consultant...
, Will Curtis, although their initial professional relationship is a strained one, with Mealing offering the insight: "being a military boy, he finds it difficult to take orders from a woman so they have a complete headlock". The two characters later share a kiss, although this is the extent of their romantic involvement. Mealing describes the event as follows: "Connie insists that Will goes along to Ric Griffin's 50th and when he arrives, he finds Connie, usually suited and stern, completely transformed. She pulls out all the stops to seduce him - and he finally gives in. [After they kiss] Connie walks off saying "I just needed to know I could have you". She does it to remind him who's in charge. In someway she does like him but she has to say no for now". Mealing's relationship with co-star Noah Huntley
Noah Huntley
Noah Cornelius Marmaduke Huntley is an English actor, known for his role as Will Curtis in Holby City.-Background:...
was markedly different off-screen, with the actress explaining: "Sometimes it's hard and I have to apologise for relentlessly going on at him. But at the end of the day we'll go to the bar and it's just us again. We get on really well, which makes the on-screen relationship work".
Connie's relationship with her husband Michael was explored in 2005, when Anthony Calf
Anthony Calf
Anthony Calf is a British actor, born in Hammersmith, London, England. He studied acting at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art . He has recurring roles in the television medical drama Holby City, as Michael Beauchamp, and New Tricks as Strickland...
was cast as her on-screen husband. Although he was introduced as becoming Chairman of the hospital's Board of Directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
in order to secure Connie's job, he later turned on his wife after the pair failed to cover-up a patient's death from MRSA within the hospital. Mealing explains: "To her horror, Michael tells the hospital board that it was Connie's decision to fake the death certificate and he insists that she step down as medical director! Connie has always known that the Trust is extremely important to him, but she believed him when he said her job would be safe". During the same episode, Connie walked in on Michael kissing Matron Chrissie Williams
Chrissie Williams
Christine "Chrissie" Williams a fictional character from the BBC medical drama Holby City, portrayed by actress Tina Hobley. The character first appeared on-screen on 5 June 2001 in episode "The Road Less Traveled" - series three, episode 30 of the programme. Chrissie briefly left the show in April...
. Mealing continues: "As usual Michael tries to get out of the situation by using his remarkable charm. She thought he'd done his worst, but this really is the ultimate betrayal. [...] Connie won't give up without a fight". It was later revealed that Michael had committed fraud, and exposed the hospital to VRSA
Vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
Vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus refers to strains of Staphylococcus aureus that have become resistant to the glycopeptide antibiotic vancomycin. With the increase of staphylococcal resistance to methicillin, vancomycin is often a treatment of choice in infections with...
. Mealing explains of the development: "Connie is horrified when one of their patient dies. And Michael has hidden the results. So despite still loving Michael, she decides the only way to stop him is to set him up. Connie lays a trap by telling Michael she's spoken to the person who's heading the investigation into the first case and that he's willing to be bribed. She then lets Michael unwittingly spill the beans. It breaks Connie's heart. She's watching both Michael's career and their marriage being destroyed".
Connie later had an affair with John Grayson (Benedick Blythe), husband of hospital CEO
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
Jayne Grayson
Jayne Grayson
Jayne Grayson is a fictional character in the BBC medical drama Holby City, portrayed by actress Stella Gonet. The character first appeared on-screen on 10 July 2007 in episode "Under the Radar" - series 9, episode 39 of the programme...
(Stella Gonet
Stella Gonet
Stella Gonet is a Scottish theatre, film and TV actress.- Career :Gonet trained at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and is known for playing Beatrice Eliott, one of the two lead roles, in three series of the television drama, The House Of Eliott and Chief Executive Officer Jayne...
). She ended their relationship when she discovered he was Jayne's husband, which Mealing has deemed "the ultimate sacrifice", explaining Connie's motivations as being unwilling to hurt Jayne. She has assessed that: "Connie truly loved John and she thought he loved her, too." When Connie discovers John has moved on and has another lover, "it breaks her heart. She realises what they had wasn’t love... It was sex."
