Casualty's Derek Thompson is BBC's highest-paid soap star

Figures released today revealed that Derek Thompson, who plays veteran nurse Charlie Fairhead on the medical drama, is the BBC's highest paid actor at £400,000-a-year Perhaps one of the most surprising revelations to come out of the BBC pay dossier is that stars on Casualty are the corporation's highest paid actors. Figures released today revealed that Derek Thompson, who plays veteran nurse Charlie Fairhead on the medical drama, is the BBC's highest paid actor tipping the scales at between £350,000 and £399,000 a year. Thompson, pictured during the first series, is followed by Amanda Mealing, who plays doctor Connie Beauchamp, who is paid between £250,000 and £299,000 Casualty is the longest-running emergency medical drama television series in the world. BBC boss Lord Hall today apologised to staff for the startling difference in pay for men and women: 'Of the talent earning over £150,000 – two thirds are men and one third are women.