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Dr. Zara Carmichael is a fictional character from the

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soap opera '' Doctors'', portrayed by

Elisabeth Dermot Walsh Elisabeth Dermot Walsh (born 15 September 1974) is an English actress, known for her role as Zara Carmichael in the BBC soap opera '' Doctors''. In 2015, she won Best Female Acting Performance at the RTS Midlands Awards for her portrayal of Zar ...

. Zara was introduced as the new general practitioner at the fictional Mill Health Centre on 4 June 2009 and remained a regular character until April 2012 when Walsh left to go on

maternity leave Parental leave, or family leave, is an employee benefit available in almost all countries. The term "parental leave" may include maternity, Paternity (law), paternity, and adoption leave; or may be used distinctively from "maternity leave" an ...

. She returned for a brief appearance in December 2012, before returning full-time in February 2013. In September 2015, Dermot Walsh left again to go on maternity leave. She returned full-time from March 2016 onwards. Since her introduction, Zara has been involved in a number of different storylines including being kidnapped, dealing with early menopause, the birth of her son, her

on-off relationship An on-again, off-again relationship (also known as an on–off or off–on relationship) is a form of personal relationship between two persons who keep breaking up only to reconcile afterwards, thus repeating a cycle. Researcher Kale Monk, an a ...

with Daniel Granger (

Matthew Chambers Matthew Guy Charles Chambers (born 20 August 1968) is an English actor, known for portraying the role of Daniel Granger in the BBC soap opera '' Doctors''. Early and personal life Matthew Guy Charles Chambers was born in London on 20 August 19 ...

), her feud with Daniel's daughter,

Izzie Torres Izzie Torres is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' Doctors''. Izzie has been played by four actresses since her onscreen arrival; Jasmin and Nicole Parkinson between 2008 and 2011, Maizey Corbett in 2012, and Bethan Moore from 20 ...

(Bethan Moore), and her tumultuous friendship with

Emma Reid Dr. Emma Reid is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' Doctors'', portrayed by Dido Miles. Emma made her first appearance on 2 October 2012, and since her arrival, her storylines in the soap have included her romances with character ...

(

Dido Miles Dido Miles is an English actress. She is known for her role as Emma Reid on the BBC soap opera '' Doctors'', for which she has won two awards for at the RTS Midlands Awards. From 2001 to 2002, she starred in the CBBC children's series ''Oscar ...

). For her portrayal of Zara, Walsh won the award for Best Female Acting Performance at the 2015 RTS Midlands Awards. She has also been nominated in the Serial Drama Performance at the

National Television Awards The National Television Awards (often shortened to NTAs) is a British television awards ceremony, broadcast by the ITV network and initiated in 1995. The National Television Awards are the most prominent ceremony for which the results are vot ...

twice, as well as receiving three longlist nominations for the

British Soap Award for Best Actress The British Soap Award for Best Actress was an award presented annually by The British Soap Awards from its inception in 1999 until 2019. Alongside Best Actor, the award was voted for by the public. '' EastEnders'' was the most awarded soap in ...

Storylines

Zara first appears when

Heston Carter Dr. Heston Carter is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' Doctors'', portrayed by Owen Brenman. He made his first appearance in 2008, and he continued to appear until 2018, when Brenman left ''Doctors'', with Heston being killed i ...

(

Owen Brenman Owen Brenman (born 17 December 1956, in London) is an English actor best known for his role as next-door neighbour Nick Swainey in the multi-award-winning BBC sitcom '' One Foot in the Grave'', which ran for ten years (1990–2000) and was wri ...

Julia Parsons Julia Parsons (also McGuire) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' Doctors'', portrayed by Diane Keen. She made her first appearance on 13 January 2003, and departed the show on 18 May 2012, after nine years of appearing in the s ...

(

Diane Keen Diane Keen (born 29 July 1946) is an English actress, known for her portrayal of Fliss Hawthorne in the Granada sitcom ''The Cuckoo Waltz'' and Julia Parsons on the BBC soap opera ''Doctors''. She also appeared in Nescafé advertisements from 19 ...