Crossovers
Connie has appeared in several crossoverFictional crossover
A fictional crossover is the placement of two or more otherwise discrete fictional characters, settings, or universes into the context of a single story. They can arise from legal agreements between the relevant copyright holders, or because of unauthorized efforts by fans, or even amid common...
episodes with Holby City sister show Casualty
Casualty (TV series)
Casualty, stylised as Casual+y, is a British weekly television show broadcast on BBC One, and the longest-running emergency medical drama television series in the world. Created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin, it was first broadcast on 6 September 1986, and transmitted in the UK on BBC One. The...
. The first full length crossover episode between the two, styled Casualty@Holby City
Casualty@Holby City
Casualty@Holby City is the name given to special crossover episodes of BBC medical dramas Casualty and Holby City. While Casualty was launched on 6 September 1986, and its spin-off Holby City was first aired on 12 January 1999, the first full crossover episode between the two programmes was not...
was broadcast as a 2004 Christmas special, and saw Connie perform a heart transplant with only emergency power and a rudimentary theatre team, trapped inside a burning building as the hospital exploded. Mealing has commented on the crossover: "I think it was a fantastic idea to show the two dramas in one hospital - as it is supposed to be. Connie and Harry
Harry Harper
Harry Clayton Harper was a pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for four different teams between and . Listed at 6' 2", 165 lb., Harper batted and threw left-handed. He was born in Hackensack, New Jersey....
are the bosses of their individual dramas so to see how they work together is great. And yes, it is going to be very dramatic - fantastic Christmas viewing".
Storylines
Connie arrives at Holby CityHolby City
Holby City, stylised as Holby Ci+y, is a British medical drama television series that airs weekly on BBC One.The series was created by Tony McHale and Mal Young as a spin-off from the established BBC medical drama Casualty, and premiered on 12 January 1999...
in episode "In at the Deep End". On her first day, she seduces colleague Ric Griffin
Ric Griffin
Kobina Eric "Ric" Griffin MBBS MD PhD FRCS FRCS is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama Holby City, portrayed by actor Hugh Quarshie. The character first appeared on-screen on 9 October 2001 in episode "Rogue Males" - series 4, episode 1 of the programme...
, before revealing herself to be his new boss. She clashes with her registrar
Specialist registrar
A Specialist Registrar or SpR is a doctor in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland who is receiving advanced training in a specialist field of medicine in order eventually to become a consultant...
Will Curtis, and actively belittles and berates him, taking particular offense at the discovery he is a Lord. This soon develops into tormenting him on a more personal level, for instance ordering him to go for a drink with her instead of disciplining him professionally in the episode "Letting Go". The tension between the pair grows, culminating in the episode "Thicker Than Water" when Connie kisses him at Ric's 50th birthday party, before informing him she just needed to know she could have him, and walking away.
Connie makes an enemy of colleague Zubin Khan, who is unimpressed with her leadership skills, and causes unrest by bedding colleague Mubbs Hussein, despite the fact he is at the time attempting to conceive a child with fellow staff member Rosie Sattar. She also finds herself the subject of a lesbian crush, having caught the attention of the midwife she is mentoring, Mickie Hendrie. In episode "A Shock To The Heart", Connie battles to save Will's life after he is impaled on scaffolding
Scaffolding
Scaffolding is a temporary structure used to support people and material in the construction or repair of buildings and other large structures. It is usually a modular system of metal pipes or tubes, although it can be from other materials...
. As Will recovers in the intensive-care unit, Connie confesses to Zubin that she has only ever been hard on him in order to encourage him to be the best he can be. Despite Connie's efforts, Will dies, and Connie breaks down in tears as she informs his widow.
Following Will's death, Connie finds her position within the hospital increasingly challenged. An emergency Board meeting is called in episode "It's Kinda Rock and Roll" with the intention of forcing Connie's resignation
Resignation
A resignation is the formal act of giving up or quitting one's office or position. It can also refer to the act of admitting defeat in a game like chess, indicated by the resigning player declaring "I resign", turning his king on its side, extending his hand, or stopping the chess clock...
. However, the meeting ends up being chaired by Connie's own husband, Michael Beauchamp. Between them, Michael and Connie manipulate the situation so that Connie is able to keep her job, and the hospital's Chief Executive who had put forth the motion against her is forced to resign. Connie is upset when Michael begins an affair with Matron Chrissie Williams
Chrissie Williams
Christine "Chrissie" Williams a fictional character from the BBC medical drama Holby City, portrayed by actress Tina Hobley. The character first appeared on-screen on 5 June 2001 in episode "The Road Less Traveled" - series three, episode 30 of the programme. Chrissie briefly left the show in April...
