Casualty fans will be introduced to newcomer Ngozi in the show’s latest episode (January 6), as she arrives at the ED for her first shift.

Adesuwa Oni, who previously starred in Netflix’s African Queens: Njinga, has joined the cast as Ngozi, an Emergency Department nurse who has recently moved to the UK from Nigeria.

Here, Digital Spy recently caught up with Adesuwa to talk all about her character, some interesting fan theories and Charlie’s upcoming exit.

How has your time been at Casualty so far?

“It’s been wonderful and such a pleasure. Everyone is genuinely so lovely and so kind. I’ve had such a great time getting to know all the different cast members and spending time with them. It’s been such a privilege to get to play such a great character and have such great stories. I’m having a really great time.”

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How did the role come about?

“It was around April / May and basically my agent sent me an email saying: ‘Could you send a tape for this role?’ When I got the scripts, there were three scenes that they wanted me to tape, and I just thought she was incredible.

“I have always thought as actors that the manifestation of the roles we get has a lot to do with where we are as human beings in our lives at that moment in time. It was very interesting to me that I felt this transition happening in my existence from rather very warrior-based to something softer and more focused on love as a human being.

“When I saw the scripts, it felt like she was where I was at that moment in time as a person. I taped those scenes with my friend, I sent them off, and then I did my best to forget about it.

“A few weeks later, my agent messaged me to let me know that they had a few more scenes that they wanted me to tape. My agent then messaged me again to let me know that a week later they wanted to meet me, so I went to the casting studios for BBC, and I met with Jon Sen who has left now but was the executive producer at the time and also Liza Mellody.

“I really had such a great time in that meeting because I remember it was great to have this collaborative discussion with Jon and Liza about the role. Jon discussed the thoughts he had about the character, and I was able to give my thoughts as well, and what I really loved about that was just that feeling of being listened to, as well as me listening to what they’re saying.

“We were able to create these ideas and then try them out again in a second reading for the character during that meeting. I just remember thinking to myself: ‘I really like the way this process is working’, and I enjoyed the amount of, not necessarily autonomy, but collaborative energy that I was feeling. I remember Jon saying that they hadn’t fully yet decided where the character was going to settle, but I knew I’d done the best I could.

“I think it was about a day or two later when my agent called me and said that they’d offered me the role. I’m very grateful.”

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How would you describe Ngozi?

“I can never speak for fans, but what I can speak for is humanity and what I feel about Ngozi is she’s very heart-centric – love is very much at the core of who she is. She really operates out of that, and what that means is that she wants to go to bat for people, she wants to take on people’s issues, and she wants to solve them if she can.

“I think she’s quite funny – she cracks me up a lot and she has a lot of wonderful Nigerianisms, as I call them, which just make me smile.

“I think one of the things I’m very grateful for is the writers have really sought to have an authentic voice – an authentic Nigerian voice – for her. I think what the fans will see is a person who wants to make sure that everyone in the world is well.

“I hope that means that they get behind her, I hope that they resonate with her as someone who’s shared humanity that they recognise in themselves, and as a result, they can’t help but feel like this is someone they know.”

She joins at quite a chaotic time in the ED as Ryan has been attacked and Stevie has brought in extra security measures as a result. What does she make of all this and especially Stevie?

“From what I have understood about Ngozi’s backstory is that she is a relatively experienced nurse. She’s quite competent, which I think in relation to people like Cam, for example, can be quite an interesting dichotomy. Ngozi knows what she is about and so meeting someone like Stevie – who is like other characters she has come across before in her lifetime – it’s not a jolt for her.

“I think it’s interesting because, like you said, she comes in at a very chaotic time, and she is finding her feet in terms of a relationship with all the other characters. I feel it is something that makes her feel quite shaky at first because everyone has something else on their mind, and she’s just trying to understand the layout of the new world that she’s in.

“She eventually finds Stevie quite a grounding influence, because that’s something she recognises – a strong lead of a female doctor. She’s seen that before and she knows where she is when she’s working with someone like that.”

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How does she get on with the other nurses?

“She has her moments. I think she ruffles feathers, but not in a way that you would expect. The truth is, she does love them. She doesn’t really get to know Ryan because of what’s happened, but I think with the other three, it’s always a bit interesting coming into a dynamic like that – where they’ve been through so much together.

“I think in life that’s also the case when people have an established relationship and you just have to accept the fact that it will take time to get to know them, and that you will have different levels of relationships with each of them.

“That is what Ngozi finds when she comes in – that she’s closer to some of them than she is to others. Ultimately, they are also people that she just really loves and she’ll go to bat for, and over the time period that I’ve been in the show, we’re finding that. It’s nice to see those variations of the closeness that she gets with the different nurses.”

Fans have already been speculating about a possible romance for her. Have you seen the theories and what do you make of them?

“I have seen them! What I will say is that given that she’s all about love, it’s not surprising that she has certain things coming up for her. It is really sweet, and I do love the fact that they’re really speculating about that and it actually means a lot to me that they can see me in that light.

“I do think that she’d be great for certain characters but what I’ll say is that they will be surprised by who her relationship veers towards… I think that’s all I’ll say. But I’ve seen some of the speculations and I think it’s adorable – that would be so lovely. But yes, I think they will be surprised.”

Is there anything you can tease at this stage about what’s coming up for her later in the series?

“She does have some stories in the pipeline and a fair few things that she’s handling, but, I don’t think I’m allowed to say anything about that yet…”

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Has it been hard getting your head around all the medical jargon?

“I’m very grateful as we have medical consultants on set and they really know their stuff. What I tend to find with the medical jargon is, because I am playing a nurse, I’m fortunate that it’s not too much that I need to do. Instead, it’s more along the lines of what the medical jargon hints to in terms of urgency as that’s much more important to me in a scene.

“I’m very grateful for the backstory they’ve given me about Ngozi and the fact that I understand that she’s come in with different experiences to other nurses like Cam and Jodie and Rita. She has come in with more experience and more competence, and as a result, there’s certain things that she just should know.”

You’ve also joined at a historical time in the show as we know Charlie is soon going to be leaving. What has that been like to be part of?

“Honestly, in front of and behind the camera, I feel like I’m so blessed to be coming in at such a historical moment in Casualty. Derek himself has been honestly wonderful. Derek is very musical and I remember one of the first things that happened on my first day: his dressing room is kind of relatively close to mine and I am really into playing guitars. I just heard these strains of guitar and I walked into his dressing room and sat there listening to him play guitar.

“Then one of the things he gave me before he left was one of his guitars – it means the world to me. That’s just an example of how kind he is and personally he just decided to make sure I was okay, and look after me on the set. That’s just how he is with everyone. He genuinely is wonderful, and has such a good heart. I just felt really honoured and humbled.

“And it was like, you know what, no one ever is ever too big for their boots on this set – it’s that kind of environment. To be around not just Derek, but Charlie’s character in front of the camera – one of my first scenes was with him. I felt really honoured because different people come in at different times, but to come in, and to have spent time with him, and to be there when everything happens with him, meant a lot to me. It’s huge.”