Appearance
S16 E16 ‘Prince Among Men’ –
Job Title
Specialist Registrar
First Words
Background
Raf is dedicated, driven and passionate in equal measures to his medical profession and devotion to his wife, Amy. He is an enigmatic force of natures who leads with his heart rather than his head. He strives to get the best from his colleagues though they sometimes struggle to keep up with his demanding and sometimes stubborn nature.
We are introduced to Raf in S16 E16, when Guy and Ric have interviewed a string of uninspiring candidates for the registar’s position on AAU when Raf turns up and stuns them with an impressive CV – and bags of confidence! Hired on the spot, Raf’s soon making his presence felt on AAU – he gives Harry a dressing down over his CPR technique, then finds Adele texting on the ward and confiscates her phone! But Raf soon turns his attention to Tay Simons, a young patient with a serious lung infection. Raf knows Tay will die without the aid of an ECMO machine – and as Holby doesn’t have one, Raf decides to build his own version using various bits of hospital equipment. Raf is delighted when the homemade ECMO works and he’s able to save Tay’s life – but Guy doubts his maverick methods. In S16 E18, Harry witnesses dynamic Raf having a photocall for a medical journal, he’s determined to find a specialism. Raf rejects his attempts at joining his resus team, so Harry looks elsewhere. In S16 E20, Raf tries to prevent a reckless Harry from booking a last minute holiday to Cuba. In S16 E24, Harry’s delighted when attractive new consultant pharmacist, Amy Teo, appears on AAU. Although they’re at loggerheads over how best to treat a patient, Harry wastes no time in trying to charm Amy, which doesn’t go unnoticed with Raf. But when Harry suggests getting to know her better, Amy drops the bombshell that she’s married – and Harry finally realises she’s married to Raf! In S16 E26, Harry arrives at work full of swagger, having been invited to an exclusive black-tie dinner. But his mood is dampened when he discovers that not only is Raf the event’s keynote speaker but that his wife, Amy, is now working permanently on the ward. Harry tries to remain professional around Amy, after his attempts to make a pass at her, but is intrigued when he notices tension between Raf and his wife and suspects they’re not the happy couple they seem. Then, when Raf muscles in on Harry’s patient, an ex-glamour model with suspected appendicitis, a furious Harry decides to worm his way into Amy’s affections as a means of getting back at Raf. When an argument between Raf and Amy results in her fleeing the ward in tears, Harry sees an opportunity to comfort her. As he does so, Amy confides in him that she’s on her third round of IVF, which is putting a real strain on her marriage. Later, when Raf’s called onto an emergency case and is unable to take a dressed-up Amy to the dinner, a suited and booted Harry confidently tells Raf he’ll escort her. In S16 E27, it’s the day that Raf and Amy discover whether their final round of IVF has been successful. But Raf soon becomes distracted by a case – a patient who has been technically dead for several hours but whom Raf believes is a candidate for a Lazarus-like resuscitation. Torn between his wife’s emotional needs and cutting-edge medicine, Raf’s priorities are tested. In S16 E29, things are frosty between Amy and Raf when she’s keen to push ahead with another round of IVF, while Raf sees no reason to rush things. When Harry responds to Amy’s obvious distress by using his family connections to pull some strings at the IVF clinic, getting her and Raf shifted to the front of the queue, she’s ecstatic. But Raf is furious she’s discussed their private life with the colleague he loathes and, when pushed by Amy, he admits he doesn’t feel ready for children. Amy’s distraught at the realisation she may never have kids and, with Raf going off to a conference for the weekend, she drowns her sorrows at Albie’s bar, where Harry finds her. Drunk and at her lowest ebb, Amy reaches out to Harry – and they end up kissing. In S16 E33, Amy’s desperately trying to avoid Harry, following their night together, as she arrives at work with husband Raf. And it seems she’s feeling particularly sensitive as she’s very weepy and Mr Thompson’s kipper breakfast is making her feel queasy. Suspecting she might be pregnant, Amy does a pregnancy test – and it’s positive! Amy’s overjoyed that she’s finally going to be a mum but the father of the baby could be either Raf’s – or Harry’s. Hopeful it’s her husband’s child, Amy breaks the news to Raf and he’s delighted. Wanting to leave Holby to protect her marriage, Amy encourages Raf to apply for a job abroad – but he’s adamant that, with a baby on the way, they should stay put. However, when Harry makes it clear that he’ll keep their affair a secret if she can help him work more closely with her husband, Amy realises he’s going to be in her life for a very long time. In S16 E34, Harry asks Amy if she’ll be his assessor for his upcoming specialist doctor’s exam, Amy accuses him of playing games