Zosia March | |
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Holby City character | |
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First appearance | "The Kick Inside" 10 September 2013 |
Last appearance | Episode 1089 14 December 2021 |
Portrayed by | Camilla Arfwedson |
Spinoff(s) | Casualty (2019) |
In-universe information | |
Occupation |
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Family | Guy Self (father) Anya Self (mother) |
Spouse | Oliver Valentine (2017–present) |
Children | Arthur Valentine-Self |
Relatives | Valerie Sturgeon (grandmother) |
Zosia March (also Self and Valentine) is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama Holby City, played by actress Camilla Arfwedson. She first appeared in the series fifteen episode "The Kick Inside", broadcast on 10 September 2013. Zosia arrives at Holby City hospital to start her first year of the Foundation Programme. She has a vested interest in psychiatry and has worked on both Darwin and Keller wards mentored by Elliot Hope (Paul Bradley) and Sacha Levy (Bob Barrett) respectively. She is characterised as a forthright, intelligent and unafraid to challenge the hospital hierarchy. The show soon introduced Zosia's estranged father, Guy Self (John Michie). They share a dysfunctional relationship following the death of her mother. Their feud jeopardises Zosia's career and on one occasion she is thrown off Keller following a rude confrontation. Other storylines revolve around close colleagues Arthur Digby (Rob Ostlere) and Dominic Copeland (David Ames) and romances with Sebastian Coulter (Hadley Fraser) and Oliver Valentine (James Anderson), whom she later married.
The character's most prominent story has been the depiction of bipolar disorder. Zosia begins to drink excessively, use drugs and her behaviour becomes uncontrollable. Through her eventual diagnosis the show explored stigma attached to the illness and treatment involving lithium. The story has received acclaim from mental health charities and organisations. Arfwedson chose to leave the role in 2017, and made her departure in the nineteenth series and returned for one episode in the following series. Arfwedson agreed to reprise the role in 2018 for an extended guest stint and Zosia appeared across two months in 2019. She also made a cameo appearance in 2021. The character has been well received by critics. The Sun's Colin Robertson branded her the "feisty junior doctor". A South Wales Echo journalist praised her integrity regarding patient care. However, one Daily Post reviewer felt that Zosia and Guy's storyline became "far-fetched".