Lady Byrne - Creation

Creation

Series 8 of Holby City saw the introduction of regular character Joseph Byrne (Luke Roberts), a new Surgical Registrar on the hospital's Cardiothoracic ward, Darwin. Joseph arrived in episode "Mother Love", alongside his father, recurring character Lord Charles Byrne (Ronald Pickup). One series 9 plot strand saw Joseph begin to date fellow Surgical Registrar Jac Naylor, unaware that she was only interested in him for his father's influence. Jac began an affair with Lord Charles in episode "Paranoid Android", despite Lord Charles' thirty year marriage to his referenced, but as yet unseen wife, Anne-Marie.

Jane Asher was initially cast for a run of five episodes in the role of Anne-Marie, reportedly with the option of returning for more later in the series. Coincidentally, Asher had played Luke Roberts' mother once before, in the 2001 revival of ITV soap Crossroads. Asher has commented on the co-incidence: "It's the second time I've played Luke Roberts' mother - the first was when we were in Crossroads together . We get along really well and are very fond of each other." Series producer Diana Kyle was asked in November 2007: "When you cast an actor, do you actively seek out well-known names - like Jane Asher and Patsy Kensit - or will a role simply go to whoever's better suited?", to which she responded: "It's lovely when we have a new member of the cast come in and bring an audience with them. But we want the best actors, and the star names we cast are always the best - which is why we go for them!"