, and in episode "Doing The Right Thing", uncovers evidence that Michael has committed fraud and unwittingly spread the VRSA
Vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
Vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus refers to strains of Staphylococcus aureus that have become resistant to the glycopeptide antibiotic vancomycin. With the increase of staphylococcal resistance to methicillin, vancomycin is often a treatment of choice in infections with...
virus through the hospital, resulting in the death of a patient. Michael is subsequently arrested and jailed for manslaughter. Although he is released from prison after serving just ten months, Connie declines to move abroad with him, and they later divorce.
During series nine, it emerges that, following a brief relationship with her registrar Sam Strachan
Sam Strachan
Samuel Noel "Sam" Strachan is a fictional character in the BBC medical drama Holby City, portrayed by actor Tom Chambers. The character first appeared on-screen on 3 January 2006, in episode "Mother Love" - series 8, episode 12 of the programme...
, Connie is pregnant with his child. She gives birth to their premature daughter, Grace, in episode "Deep Dark Truthful Mirror" – going into labour after shocking herself with defibrillator paddles whilst operating on Lola Griffin. Sam is not allowed to attend the birth
Birth
Birth is the act or process of bearing or bringing forth offspring. The offspring is brought forth from the mother. The time of human birth is defined as the time at which the fetus comes out of the mother's womb into the world...
, and is kept distant from his daughter during her first few weeks of life, with Connie declining to inform him that she intends to turn off their daughter's life support when her ECG results show minimal brain-stem activity. However, Grace pulls through, and Connie gradually begins to soften towards Sam and allow him increased access.
In a visit to her home town of Peckham
Peckham
Peckham is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Southwark. It is situated south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London...
, Connie discovers that her now-deceased mother suffered from depression
Depression (mood)
Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person's thoughts, behaviour, feelings and physical well-being. Depressed people may feel sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, helpless, worthless, guilty, irritable, or restless...
during Connie's youth, a fact which her father had kept hidden from her. It is revealed that after her mother's death in 1995, Connie became estranged
Estranged
-Personnel:* Axl Rose – lead vocals, piano, production* Izzy Stradlin – rhythm guitar, production* Slash – lead guitar, production* Duff McKagan – bass, production* Matt Sorum – drums, production-External links:*...
from her father for a period of twelve years. The pair reunite when Connie reveals he has a granddaughter, and encourages him to receive treatment for his pulmonary condition.
In series ten of the show, Connie takes a sabbatical to carry out research in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
. When she returns to Holby, she alienates herself from her staff with her insensitive approach to the aftermath of a crossbow attack which occurred while she was absent, killing a member of the nursing staff. In episode "We Serve All Who Come To Us", Connie ignores several calls from her temporary nanny in favour of performing pioneering surgery. As she leaves the hospital later that evening, she is shocked to be met by the nanny, who informs her Grace has fallen down the stairs and is badly injured. Grace requires surgery for a collapsed lung, and as she recovers, Sam, who has been diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma
The non-Hodgkin lymphomas are a diverse group of blood cancers that include any kind of lymphoma except Hodgkin's lymphomas. Types of NHL vary significantly in their severity, from indolent to very aggressive....
, collapses from septic shock
Septic shock
Septic shock is a medical emergency caused by decreased tissue perfusion and oxygen delivery as a result of severe infection and sepsis, though the microbe may be systemic or localized to a particular site. It can cause multiple organ dysfunction syndrome and death...
. Both father and daughter go on to make a full recovery.
In episode "Only Believe", Connie applies for the new Director of Surgery position, alongside Ric Griffin and Michael Spence
Michael Spence (fictional character)
Michael Spence is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama Holby City, portrayed by actor Hari Dhillon. The character first appeared on 20 November 2007, in the episode "Unfinished Symphony" - episode six of the show's tenth series. Dhillon had formerly appeared in the show on a recurring...
. She agrees with Ric that she will support his application on the understanding he will step down in six months time, and recommend her to assume the role in his place. She also begins a new romance with a man she knows only as "John". Through a series of clandestine meetings, she falls in love with him, and is shocked to discover he is the husband of her colleague Jayne Grayson
Jayne Grayson
Jayne Grayson is a fictional character in the BBC medical drama Holby City, portrayed by actress Stella Gonet. The character first appeared on-screen on 10 July 2007 in episode "Under the Radar" - series 9, episode 39 of the programme...
