Meera Syal's laughable heart surgery

Sunday, 21 June 2009

Meera Syal's doctor friends laughed at her when she told them she is to play a heart surgeon in 'Holby City'.

The successful comedienne and author she was delighted with landing her role in the BBC medical drama because it means she will finally fulfil her parents ambitions for her.

She joked: "My parents always wanted me to be a doctor, and this is my only chance.

"I know many doctors through my family and when I said I was playing a heart surgeon, the first reaction was laughter."

Former 'The Kumars at No. 42' actress is, however, taking her latest role seriously as an old friend of Holby City Hospital surgeon Elliot Hope, who returns to convince him to resume an attempt at pioneering heart surgery which they have previously tried as young doctors.

Meera watched real surgeons performing operations in preparation for the role, and admitted she finds them "sexy".

She added: "The surgeons are amazingly clever and they've put in years of dedication. They do five operations a day and think nothing of it.

"Everyone seems to look sexy in scrubs too. Before they go into theatre, surgeons look like normal people. But after surgery you're like 'Oh my God, I love you! What you did is so sexy.' "

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