Casualty finally reveals if Ngozi has died and newcomer Matty packs a punch as comeback episode drops on BBC iPlayer
Casualty's back on BBC One tonight with all the bombshells
Casualty is well and truly back with a bang – with the first episode of 2026 dropping on BBC iPlayer, ahead of airing on BBC One tonight as viewers get to learn whether Ngozi has died.
The last episode of 2025 left viewers on a cliffhanger, wondering if Ngozi would survive after she was rushed to the hospital following a devastating collapse at the airport.
And, as episode one begins, it appears that Nicole’s on-off lover has indeed died. But there is a lot more to come…
***Warning – spoilers for Casualty episode one 2026 ahead ***
New doctors Matty and Kim make quite the entrance – and impression – in the ED
New resident doctors Kim Chang and Matty Linlaker arrive in the ED on the hottest day of the year. Raring to go, they hit the ground running with a packed emergency room. Matty’s overconfident attitude seems to impress his mentor, Flynn, but Kim gets off on the wrong foot with Stevie.
After assuming Stevie is a man, Kim apologises for her error, and they got to work. But Kim’s self-doubt irritates Stevie, who bluntly tells her that she isn’t made for the ED.
Is Matty Dylan’s son?
Dylan is reluctant to mentor Matty, leading to Flynn having to take over. However, Dylan is later shocked to learn he may end up with a bigger connection to the new recruit.
Dylan learns Matty’s surname was Linlaker – the same surname as his university girlfriend called Sarah.
As Stevie teases him that he could be Matty’s dad, Dylan looks seriously worried.
Later, Steve brings up the subject of Matty’s mum with him and ask for her name. Stevie is very pleased with her detective work when he reveals his mum is called Sarah. This is until she sees the horrified look on Dylan’s face!
After Matty admits that his mum had to give up her own career dreams after falling pregnant at university, Dylan can’t get off his shift quickly enough.
Later, after a devastated Matty faces his first patient death, Dylan tries to comfort the newcomer. But Matty is cold to Dylan after he’s refused to mentor him earlier in the day. Little does he know, they could be related.
At the end of the Casualty episode, Stevie catches up with Dylan and asks what he is going to do with his new-found information. He confirms that he isn’t going to do anything and instead plans to go home and comfort eat a homemade vegan lasagne.
Could Dylan really be Matty’s dad? Or is this just one big coincidence? Only time will tell.
Is Ngozi in Casualty dead?
The final episode of the last series aired back in September 2025, leaving fans fearing Ngozi Okoye would die?
She ended up fighting for her life in Holby ED following a shock airport collapse. Instead of flying to Nigeria with her son, Obi, she drank herself into oblivion. Thankfully, Nicole found her at the last moment, but was it too little too late?
As the last series came to a close, viewers feared the worst when Ngozi began to experience cardiac arrest. But it’s good news for fans, because we can confirm Ngozi is still alive and well despite her ordeal.
At first, in the returning episode, things look bad for Ngozi as new doctor Kim Chang takes over the troubled medic’s locker. Nicole then explains that the locker used to belong to her friend, but she is ‘no longer with them’. Kim assumes that means she is dead and offers her condolences.
After an agonisingly long episode that leads everyone to believe Ngozi has met her maker, it turns out that Nicole just means Ngozi is no longer working at the hospital. Phew!
So where exactly is Ngozi now and will she come back to the ED in Casualty?
Casualty reveals right at the end of the episode that Ngozi is in rehab. Long-time fans of the show will know that she has struggled with addiction, and her drinking at the airport was a huge relapse.
Casualty has not confirmed whether Ngozi will be back in the ED yet this series, but she and Nicole appear on very good terms – although she does only refer to her as ‘friend’ to Kim – so that gives us hope she has someone (and more storylines) to come back to.
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