) and

Lily Hassan Dr. Lily Hassan is a fictional character from the BBC One, BBC soap opera ''Doctors (2000 TV series), Doctors'', portrayed by Seeta Indrani, who made her first appearance on 28 October 2008. Her backstory involves going from a rebel in her youth ...

(

Seeta Indrani Seeta Indrani (born 20 April 1963) is an English dancer and actress. Biography Performance After graduation as a dancer from the London Contemporary Dance School, Indrani took the role of Cassandra in the original 1981 West End theatre, West ...

) are interviewing for a new GP. Zara is hired for the Mill Health Centre and is introduced to Daniel Granger (

), who flirts with her, and Zara later turns up at Daniel's apartment. The pair have sex, but Zara ends the relationship immediately after, stating that they needed to get their sexual attraction out of the way before they could work together. After being kidnapped with

Jack Hollins Jack Hollins is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' Doctors'', portrayed by Nicolas Woodman. Jack first appeared on 4 August 2009 and left ''Doctors'' on 21 September 2012. He returned for brief stints in 2013 and 2014. His storylin ...

(

Nicolas Woodman Nicolas Woodman (born 21 March 1986) is an English actor best known for playing Jack Hollins in the BBC soap, '' Doctors'' from 2009 to 2012. Television career Woodman started acting professionally in 2001 when he appeared at the Royal Festiv ...

), the pair have sex. After an ongoing affair, Jack eventually tells his dad,

Rob Hollins Rob Hollins is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''Doctors'', portrayed by Chris Walker. Rob was introduced as a police sergeant at Letherbridge police station and made his first appearance during the episode broadcast 24 July 2009 ...

( Chris Walker), that he has been in a relationship with Zara.

Karen Hollins Karen Hollins (also Teale) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' Doctors'', portrayed by Jan Pearson. Introduced as a receptionist at the fictional Mill Health Centre, Karen was created by series producer Peter Eryl Lloyd as a ...

(

Jan Pearson Jan Pearson (born 12 April 1959) is an English actress, known for her roles as Kath Fox in the BBC medical drama '' Holby City'' and Karen Hollins in the BBC soap opera '' Doctors'', which she joined in February 2009. In 2010, Pearson won the ...

) confronts Zara, and as she is doing this, Zara bends over to pick something up. Karen notices that Zara's underwear is the same of what she found in Jack's room and gets very angry, leading to the pair fighting in reception. After months of dates and casual sex, Zara and Daniel become a couple. Zara starts to experience hot flushes and menopausal symptoms, and realises that she is undergoing early menopause. Zara believes Daniel wants to end the relationship, so she ends it before he can. Daniel traps Zara in her office and they get back together. Daniel and Zara try

IVF In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is a process of fertilisation where an egg is combined with sperm in vitro ("in glass"). The process involves monitoring and stimulating an individual's ovulatory process, removing an ovum or ova (egg or eggs) f ...

, but are left devastated when they discover it has not worked. Zara begins showing signs of pregnancy, and Daniel rushes out to a chemist; when he returns, Zara is sitting on the bed with a pregnancy test in her hands. After Daniel tells her that he loves her, she reveals the results of the test, and both she and Daniel are overjoyed to discover that she is pregnant. Zara goes into premature labour at the Mill, with only

Cherry Clay '' Doctors'' is a British medical soap opera which began broadcasting on BBC One on 26 March 2000. Set in the fictional West Midlands town of Letherbridge, the soap follows the lives of the staff and patients of the Mill Health Centre, a fictio ...

(

Sophie Abelson Sophie Abelson is an English actress. She is known for portraying the role of Cherry Clay in the BBC soap opera '' Doctors'' from 2009 to 2012. For her role as Cherry, she received a nomination for the British Soap Award for Best Newcomer. Lif ...

