RIVER City star Frances Thorburn reveals the cast cried real tears when the lives of two of the soap’s best loved characters are left hanging in the balance. The actress, who has played Shell Suit Bob’s love interest Kim in the show since 2011, is involved in a tragic car accident which will be screened next week. 4 Bob (Stephen Purdon) and Angus (Scott Fletcher) find the car wreck with injured Kim (Frances Thorburn) and Bernie (Barbara Rafferty).
4 Angus (Scott Fletcher) consoles Bob (Stephen Purdon) as the life of his fiancée Kim (Frances Thorburn) hangs in the balance. 4 Bernie (Barbara Rafferty) was driving the car off on holiday when they crashed on a country road. Passenger Kim O’Hara and driver Bernie O’Hara, played by Babara Rafferty, are in high spirits as they depart on a family break.
But it soon turns into a nightmare when Bernie crashes her car on a country road leading to a mercy dash to hospital . And Frances reveals how her close knit co-stars, including Stephen Purdon (Bob O’Hara) and Scott Fletcher (Angus Lindsay), broke down on set over the heartbreaking storyline that will rock Shieldinch and shock viewers. She says: “The episodes are full of huge dramatic moments, and filming the crash and all the aftermath was full on.
READ MORE SHIOWBIZ SHIELD-LYNCH River City villain set for final showdown with Lenny Murdoch WHAT A TONIC River City fans double take after spotting Buckfast dupe branded 'Monksfeast' “The whole time was emotional but the boys, Stephen and Scott, were lovely and gave lots of support. “I didn’t want to cry and tried to just concentrate on the scenes, but when I looked around the boys were crying - in fact everyone was crying.” Viewers will see Kim and Bernie packing their car for the road trip only for Angus to tell Bob he has an urgent job to attend to - but it’s just a ruse for Bob to secretly collect Kim’s engagement ring.
Tragically it leads to Bob and Angus being the first ones to come across the devastating crash site with the O’Hara family then gathering at the hospital as Bob’s aunt Bernie appears to have come worse off from the smash. Most read in Showbiz PREGNANCY SHOCK Charlotte Dawson reveals she's pregnant after fiancé's sexting scandal SCHOOL OF ROCK Nineties music legend stuns Scots with impromptu gig at school reunion BABY BIEBER! Justin Bieber & wife Hailey welcome first child together and share first photo BABY ON WAY! Gran-to-be Lorraine Kelly reunites with Rosie as she reveals due date However Frances reveals there were plenty of lighter moments too while filming the grim scenes. The mum-of-one explains: “You can see all the joy and excitement as we all pack to go off on holiday .
Inside River City star Stephen Purdon’s boozy birthday bash as celeb pals celebrate milestone “But there was a real joy on set too as this was the first time doing River City that I had actually been on location as I’m always on the set in Dumbarton . “So we were out filming on a single track road at Loch Lomond near Cameron House where there’d be dog walkers and runners going past you when we’re getting ready to do our scenes. “But for the most part it was really just me and Barbara in the thick of it and I felt like it was a beautiful thing in a sense that we were both there to support each other during such emotional scenes.
” She adds: “Barbara’s character Bernie has been more seriously hurt. We were all meant to be in the car together but there’s a complication because the boys are secretly doing the whole engagement ring thing. “So they unfortunately find us and although my character has been injured she’s more like the walking wounded.
“She knows what’s happening. She goes to hospital, but she’s quite happy to just go home because she feels okay. “Kim is in shock and has a whiplash but she really just wants to see the kids .
” As the O’Hara family hold a bedside vigil for stricken Bernie, Frances reveals she has grown close to 74-year-old Barbara, along with married dad-of-two Stephen, 40, and Sally Howitt, 60, who plays Bob’s mum . She says: “They have become like family, especially Stephen. “I’d only ever really done theatre before River City, so I knew nothing about telly.
But Stephen was a really stable force, was always on his lines and totally supportive. “We just had this beautiful, natural chemistry both as characters and as people. He has been a huge part of my life and I have got to know his wife and kids too.
“And I see Sally, who plays Scarlet, socially. She’s like my real mum-in-law. A true pal.
” But Frances’s character has certainly needed plenty of pals in the BBC Scotland soap after being through the wringer since arriving in Shieldinch as Kim Monroe 13 years ago. 4 Last month Kim (France Thorburn) proposed to Bob (Stephen Purdon) with a Haribo ring after a heart transplant. During that time she has been on the run from an abusive and coercive husband, before starting an on/off relationship with Bob with the couple finally marrying in 2018 after having a son Mackenzie (Connor McPhelim).
Talking about Kim’s highs and lows, Frances says: “When she first came into the show it was kind of a slow burn with Bob. “When they eventually got together they decided they wanted to try and have children , but Bob couldn’t have kids. “There’s then this whole really random storyline where they were going to try and artificially inseminate, but then that didn’t work .
“Then Kim and Angus slept together to try and have a child , which was a complete head melt. “So when she fell pregnant they didn’t know whether it was Angus’s or Bob’s. But it turned out to be a miracle baby as Bob could have children after all.
” However Bob blows their relationship when he has a seedy affair with stripper Nicole Brodie (Holly Jack) who then blackmails him leading them to divorce , although Kim kept his surname. Frances, 44, from Shawlands, Glasgow , adds: “They had been happy for a very long time until everything hit the fan because of Bob’s affair. “That all came out at Christmas time and I threw a trifle on Nicole’s head because she’d messed around with my man.
But that’s soap land for you.” However earlier this year the couple patched everything up when Bob proposed to Kim following her heart transplant - using Haribos for engagement rings. Frances says: “That was lovely because he kind of lost his way and messed everything up.
“But it ends up a beautiful love story with the hospital bed proposal and the Haribo sweets for rings. That was a gorgeous episode and fans really seemed to like it.” And the show’s fervent followers is something the actress has had to get used to.
She says: “I remember walking through an airport in Turkey when I heard the shout of ‘Kim’, then these folk came up and started asking how I was getting on with Bob. “I love just how passionate the fans are about River City. They really love it and the characters.
” Read more on the Scottish Sun 'BEST IN TOWN' 'We need to stockpile', cry locals as Scots butchers to close after 40yrs BITE MOVE Eight sharks spotted near Scots beach as country labelled vital breeding ground And of course in true soap tradition, Frances gives no spoilers to next week’s drama, only promising: “Whatever happens, it’s going to be epic.” *River City is screened on BBC Scotland tomorrow (Monday) at 10pm and BBC One Scotland on Tuesday at 7pm. with both episodes available first on BBC iPlayer from Monday.
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