| Abs Denham | |
|---|---|
| Casualty character | |
 James Redmond as Abs Denham | |
| First appearance | "Flash in the Pan" 4 October 2003 |
| Last appearance | "Too Old for This Shift" 27 August 2016 |
| Portrayed by | James Redmond |
| In-universe information | |
| Occupation | Mental Health Nurse |
| Spouse | Ellen Zitek (2004−2006) |
| Significant other | Nina Farr |
| Relatives | Danny (brother) |
John "Abs" Denham is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama Casualty, played by actor James Redmond. He first appeared in the series eighteen episode "Flash in the Pan", broadcast on 4 October 2003. Abs was introduced at a time producer Mervyn Watson had revamped the show's cast. Redmond was offered the role of Abs which he was happy to accept because he was "fascinated" with the psychology of the character. Abs is characterised as being a "charming but eccentric loner". He is also portrayed as very "gullible", which writers took advantage of during his first relationship stories. They paired him with paramedic Nina Farr (Rebekah Gibbs), but soon added her scheming step-sister Ellen Zitek (Georgina Bouzova) into the story. Ellen realises that Abs is gullible and concocts lies to convince him to marry her so that she can obtain a visa to remain in the UK. He risked prison when he realised the marriage was a sham and ended it.
Producers later explored the character's backstory which included a prison sentence for causing a car accident while joy-riding. The accident left his brother Danny paralysed and alcohol-dependent which would lead to his death. They also introduced his childhood friend Stacey Merrick (Andrew Newton-Lee) who is an alcoholic. Writers used the story to make the character more ambitious as he tries to open an alcohol support clinic. In 2008, Redmond decided to leave Casualty. In the build up to his departure his producers killed off Stacey which caused Abs' life to "spiral out of control". He left during the episode titled "There and Back Again", which was broadcast on 18 October 2008. Redmond returned for one episode in 2016 to celebrate the show's thirtieth anniversary. The character has also been featured in two special episodes set in Cambodia.