) and Kevin Tyler (

Simon Rivers Simon Rivers (born Amardip Singh Nahal in 1978) is an English actor, known for portraying the role of Kevin Tyler in the BBC soap opera ''Doctors''. Life and career Born in Birmingham, West Midlands to Sikh parents who had immigrated from th ...

) around to help her. Zara gives birth to a baby boy named

Joe Joe or JOE may refer to: Arts Film and television * ''Joe'' (1970 film), starring Peter Boyle * ''Joe'' (2013 film), starring Nicolas Cage * ''Joe'' (TV series), a British TV series airing from 1966 to 1971 * ''Joe'', a 2002 Canadian animated ...

(Emily and Lewis Whitehouse). Daniel arrives shortly after and Zara, Daniel and their baby are taken to hospital. After much debate regarding the welfare of their new baby leaving the safety of the hospital, they return home. After discovering that Daniel has had sex with Cherry, Zara ends the relationship with him, and leaves with Joe. She returns months later for a meeting with Howard Bellamy (

Ian Kelsey Ian Kelsey (born 17 December 1966) is an English actor. He is known for his roles as Dave Glover in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'', Patrick Spiller in the BBC medical drama ''Casualty'', DI Richard Mayne in the ITV crime drama '' Blue Murder'' ...

). As she is about to leave once again, she is persuaded to talk to Daniel, where she reveals that she now has a job in

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...

and sees no reason to come back and leaves once again. She returns once again after leaving her job in Bristol and returns to work at the Mill. Her and Daniel reconcile, but she explains to him that she will be setting strict time limits on their time together and will not be letting Daniel spend any extra time with Joe. They later resume their relationship fully. Zara later takes a sabbatical from, and at her leaving party she gives a speech, telling them all to count down the days until she returns. Zara nervously returns to the Mill and is impressed by new boss Anthony Harker ( Adam Astill). Daniel and Zara attempt to spice up their love life and go to a bar to perform role-play, but they argue and Zara goes outside. While outside, Zara witnesses a stabbing and chooses to give evidence. During this time, Joe is kidnapped, and the family have to be protected by the police due to the possibility of violence and threats from gang members who were involved in the murder. Daniel blames Zara for risking the safety of their family for the sake of assisting with the investigation. Following disagreements with other staff, Daniel and Zara become the only partners at the Mill. Daniel's daughter,

(Bethan Moore), comes to stay with them after arguing with her mother. Zara is still traumatised from the threats and kidnapping of Joe. Zara struggles to get on with her, since Izzie does not express interest in getting to know her. On one occasion, Izzie takes Joe to the shop without telling Zara. When she sees that they are missing, she panics and phones Daniel and the police. Izzie returns while Zara is breaming down by the front door and slaps Izzie. Daniel moves out and does not communicate with Zara about his plans. At a work Christmas party, Zara's best friend,

(

), convinces Zara to take her mind off Daniel's absence. Zara gets drunk and

Sid Vere Dr. Sid Vere is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' Doctors'', portrayed by Ashley Rice. Sid made his first appearance on 27 April 2015 as an F2 doctor at the fictional Mill Health Centre. His storylines in the programme have incl ...

(

Ashley Rice Ashley Rice (born Ashley Taylor-Rhys; 14 January 1986) is an English actor, known for his role as Sid Vere on the BBC soap opera ''Doctors''. For his role as Sid, Rice has been nominated for various accolades including Newcomer at the 21st Nati ...

) comes back to her house and they have sex. Daniel returns home and sees them, but does not confront them, later confronting her and punching Sid. Zara tries for some time to convince Daniel to give her another chance. He finally agrees and moves back in but their relationship is strained and they decide to split up again. Daniel begins a relationship with practice manager Becky Clarke ( Ali Bastian), which Zara has trouble adjusting to. However, while attending a medical conference at a hotel, Zara and Daniel sleep together in a hotel room. Zara enters a relationship with Adam Regan (

Edward MacLiam Edward MacLiam (born Edward Wilson in 1976) is an Irish actor, known for his roles as Greg Douglas in the BBC medical drama ''Holby City'' and identical twins Adam and Gareth Regan in the BBC soap opera ''Doctors Doctor or The Doctor may re ...

