Soap actor Michael Starke has joined the cast of Casualty in a guest role.

The star, best known for his role as Thomas ‘Sinbad’ Sweeney in Channel 4’s Brookside, is set to appear in the medical drama later this year.

Michael has previously featured in the show, appearing as a guest in four episodes between 2000 and 2018.

In Brookside, Michael’s character Sinbad worked as a window cleaner. He was made a regular in 1990, with the star leaving the show in 2000, a few years before the axing.

In 2007, the star played Jerry Morton in Coronation Street. He has also briefly appeared in Holby City, Hollyoaks and Doctors.

Not much is known about Michael’s latest Casualty role at the moment, but his management company have confirmed the role, saying on Instagram that he’s ‘been busy’ at the studios in Wales.

The drama was recently put out to competitive tendering, a process that will decide which producer makes the show, though the BBC will retain all the rights for the programme.

While this development won’t impact the future of the medical drama, it will change the foundations of the series.

Casualty is set in the Emergency Department of Holby City Hospital, but this won’t be the case once the new production company take over. It means the ED will be set in Wales, rather than the fictional city of Holby.

In an official document from the broadcaster, there is hope the show will ‘evolve into Welsh portrayal while maintaining the core attraction to the loyal fan base’.

The contract asks tenderers to include ‘authentic representation of Wales and reflect the reality of the Welsh NHS’.

‘This is not about radical change of the show, although the move to Welsh portrayal will mean a new fictional hospital based in Wales, and tenderers will need to address this core change in their editorial pitch to the evaluation panel.