. When John and Jayne's son Christian is rescued from drowning and Connie is asked to operate on him, she realises she cannot break up the Grayson family, and ends her affair with John.
Throughout the show's eleventh season, Connie battles Ric for the Director of Surgery position when he refuses to step down as agreed. When she discover's Michael's aneatthesist wife Annalese Carson (Anna-Louise Plowman
Anna-Louise Plowman
Anna-Louise Plowman is an actress. She is perhaps best known for her roles as Consultant Anaesthetist Annalese Carson in Holby City and Dr. Sarah Gardner in Stargate SG-1 who was possessed by the Goa'uld Osiris...
) has attended an operation which resulted in the death of a patient drunk, she reports her to Jayne, leading Annalese to leave Holby General. Jayne reveals to Connie that she suspects John is having an affair. Connie warns John, and discovers he is already seeing someone else. Jayne learns the truth then she observes the two of them rowing, and tells Connie that personal matters ought not affect their working relationship.
Later Connie goes on to apply for Director of Surgery, to replace the resigning Consultant Ric Griffin
Ric Griffin
Kobina Eric "Ric" Griffin MBBS MD PhD FRCS FRCS is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama Holby City, portrayed by actor Hugh Quarshie. The character first appeared on-screen on 9 October 2001 in episode "Rogue Males" - series 4, episode 1 of the programme...
. After the interview the board are seen deciding who to allocate the vacant job to, and Holby's CEO Jayne Grayson
Jayne Grayson
Jayne Grayson is a fictional character in the BBC medical drama Holby City, portrayed by actress Stella Gonet. The character first appeared on-screen on 10 July 2007 in episode "Under the Radar" - series 9, episode 39 of the programme...
recommends in an unofficial tie breaker General Surgeon Michael Spence over Connie down to the fact she allegedly ruined her marriage with her husband John following their affair. Connie later goes on to resign, but Michael Spence goes on to blackmail Jayne into resigning and she subsequently goes on to quietly leave the building. This offered some much needed persuasion to Connie, who much to the delight of Michael decided to stay at Holby.
Connie soon clashed with Jayne's replacement, Vanessa Lytton
Vanessa Lytton
Vanessa Lytton is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama Holby City, portrayed by actress Leslie Ash. The character first appeared on-screen on 13 October 2009 in the episode "The Spirit Dancing" - series eleven, episode fifty-two of the programme...
, an old friend of Michael's. Vanessa warned Michael that she believed Connie was after his job as Director of Surgery. In the series two-part opener Faye's son Archie died in supicious circumstances leading Joseph to plead with both Connie and Ric to lie to Vanessa, telling her that they had authorised Faye to inject Archie with saline despite the fact that she wasn't officially on duty. When no clear cause of death could be initially determined, Vanessa suspended the pair until the matter was resolved. Following Lauren Minster's confession that she had given Archie an incorrect dose of potassium, the suspension was lifted but it was revealed that Connie had had enough of Holby and taken up a new position at the Trafalgar Hospital in London.
In February 2010, both Michael and Elliot visited Connie and persuaded her to return - but the only way Connie would ever set foot in Holby again is if Vanessa would leave. Connie returned on March 9th 2010 when Elliot begged her help as her replacement Toby Geddes abandoned him during a series of shooting from a recent hostage situation. Connie then decided to stay which resulted with Geddes being fired and Vanessa leaving Holby.
Connie later became joint Director of Surgery with Henrik Hanssen
Henrik Hanssen
Henrik Hanssen is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama Holby City, played by actor Guy Henry. He first appeared in "Shifts", the premiere episode of the programme's thirteenth series, broadcast on 19 October 2010...
, and was deeply unhappy about making members of staff redundant as part of The Coalition
Conservative – Liberal Democrat Coalition Agreement
The Conservative – Liberal Democrat Coalition Agreement was a policy document drawn up following the 2010 general election in the United Kingdom...
's NHS spending cuts. When Connie discovered that Hanssen was planning to fire Elliot Hope
Elliot Hope
Elliot Hope OBE is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama television series Holby City, portrayed by actor Paul Bradley. The character first appeared on 8 November 2005 in the episode "More Equal Than Others" - series eight, episode four of the programme. Elliot was introduced as a...
