| Dominic Copeland | |
|---|---|
| Holby City character | |
 David Ames as Dominic Copeland | |
| First appearance | "Second Life" 23 April 2013 |
| Last appearance | "Episode 1102" 29 March 2022 |
| Portrayed by | David Ames |
| In-universe information | |
| Occupation |
|
| Family | Ange Godard (mother) Barry Copeland (adoptive father) Carole Copeland (adoptive mother) Chloe Godard (half-sister) Isabella "Izzy" Hudson (half-sister) Alistair Hudson (half-brother) |
| Spouse | Lofty Chiltern (2018−) |
| Significant other | Kyle Greenham Lee Cannon Isaac Mayfield |
Dominic "Dom" Copeland is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama Holby City, played by actor David Ames. He first appeared in the series fifteen episode "Second Life", broadcast on 23 April 2013. Dom arrives at Holby City hospital as an F1 on Keller Ward being mentored by Antoine Malick (Jimmy Akingbola) and later Sacha Levy (Bob Barrett). The character was originally introduced for several episodes and featured in a storyline with Malick. Producers later decided to reintroduce the character on a permanent basis with Dom returning in January 2014.
Dom is a complex character who enjoys causing trouble and creating different personalities to suit his desired outcome of a situation. His manipulative behaviour has seen him lie under oath and attempt to ruin his colleagues careers. His reintroduction signalled a rivalry with Arthur Digby (Rob Ostlere) and a friendship with Zosia March (Camilla Arfwedson). He goes on to develop a close friendship with Arthur that proves significant to his character development. Writers also made changes to his personality by placing Dom alongside senior staff with "strong moral compasses" who help him to become a "better person". The character shares romantic relationships with agency nurse Kyle Greenham (Alan Morrisey) and patient Lee Canon (Jamie Nichols). The latter subjects him to a violent attack which affects his career at the hospital.
Writers carried on victimising the character when they paired him with registrar Isaac Mayfield (Marc Elliott). Their relationship was used to portray domestic abuse within a gay relationship. The story culminated with Dom leaving Isaac and exposing his abuse. Dom was left with a steroid addiction and severe trust issues. His next relationship was developed with nurse Lofty Chiltern (Lee Mead), which results in a doomed marriage. Holby City producer Kate Hall felt it was important because Dom had been emotionally damaged and could not move on quickly. Writers continued to create dramatic stories for the character when he contracts Hepatitis C from a needle stick injury. Producers later rewrote the character's back story which reveals he was adopted and introduced his biological mother Ange Godard (Dawn Steele). Critic Anthony D. Langford from TheBacklot.com has often praised the character for not being stereotypical, while other reviews have labelled him "bad" and "sneaky".