Diane Keen to leave Doctors

Diane Keen has confirmed she is bowing out of BBC One‘s daytime soap opera Doctors.The actress plays practice manager Julia Parsons in the medical soap and is currently the longest-serving actress on Doctors. Keen joined the cast of Doctors in 2003 as the ex-wife of Dr Brendan McGuire (Christopher Timothy) and originally started working as a receptionist at the health centre.

However, the following year she was prompted to practice manager and re-married Brendan but their marriage together was short-lived and they divorced once more in 2007. Since joining the cast in 2003 Diane Keen has been involved in some of the soaps biggest storylines and has become a firm fan favourite.

The actress confirmed her departure from Doctors in an interview with What’s On TV in which she said ‘It’s been a heck of a ride and a huge learning curve. There are so many people I’m going to miss. But we will always keep in touch. Julia has had a tough time over the years, but she has always come through with grace and humour. While she doesn’t suffer fools, she does have a heart of gold and a great sense of humour. So whatever happens, here’s to Julia’s future happiness!’

Keen will bow out of Doctors on May 18th. The actresses role of Julia Parsons in Doctors is not Keen’s first foray into the world of soap. In the early 1970s she played waitress Sandra Gould in Midlands motel soap Crossroads which was followed by a stint in Emmerdale Farm (as it was then known) and in the late 1990s played Molly Marchbank in Brookside. Keen has also had regular roles in programmes such as The Ruth Rendell Mysteries, September Song, Foxy Lady, The Sandbaggers and The Legend of Robin Hood.