Yes, you read that correctly, Jan Pearson is leaving BBC One’s Doctors after 14 years of playing Karen Hollins and fans are devastated.
BBC One’s beloved medical drama series Doctors has been a weekday pleasure for audiences since 2000. This soap features doctors from the Mill Health Centre, Campus Surgery and their staff as they attempt to save their patients’ lives while also dealing with their own personal struggles.
Jan Pearson was the receptionist for Karen Hollins on the show in 2009. She won the British Soap Award in 2010 for the Best On-Screen Partner with Rob Hollins (Chris Walker).
Pearson’s leaving Doctors marks the end of an era as she and the Hollins family have been central to the show for more than a decade, and fans are grieving the loss.
Karen Hollins is taken to the hospital after suffering a cardiac arrest.
Karen Hollins died of a heart attack in today’s (March 30) shocking episode of Doctors.
After a heart attack a few months earlier, Karen, a receptionist, and her husband, a police officer, had planned to get out of the rat race and sell their house to travel and live a slower pace.
Rob came home from work expecting to have a discussion about his big adventure. However, he found his wife dead on the sofa. He tried his best to revive her but paramedics finally had to tell him that she was not breathing.
The Hollins family faces difficult times
As would be expected, the Hollins family is not doing well in the aftermath of Pearson’s character’s shocking death.
Rob is dressed in a plain, unwashed dressing gown as his daughter Imogen (Charlie Clemmow), organizes the funeral by phone. Reminders about the situation, such as the unsolicited call from the estate agent regarding the house moving proposal are enough to trigger him and Imogen.
Meanwhile, the family’s lodger Scarlett (Kia Pegg), who moved in a few weeks prior and had started to see Karen as a mother figure, moves out.
Jan Pearson’s departure has elicited strong reactions from fans
Fans will miss Jan Pearson after she gave over a decade to Doctors. Many took to Twitter for their thoughts.
One fan tweeted: “Will miss Karen so much but what a superb episode. From start to end, I was sobbing, especially Al’s. I’ll be shocked if this doesn’t win an award.”
“So sad, loved Karen. Can’t believe what I was watching today. It was absolutely heartbreaking. Many thanks #JanPearson you were fabulous,” another wrote.
A third fan said: “So sad to hear that Jan Pearson is leaving doctors after 14 years doctors just won’t be the same.”
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