Holby's Adam: Dan's 'confused' not necessarily gay

Adam Astill says his recent Holby City storyline when his character locked lips with another man was as much of a surprise to him as it was to viewers.

Adam plays consultant orthopaedic surgeon Dan Hamilton in the BBC One show, who is in a relationship with ward sister Chrissie Williams (Tina Hobley), but who recently shared a kiss with registrar Antoine Malik (Jimmy Akingbola).

The secret shared moment is something Dan can't get his head around, Adam explains.

"I think he's aware perhaps of these feelings, but he's kept them repressed and is denying them to himself constantly. When they come to the fore, they shock him as much as they shock anyone else," he said.

The kiss storyline was also a bit of a shock to Adam, whose character was billed as a straightforward 'ladies' man' when he was cast.

"When I first joined Holby I was being shown around the hospital by one of our surgical advisors and he was saying, 'He's such a great character, arrogant and sporty, and the fact that he might be gay...' And I was like, 'What?' So he knew before I did," recalls Adam.

The actor said it's too simple to describe Dan as gay and even shirks from the description bisexual: "The best we can come up with is 'confused' - it's hard for him to be honest," he says.

Despite Dan's troubled state, Adam hopes viewers will still like the character he's grown so fond of.

"I hope there's some sympathy for him, or at least some understanding as to why he hasn't been more honest with Chrissie," he said.

The tension mounts between Dan and Chrissie in Holby City on BBC One on Tuesday, August 2.