Bharti Patel Interview

Ruhma Hanif is Letherbridge’s newest addition, a midwife who promises to ‘deliver’ a refreshing perspective on all things pregnancy related. Here, actress Bharti Patel reveals what we can expect in the months to come.

Tell us a little about yourself Is this your first time in Letherbridge?

I'm very proud to say that I’m a local girl, hailing from Coventry. This is my first visit ever to Letherbridge and it’s all very exciting.

We know that your character is a midwife, what else can you tell us about her?

As a community midwife, she is a woman's woman. She firmly believes that a pregnant woman will and can have a very joyous and natural experience and that we should embrace the female body at this time and work with it, trying to avoid medical intervention as much as possible and listen to what "mum " wants.

I hope she is what every woman may want when starting out to becoming a mum; another woman who supports and listens to what she wants and doesn't ever judge or bully her into an easier labour for the sake of speed/ and convenience. Ok Ruhma rant over!

Who do you think she’ll get along with, is there anyone at the Mill she’s likely to disagree with?

Ruhma is hoping to blend in, and not rock the boat. However, she also wants to promote more midwife-led home births, so watch out any doctors at The Mill who don’t agree - Ruhma will give a good fight.

We haven’t had a good romance story for a while. Could that be on the cards for Rhuma?

A good romance, phew. Sounds like hard work! Honestly, I doubt it; she's a very busy independent woman with a big capital "I". If it were to happen I think it would be a bolt out the blue, Ruhma isn't looking and it's not on her radar at all. Nope, she's happy with life as it is and unless you know something else, that's how it's staying.

How do you compare to Ruhma? Have you bought any of yourself to the character?

I suppose there are many things that are similar. For a start, we both look very similar, we're tall, (yes you read that right, now move on) both of us have an absolute love of food and the finer things, like a good fish finger sandwich. We also share a sense of fun and humour.

If you really worked in a surgery which would you be: receptionist, nurse, Doctor or Practice Manager and why?

Ooh good question... I'd be the cleaner, sneaking in and out, listening to bits of chat and moving on. I'd eat the biscuits and snacks from the staff room and swivel on the Doctor's chairs. I may even play a few tricks on some of the others.

And finally we’ve heard that you like playing tricks. Have you played any since starting on Doctors?

Tricks I've played so far... Well, on my first day on Doctors I was with the lovely Owen Brenman. While in the make-up room, he came across to introduce himself and, don't ask me why, but out my mouth came a good (if I say so myself ) Scottish accent. I made a point of pronouncing my name in the accent "Bhhaarrti " (try it with a nice thick Scottish accent, and make sure you get all the a's, r's and t's.)

Owen, bless him, tried his hardest to get my name right, he even tried to help others to pronounce it properly. A few days later I confessed and thankfully Owen being the trouper he is saw the funny side and congratulated me on my fearlessness to play jokes on my first day of filming.

There are a few more, but the truth is that would be telling. What happens at "The Mill " stays at The Mill... Ooh, apart from the time I got Mrs Tembe... Nope... That would be wrong to tell... Maybe not this time. I'll wait till I know you a bit better. Sorry!