| Karen Hollins | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Doctors character | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Portrayed by | Jan Pearson | ||||||||||||||||||
| Duration | 2009–2023 | ||||||||||||||||||
| First appearance | "Mac's Women" 23 February 2009 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Last appearance | "Home Comforts" 18 April 2023 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Classification | Former; regular | ||||||||||||||||||
| Created by | Peter Eryl Lloyd | ||||||||||||||||||
| Introduced by | Will Trotter | ||||||||||||||||||
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Karen Hollins (also Teale) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera Doctors, portrayed by Jan Pearson. Introduced as a receptionist at the fictional Mill Health Centre, Karen was created by series producer Peter Eryl Lloyd as a replacement for former receptionist Vivien March (Anita Carey). She first appeared during the episode broadcast on 23 February 2009. Writers eventually introduced a family for Karen; husband and police sergeant Rob (Chris Walker), and their children, Imogen (Charlie Clemmow) and Jack (Nicolas Woodman). Karen is depicted as a hardworking person who cares about her job and the patients at the surgery, but someone who prioritises her family above her work responsibilities.
Karen's storylines in the programme included becoming a healthcare assistant, having an abortion, the breakdown and reconciliation of her marriage to Rob, having amnesia after being involved in a car accident, becoming a foster parent and suffering from a heart attack that led to her eventual death. Pearson enjoyed working with Walker to portray the fictional couple and they have stated that despite their numerous marriage breakdowns, the pair will always be strong as a couple. Walker himself devised the storyline for Karen's memory loss and she was proud of the work that they both put into the year-long story arc. The pair received the British Soap Award for Best On-Screen Partnership in 2010, and after Karen's death, won the accolade again in 2023. For her portrayal of Karen, Pearson has been nominated for various awards, including the British Soap Award for Best Leading Performer and Best Female Acting Performance at the RTS Midlands Awards. Following Pearson making the decision to leave resulting in Karen's death, Radio Times described it as "the end of an era" for Doctors.[1]