Vanessa Lytton returns to Casualty as Leslie Ash reprises role after 11 years

Lytton made her debut on sister-show Holby City back in October 2009, sticking around for a six-month storyline that saw her cause a stir in the powerful position of Chief Executive Officer.

She was recruited by then-Director of Surgery Michael Spence (Hari Dhillon) and soon found herself stoking up tension among the hospital staff, wrongfully suspending Connie Beauchamp (Amanda Mealing), Ric Griffin (Hugh Quarshie) and Faye Byrne (Patsy Kensit) following the death of young Archie Morton.

Ultimately, Lytton left after a boardroom confrontation with Spence and has not been seen for more than a decade, meaning the writers will have plenty of ground to cover when she makes an unexpected return.

Ash said: "I’m thrilled to be joining the Casualty team for this episode and stepping back into Vanessa Lytton’s shoes. It’s been a few years since she graced the wards of Holby City hospital and I’m excited for viewers to see what’s in store for her."

Ash's career spans multiple decades with former projects including detective show C.A.T.S. Eyes, sitcom Men Behaving Badly and countryside drama Where The Heart Is.

At the time of writing, Ash is only confirmed to appear in one episode of Casualty, due to air later this summer, so fans will have to wait and see whether Lytton will have a lasting impact on Holby City Hospital moving forward.

Casualty and Holby City are available to catch-up on via BBC iPlayer. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what's on tonight.