Mary-Claire Carter

Mary-Claire Carter
Holby City character
Niamh McGrady as Mary-Claire Carter
First appearance	"Spin" 22 September 2009
Last appearance	"Go the Distance" 14 April 2015
Portrayed by	Niamh McGrady
Introduced by	Tony McHale
Information
Occupation	Agency Nurse Staff Nurse
Significant other(s)	Greg Douglas Edward Campbell Harry Tressler

Mary-Claire Carter is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama Holby City, played by actress Niamh McGrady. She first appeared in the eleventh series episode "Spin", broadcast on 22 September 2009. The character was introduced by Tony McHale. Between her arrival and January 2013, Mary Claire appeared on a recurring basis, sometimes with months between appearances, as an agency nurse on Keller and AAU wards. McGrady was promoted to a regular cast member in early 2013 by newly appointed executive producer, Oliver Kent - alongside the introductions of three characters. Her first appearance, as a regular cast member, aired on 23 April when Mary-Claire received a staff nurse job on the AAU ward. She is characterised as a blunt and easily distracted character, yet a brilliant nurse. Her strong point is not diplomacy, but scratch between the surface and you'll find a heart of gold. McGrady has described her as "cheeky, flirtatious, and trouble."

In 2013, whilst a recurring cast member, McGrady filmed the first series of The Fall and the following year, chose to film a second series. In order to film the new series, McGrady temporarily departed Holby City and scenes airing on 22 April 2014 showed Mary-Claire depart to look after her sick mother in Ireland. Just over four months later, on 7 October, Mary-Claire's return scenes aired. Her main storyline following her return was her on-off relationship with Harry Tressler (Jules Knight), which fans took a strong liking to. In the episode airing on 14 April 2015, Mary-Claire and Harry departed from the show for their new life in Chicago, America after being engaged. Knight's exit was announced in February, while McGrady's decision to leave the show was not announced prior to the premiere of the episode, but revealed she had planned to leave.

McGrady became a fan of Holby City while she was in a relationship with fellow actor Jalaal Hartley, who played Tom O'Dowd in the show from 2008 to 2009. She thought that it would "a brilliant gig" if she was cast in a role. When the character of Mary-Claire came up, McGrady knew she had to have the part.