), but while waiting for him to come home from work, his twin brother

Gareth Sir Gareth (; Old French: ''Guerehet'', ''Guerrehet'') is a Knight of the Round Table in Arthurian legend. He is the youngest son of King Lot and Queen Morgause, King Arthur's half-sister, thus making him Arthur's nephew, as well as brother ...

(

) pretends to be Adam, and tries to rape Zara. She fights him off, spraying hairspray in his eyes and stabbing him in the leg with the heels of her shoe, later calling the police. Due to her seeing Gareth's face when she looks at Adam, she ends the relationship. With both of their partners having left Letherbridge, Zara and Daniel reconcile their relationship again. After Daniel misdiagnoses Rowena Mitchell (Bobby Wilkinson), who has

endometriosis Endometriosis is a disease of the female reproductive system in which cells similar to those in the endometrium, the layer of tissue that normally covers the inside of the uterus, grow outside the uterus. Most often this is on the ovaries, f ...

, Emma points out that his actions could have had fatal results and accredited his mistake with being an uninformed male doctor. Zara is defensive of Daniel despite Emma's points, and the pair continuously argue with each other at the Mill, leaving them both getting warned by practice manager

Bear Sylvester Bear Sylvester is a fictional character from the BBC One, BBC soap opera ''Doctors (2000 TV series), Doctors'', portrayed by Dex Lee. Lee began filming for the role in June 2019 and Bear made his first appearance on 18 November 2019, in scenes ...

(

Dex Lee Dex Lee (born 16 May 1993) is an English actor, known for his role as Bear Sylvester on the BBC soap opera ''Doctors''. Before he was cast in ''Doctors'', he appeared in numerous professional stage productions and worked part-time as a dance tea ...

). To spite Emma, Zara considers becoming a

force medical examiner Force Medical Examiner or Forensic Medical Examiner (FME) is any doctor used by the police in the United Kingdom. There are usually multiple doctors utilized by a police force, and the FME is the one who happens to be on call. Qualified doctors serv ...

to infringe on Emma's workplace, as well as not informing Emma of the partners' decision to purchase another surgery, Sutton Vale. Emma gets drunk and phones Zara to rant at her, and whilst on the phone, Emma trips and injures her hip. Despite her grudge against Emma, she finds her and gets her into hospital. The pair eventually forgive each other.

Development

Characterisation

Zara's

...
profile revealed that in her backstory, she became a "daddy's girl" and established a close relationship with father Jed Grey (

Paul Shelley Paul Shelley (born Paul Matthews; 15 May 1942) is an English actor. Shelley was born in Leeds, West Riding of Yorkshire, and trained at RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Art). Since then he has mainly worked in the theatre as a classical actor. ...

) after her mother died. The profile wrote that she "turns heads wherever she goes, and is always suited and booted". It added that she "has no time for pleasantries, and is a master of sarcasm". Zara does not like the trivial side of being a doctor, as it bores her, and she chooses not to indulge rambling patients. Zara does not have empathy for people who do not agree with her approach to life and her profile noted that her professional approach "consists of problems and solutions" rather than being concerned with other aspects. Walsh defended Zara's abrupt manner despite her not being "the most popular doctor in the practice" and opined that she would like Zara as her own doctor in real life. She liked that Zara is honest and straight-talking, but acknowledged that she can come across as frightening due to her "high shoes, short skirt and cleavage". Speaking of Zara, Walsh said in an interview with '' OK!'' magazine: "I think it would be fair to call Zara a bit of a handful! She's quite the volatile personality, and I grabbed the character with both hands. She’s been a bit of a home-wrecker in the past, but I like her; even when you’re playing a baddie, you have to play a baddie like you’re playing a heroine. She behaves appallingly. I don’t think I’d particularly want her as a friend, but she’d be a great fun ride if you’re with Zara!". When asked if she prefers playing Zara's bitchier moments or her more vulnerable side, Walsh replied: "Well, nothing beats a good putdown line or a bitchy comment! We have some brilliant writers, so Zara does get the last laugh so often. But that makes it all the more enjoyable when she doesn't get the last laugh and ends up with egg on her face. That only really works if she's had a few weeks of really getting away with everything, and then when it all goes wrong for her, she simply can't believe it!" Walsh went on to say: "Equally with her vulnerable moments - I think they really work when there are fewer of them, because then they're more of a surprise. We see her hard exterior, but then we know that in private, she's just like the rest of us and is full of doubts and fears."

