| Martin "Ash" Ashford | |
|---|---|
| Casualty character | |
 | |
| First appearance | "Penalty" 7 September 1990 |
| Last appearance | "Solomon's Song" 13 December 2014 |
| Portrayed by | Patrick Robinson |
| Book appearances | One Day At A Time (1994) |
| In-universe information | |
| Full name | Martin Ashford |
| Occupation |
|
| Family | Franklyn Ashford (father) |
| Spouse | Laura Milburn (1996−?; divorced) |
| Significant other | Nikki Wyatt |
| Children | Ella Ashford (daughter) |
Martin "Ash" Ashford is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama Casualty, played by Patrick Robinson. He first appears in the series five episode "Penalty", originally broadcast on 7 September 1990. The character is introduced as a staff nurse at Holby City Hospital's emergency department (ED). Robinson was cast in 1990 and was surprised to receive a call for the role. Ash is characterised as a man of principle with high aspirations and a caring nature. He is well-respected in the department, where he also serves as the union representative. The character's early stories involve his relationship with student Nikki Wyatt (Imogen Boorman), which ends when she aborts their baby, and his promotions to senior staff nurse and charge nurse.
Through the character of Ash, the show explored racism, a story which Robinson disapproved of; he believed it was a predictable choice for a black character. In the narrative, Ash defends himself in an attack from a Neo-Nazi extremist, resulting in a suspension and being charged with assault. Robinson thought it did not match Ash's characterisation and clashed with scriptwriters over the plot. It concludes when Ash is acquitted at trial. The character's next story was lighter and lasted the course of series ten. Public relations officer Laura Milburn (Lizzy McInnerny) was introduced as a love interest for Ash, with their romance culminating in a wedding during the series finale. Through the story, Ash's father was also introduced.
Robinson decided to leave Casualty in 1995, having become disillusioned with the show. Ash and Laura depart together in the series 10 finale "Night Moves", originally broadcast on 24 February 1996. Robinson reprised the role for the two-part series 12 finale in 1998, with Ash acting as best man at Charlie Fairhead's (Derek Thompson) wedding. The character's reintroduction was announced in 2013, fifteen years since his last appearance; he returns in the series twenty-seven episode "If Not for You", originally broadcast on 9 February 2013. Ash becomes the department's new consultant, having retrained in America. His characterisation remained consistent to his original stint, with Ash retaining his nursing principals and diligent nature.
Ash's estranged teenage daughter, Ella Ashford (Tahirah Sharif), was introduced in 2013. Ella is rebellious and creates trouble for Ash, ending when Ash reports Ella to the police for stealing ketamine. Producers used the characters of Ash and junior doctor Lily Chao (Crystal Yu) to explore workplace bullying. When Ash lies to Lily about a patient dying, she takes him to a tribunal and wins. The character was written out of the show off-screen in 2015, making his final appearance in the series 29 episode "Solomon's Song", originally broadcast on 13 December 2014. His exit was criticised by fans, the press and Robinson himself. The character received a positive reception from television critics, with a reporter from The Telegraph including Ash in the show's ten best characters.