Alex and Tom’s wedding day takes a sinister twist as Claire returns to Cardale in this week’s Peak Practice
Despite Nurse Claire Brightwell’s best efforts to split them up, doctors Alex Redman and Tom Deneley are finally preparing to walk down the aisle. But it promises to be a Peak Practice wedding with more then it’s fair share of hitches.
Claire’s back in Cardale after accusing Dr Will of raping her, and she’s determined to ruin Alex and Tom’s big day. After failing to split up the happy couple by accusing Tom of trying it on, the twisted nurse has conjured up a more dramatic way of winning Alex over.
As family and friends gather for the big occasion, Tom is diverted on the way in the first of the day’s disasters to help a man who’s has a heart attack. Unfortunately he’s stuck in a broken down cable car dangling motionless in midair.
‘Tom’s absolutely filthy when he gets down, and gets himself cleaned up to head off to his wedding,’ explains Gray O’Brien, who plays Dr Tom and who suggested the cable car rescue plot himself after watching an episode of Blue Peter.
‘Claire has been hanging around for a few days and gets Tom’s mobile phone. She texts Alex to say ‘Can you come to help a tall handsome guy in a kilt?’ So she runs outside to tell everyone, ‘Two minutes and I’ll be ready for the wedding.’ Alex walks out and Claire’s got a gun. Tom comes down and finds that Alex isn’t at the wedding and he’s frantic. Since Claire turned up, Alex has been on edge. Claire’s come back to get Alex and ruin everything.’
Ever since they were in the army together, Claire’s carried a torch for Alex. Tom’s has his suspicions about Alex’s old mate, but no-one could have guessed her real reason for joining the practice.
Gray admits it was fun shooting the final episode of the series and he’s full of praise for Eva Pope who plays Claire. ‘When the producers suggested that they were going to bring in this integral character who really was quite bonkers, I don’t think anyone realised how bonkers they were going to make her. She’s certainly a can short of a six-pack – there’s something not right. Eva Pope’s done a fantastic job, and the audience have been kept guessing all the way through.’