Relationship with Daniel Granger

Since the beginning of their relationship, Zara's connection with Daniel has continually been shown to be tumultuous. The ''

Birmingham Post The ''Birmingham Post'' is a weekly printed newspaper based in Birmingham, England, with a circulation of 2,545 and distribution throughout the West Midlands. First published under the name the ''Birmingham Daily Post'' in 1857, it has had a s ...

''s Roz Laws wrote that arguing is common for the couple and felt that they have a "love/hate relationship". At the initiation of their relationship, Walsh said that the pair love each other but felt that neither of them would admit it to the other. She accredited this to the two characters being very similar, with Walsh billing Zara as "a female version of Daniel". Walsh liked that there is a complexity to their relationship and felt that Daniel initially deserved Zara's poor treatment of him, such as her blackmailing and bribing him, due to the hearts Daniel had broken before her. In September 2010, Walsh revealed details of an upcoming storyline involving Zara and Daniel. Speaking at the ''Inside Soap'' Awards, she said: "There's a fantastic five-part story coming up in the next few weeks involving my character and Daniel. I don't want to give everything away, but something terrible happens to Daniel's baby daughter and Zara steps in to help. It's all very dramatic!" She added: "It's nice to be the good guy for a change. Normally Zara plays the baddie and for once she gets to play the heroine, which makes a nice change for me!" Speaking of Zara's feelings towards Daniel once her character returns from her break in Bristol, Walsh explained: "Well, it's very complicated. She gives him a very hard time and she's keeping his access arrangements to their baby as they were before - very minimal. However, if she hated him that much and really did want him out of her life, my question is: what is she doing back? Zara obviously can't live with Daniel and can't live without him. Their relationship is so complicated." In June 2020, Walsh talked about Zara's relationship with Daniel on a live-streamed interview. She talked about a two-year arc that producer Peter Eryl Lloyd devised for Zara and Daniel, with the breakdown of their marriage, Zara having sex with Sid, their separate relationships and their eventual reunion after the afore events. Walsh does not typically like to know about storylines in advance as it aids her to portray Zara's natural reaction to events, but she felt that it was useful to know the outcome for their relationship. She added that if their relationship was simple, it wouldn't be interesting for viewers. On their slow burn relationship, she stated that it was "exhausting but such a pleasure to play long form", and hinted that their reunion would be as complicated as their marriage breakdown.

Pregnancy

Speaking to

Digital Spy Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television programmes, ...

, Walsh talked about how she prepared for Zara's labour scenes saying, "It was very daunting, really - especially as we know that so many people watching ''Doctors'' are people who are staying at home with their children. It will be fresh in their memories, so I didn't want to do it wrong! But of course, when you start researching, you discover that it's different for every woman - and if you ask people about giving birth, everybody will say something different. I've been preparing for it for a long time, though, as it's what my character has wanted ever since she came into the show. That was nearly three years ago, so to finally get the thing that I've played her as wanting for so long was quite emotional to shoot." On calling the baby Joe, she said, "I think it's really appropriate, because Daniel's father figure was Joe Fenton (

Stephen Boxer Stephen Boxer (born 19 May 1950) is an English actor who has appeared in films, on television and on stage. He is known for his role as Joe Fenton on the BBC soap opera '' Doctors''. Career Stephen Boxer was educated at New College School in ...