, she did everything in her power to prove to Hanssen that Elliot is a brilliant surgeon and a valuable asset.
In December 2010, Connie's father was rushed into Holby requiring an operation, where she learned that he had Alzheimer's. During the operation, her father nearly died, but he was saved by Elliot and Faye. After the anguish of the redundancies and the situation with her father, Connie decided that she couldn't work at Holby any more, and handed her resignation to Hanssen. Before she left, she told Hanssen that Elliot is a genius, and warned him it would be a big mistake to get rid of him. Connie later met with Jac Naylor
Jac Naylor
Jacqueline "Jac" Naylor MBBS MS FRCS FRCSTh is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama Holby City, portrayed by actress Rosie Marcel. She first appeared in the series eight episode "Bird on a Wire", originally broadcast on 22 November 2005....
, giving her some final tips and fashion advice. She revealed to Jac that she would be working in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
two days a week for the European Transplant Board, as well as caring for her father. Upon hearing that Jac had been given the Consultant job, she sent her a bottle of champagne and a pair of her shoes with a card saying "Fill them!".
Reception
Discussing public reception of her character, Mealing states that: "The response has been amazing - from men, women and children. I'm often stopped out shopping or dining etc and told 'You're so mean to (whoever).. but we love you!' I think there's a little in all of us that would like to say what we really feel, the way Connie does". Mealing has received several award nominations for the role; ranking seventh 'Best Actress' in the 2004 BBC Drama Awards, being nominated 'Best Actress' in the 2005 TV QuickTV Quick
TV Choice, is a British weekly TV listings magazine published by H. Bauer Publishing, the UK subsidiary of family-run German company Bauer Media Group...
Awards, and 'Best Newcomer' in the 2005 National TV Awards.
The storyline which saw Connie's infant daughter Grace injured after falling downstairs was received critically by The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
Sarah Dempster, who summarised: "Four years after she first dazzled viewers with her ability to smirk at current hospital expenditure figures while simultaneously patronising sobbing cardio patients, Connie Beauchamp finds herself beset, suddenly and violently, by actual emotion when her daughter falls down the stairs. What follows is a thinly veiled condemnation of working mothers and their potentially deadly desire to occasionally leave the house. Can it really be 1985 already? Apparently so". Fellow Guardian journalist Kathryn Flett deemed the storyline "gripping", and commented that "I empathised hugely with Connie", explaining "although she may be tough and cool and careerist, and therefore have her priorities completely gluteus maximus-over-mammary, she's also a Good Woman who Deserves a Break". Flett's overview of the episode was that: "Despite containing so many mixed messages about whether working mothers should be punished or celebrated it would have needed a dedicated team at Bletchley to decode them all, this was top-notch primetime telly - and a tour-de-force from (working mother of two) Amanda Mealing."
The Daily Mirror
The Daily Mirror
The Daily Mirror is a British national daily tabloid newspaper which was founded in 1903. Twice in its history, from 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the title on its masthead was changed to read simply The Mirror, which is how the paper is often referred to in popular parlance. It had an...
Jim Shelley
Jim Shelley (TV critic)
Jim Shelley is a British television critic who writes a column for the Daily Mirror each Monday titled Shelleyvision. Prior to writing for the Daily Mirror he wrote for The Guardian and his collection of reviews "Interference: Tapehead vs. Television" was published by Atlantic Books...
named Connie his fictional "Egomaniac of the week" during her series ten campaign to become the hospital's Director of Surgery, referring to her response to colleague Elliot Hope
Elliot Hope
Elliot Hope OBE is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama television series Holby City, portrayed by actor Paul Bradley. The character first appeared on 8 November 2005 in the episode "More Equal Than Others" - series eight, episode four of the programme. Elliot was introduced as a...
's inquiry whether she felt opening up the position up to external candidates was a waste of time: "Of course it is. How many incredible candidates can there be?!" Fellow Mirror writer Jane Simon examined Connie in contrast to the "unpleasant rash of annoyingly wet and whispering male docs" resident in Holby City Hospital in September 2008, noting favourably in comparison Connie's ability to silence an entire room with her "death stare".