Holby City actress Hermione Gulliford has thanked fans of the BBC hospital drama after her character was murdered by evil medic Professor John Gaskell.

Neurosurgeon Roxanna MacMillan had been left unable to communicate or move after John, played by former Doctor Who star Paul McGann, sabotaged her life-saving operation and caused her to develop locked-in syndrome.

During Tuesday’s episode John injected a deadly substance into Roxanna’s intravenous drip after she tried to expose him as a fraud by spelling out a message on a board of letters.

Gulliford posted a photograph of herself on set with her co-stars Kaye Wragg (Essie Harrison) and Guy Henry (Henrik Hanssen) on social media and revealed that she would be unable to watch her dramatic exit from the show.

She tweeted: “Now this is a message to all you marvellous Holby City fans. I can’t watch tonight as I’m going to the theatre, but I leave you in the immensely capable hands of the brilliant ⁦Sean Glynn who directed tonight’s episode, and thanks so much for your kind words and support XX.”

Replying to Gulliford’s tweet, Wragg wrote: “Love this woman and Mr Glynn. Lovely guy all round. Great craft and storytelling.”

Gulliford first appeared on-screen as Roxanna on a recurring basis in April 2013 before reprising the role in October 2017.

Holby City continues on BBC One next Tuesday at 8pm.