), who was on the show for years and was the patriarch of ''Doctors'' for a long time. So that's a very significant name for Daniel, and I think it's very loving of Zara that she doesn't insist on calling the baby something like Lysander or Demetrius - as she'd teased him that she would!" Walsh also stated that it has been "amazing" working with babies.

Temporary exits and returns

In April 2012, Walsh announced on the

ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...

programme '' This Morning'' that she was expecting a baby and would be leaving to go on maternity leave. When asked how Zara would depart, producer Peter Eryl Lloyd told Digital Spy: "We're so pleased for her and she's loving being a mum, though of course we miss her - she'll leave our screens at the end of August. Don't panic, it's not forever; rest assured she will return maybe in the festive season. But yes, how to get rid of Zara? It was a real challenge to motivate such a dramatic exit, particularly when she has to take Joe with her and have a reason to come back. Things do get very dark for Zara and Daniel - with an act that changes many lives at the Mill. That's all I'm saying for now, but there's a major clue just before the Olympics." Walsh returned to film scenes in October 2012, making a brief appearance in December 2012. Her exit storyline saw Zara leaving Letherbridge after learning of Daniel's affair with Cherry. Zara returned on screen full-time in February 2013. Speaking of her return in an interview with Digital Spy, Walsh said that it was amazing to be back: "As they say, everything changes but everything stays the same! I filmed Zara's departure scenes in April last year, and then I did two weeks in September for her return at Christmas, which was a bit early because my baby was so little! I then returned full-time in November. It's madness as I'm just busier than ever! I'm doing the same job, but of course I've got my baby now too." Walsh took maternity leave again in 2015, with her onscreen exit being written in as her character taking a sabbatical leave.

Reception

Walsh and Chambers were nominated for Best On-Screen partnership at the 2012 British Soap Awards, but lost out to

Jake Wood Jake Dylan Wood (born 12 July 1972) is an English actor and podcaster, known for his role as Max Branning in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. He has also made guest appearances in series including ''Only Fools and Horses'' and ''Red Dwarf''. ...

and

Jo Joyner Joanne Mary Joyner (born 24 May 1977) is an English actress. She is known for her roles as Tanya Branning in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' and Mandy Carter in Channel 4 drama ''Ackley Bridge''. Since 2018, she has starred as Luella Shakesp ...

who play Max and

Tanya Branning Tanya Cross (also Branning and Jessop) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera, ''EastEnders'', played by Jo Joyner. She made her first appearance on 27 June 2006. Joyner left the show temporarily on 25 December 2009 for maternity leave ...

on ''

EastEnders ''EastEnders'' is a Television in the United Kingdom, British soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the Ea ...

''. They have since been nominated in 2013, 2017 and 2018. For her portrayal of Zara, Walsh won Best Female Acting Performance at the 2015

RTS Midlands Awards The Royal Television Society (RTS) is a British-based educational charity for the discussion, and analysis of television in all its forms, past, present, and future. It is the oldest television society in the world. It currently has fourteen r ...

. Walsh shared her delight on Twitter, admitting that she was overwhelmed to receive the prize on her first day back at work following her initial maternity leave. She has also been nominated for Serial Drama Performance at the

in 2019 and 2020. In 2022, Walsh revealed that people are unkind to her in the street since they dislike her character, but explained that she takes their rudeness as a compliment to her acting, and admitted that Zara does divide viewers. ''

Metro Metro, short for metropolitan, may refer to: Geography * Metro (city), a city in Indonesia * A metropolitan area, the populated region including and surrounding an urban center Public transport * Rapid transit, a passenger railway in an urba ...

''s Calli Kitson described her as a "''Doctors'' legend".

References

External links

Zara Carmichael
at

BBC Online BBC Online, formerly known as BBCi, is the BBC's online service. It is a large network of websites including such high-profile sites as BBC News and BBC Sport, Sport, the on-demand video and radio services branded BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds, t ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Carmichael, Zara Doctors (2000 TV series) characters Female characters in television Fictional British medical doctors Fictional bullies Fictional blackmailers Fictional female doctors Female villains Television characters introduced in 2009