Essie Harrison
| Essie Harrison | |
|---|---|
| Holby City character | |
Kaye Wragg as Essie Harrison
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| First appearance | "My Name Is Joe" 6 May 2014 |
| Portrayed by | Kaye Wragg |
| Information | |
| Occupation |
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| Significant other(s) | Sacha Levy |
| Relatives | Joe Goodridge (grandfather) |
Estelle Ava "Essie" Harrison is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama Holby City, played by actor Kaye Wragg. She first appeared in the series sixteen episode "My Name Is Joe", broadcast on 6 May 2014. Essie arrives at Holby City employed as an agency nurse working on the hospital's ED, AAU and Keller wards. She is characterised as an opinionated nurse who is not afraid to challenge the healthcare system. She is also played as a warm person who makes a good friend for fellow characters and strives to provide excellent patient care. Her introduction to the show was controversial and featured the discovery that her grandfather Joe Goodridge (Julian Glover) was an escaped Nazi war criminal. Essie's main storylines have been centric to her relationship with registrar Sacha Levy (Bob Barrett). The show's producer Simon Harper was fond of the pairing but tasked his writing team to prolong a "will they / won't they?' dynamic" between them. Their romance is over-shadowed because Sacha and his family are Jewish and they struggle to accept her due to Joe's actions. Her need to have a child of her own also causes problems. Essie later secures a new role within the hospital as transplant coordinator.
Wragg's casting was publicised on 24 February 2014. Wragg decided to accept the role because she liked Essie's introduction into the series. The character made her on-screen debut during the series sixteen episode "My Name Is Joe", which was broadcast on 6 May 2014. Wragg was originally employed by the show as a recurring cast member but was later invited back to play the role on a permanent basis.
Essie is characterised as warm nurse with a rebellious side and is not afraid to challenge the healthcare system. She makes a great friend for other characters and a writer from BBC Online branded her "a rock". She is an independent female with "spontaneous, emboldening and fun" characteristics. Wragg has labelled Essie as having "a big heart" and being "fantastic" at her nursing job. The actress told Hannah Verdier from "TV Magazine" that she was enjoying playing the character. She explained that "Estelle's brilliant at her job and she's trying to get on with it, but now she's starting to question herself. She seems really sorted and then all these cracks appear, which makes her great to play." Essie is an opinionated character and does not shy away from voicing them in medical scenarios. Holby City writers clearly demonstrate this when she is played getting herself into trouble with hospital management for interfering with a high-profile patient's choice of surgery.
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