Elisabeth Dermot Walsh, who plays Zara Carmichael on the BBC show Doctors, has shared her shock at the show's cancellation after 23 years.
Speaking to Good Morning Britain, she revealed the cast of the show are "reeling and devastated" in the wake of the news.
She told Kate Garraway and Ben Shephard on Thursday morning: "We are reeling, we are devastated. It has come as an extreme blow. We are such a close community working on Doctors, we really are family. We were absolutely assured that it's nothing to do with ratings."
She added: "We have such a loyal audience. I see people every day who really love the show, they don't all love Zara, but that's ok, I'll take that as a compliment. We really need to rally because we still have six months of filming."
The BBC confirmed yesterday that they have axed Doctors, citing production costs and the need to update the set.
The long-running series, about the doctors and staff at a busy Midlands GP practice, launched in 2000.
The final episode will air in December 2024 and the BBC said it will be working to give the show “the finale it deserves”.
A statement from the BBC yesterday said: “We have taken the very difficult decision to bring daytime drama Doctors to an end after 23 years.
“With super inflation in drama production, the cost of the programme has increased significantly, and further investment is also now required to refurbish the site where the show is made, or to relocate it to another home.
“With a flat licence fee, the BBC’s funding challenges mean we have to make tough choices in order to deliver greater value to audiences.
“We remain fully committed to the West Midlands and all of the funding for Doctors will be reinvested into new programming in the region.
“We would like to thank all the Doctors cast and crew who have been involved in the show since 2000.
“We know the crucial role Doctors has played in nurturing talent, and we will work to develop new opportunities to support skills in scripted programming.
“The final episode will screen in December 2024 and we are working closely with BBC Studios to give it the finale it deserves.”
The show has featured a raft of famous guest stars over the years, including Emilia Clarke, Alison Hammond, Ruthie Henshall, Joe Pasquale, Eddie Redmayne and Sheridan Smith.
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