but Harry suggests they both want the same thing: him out of AAU. Later, as Harry continues to feel undermined by Raf he warns Amy that, if Raf doesn’t change his ways, he will bite back. Fearing Harry will spill the beans about their affair, Amy decides to help him up the career ladder. In S16 E35, having agreed to assess Harry in his doctor’s exams to get him off AAU following their one-night stand, Amy reckons pro-footballer Andre would be a good case for Harry’s e-portfolio. When Amy’s pregnancy sickness strikes and she leaves without informing Harry of a change in Andre’s meds, Harry ends up giving Andre the wrong drug. Knowing an enquiry will prevent him from moving on, Amy takes the blame for Harry’s mistake to protect her marriage to Raf. In S16 E37, Amy faces Serena after taking the blame for Harry. Raf, gets suspicious when he realises her story contradicts Harry’s and, knowing his wife never makes mistakes, he confronts Harry while they operate on a patient. When Harry admits Amy did cover for his mistake Raf goes straight to his wife and demands the truth. But he gets more than he bargained for when Amy tells him the real truth – that she slept with Harry. In S16 E38, Raf’s devastated after the shock confession from Amy and that Harry could be the father of her unborn child – a baby they’d been trying so desperately to conceive. Knowing he needs to take control, Raf orders Amy to take a paternity test. He insists he’s not prepared to bring up another man’s child – especially Harry’s – then delivers an ultimatum: it’s me or the baby. Harry, meanwhile, is concerned with passing his end of year assessment but when he believes Raf’s deliberately trying to see him fail, Harry loses it and tries to pick a fight with him. But as Raf retaliates and Amy gets caught in the scuffle and tries to shield her stomach, Harry realises she’s pregnant – and it dawns on him that he could be the baby’s father. Later, Amy waits in obstetrician Mr Thompson’s office to carry out the paternity test – but doesn’t go through with it. In S16 E39, Raf feels wretched about his dysfunctional marriage while having to work harmoniously alongside Harry. When a vulnerable patient poses as a threat to Amy, Raf instinctively goes to save her, which stirs up his true feelings. Later, Raf decides that, whether Amy’s baby is his or not, he wants them to be together. In S16 E41, Raf resolves not to let what happened between Amy and Harry destroy his marriage. However, when he’s asked to help advance Harry’s career, he struggles to be honest. In S16 E42, Raf gets a surprise when his younger brother, Giuseppe, turns up on AAU with busted ribs and plenty of charm. As Giuseppe talks about the importance of family, Raf decides to take the steps he needs to try and get his marriage to Amy back on track. In S16 E46, when Harry’s dad, Billy arrives on AAU to observe son Harry at work, Raf struggles not to let the Tressler family get under his skin. But when Raf, Harry, Amy and Billy find themselves thrown together at the charity gala, Raf struggles to keep his feelings hidden. In S16 E47, Raf crashes his new car, Amy fears her baby may have been harmed, so Raf takes her to see Mr Thompson, who gives Amy an ultrasound scan and reveals she’s expecting a baby boy. Amy’s delighted but Raf’s distant, especially when she tries to talk baby names and reminds him they liked Callum for a boy. Amy’s joy turns to sadness when she fears she’s losing the baby but when she suggests they visit Mr T again, Raf leaves her side to save a patient. When Raf then finds Amy in tears he thinks the baby’s died. Amy’s crying because everything’s OK – but it’s clear Raf’s still struggling with the idea the baby might be Harry’s. Amy reminds Raf that he’d said he could come to terms with her infidelity but she suggests he was relieved when he thought she’d lost ‘Callum’. Later, however, Amy drops the bombshell that she’s going to stay with her brother. In S16 E49, Raf resolves to give Harry a chance to prove himself. But when he sees an opportunity to undermine the ambitious registrar, Raf makes a dramatic intervention with disastrous consequences for Harry. In S16 E50, Raf treats Serena’s elderly mother with dementia. Raf notices bruises on her arms and when he asks where she got her injuries from, Adrienne suggests Serena’s been abusing her. However Raf soon realises Serena might be the one having to defend herself when Adrienne goes for Serena in a violent rage. In S16 E51, it’s the day of Harry’s hearing, after a vengeful Raf got him suspended by hiding a patient’s notes, which led to the patient bleeding out and almost dying in theatre. Serena wants to postpone the hearing because of a busy schedule – but Raf thinks they should press ahead, desperate to get the man who slept with his wife out of his life for good. At the hearing, an angry Harry accuses Raf of being a liar and the meeting is adjourned. Later on AAU, Raf is clearly struggling with the guilt that he was the one who put the patient’s life in jeopardy and decides to come clean to Guy and Serena about his part in the incident.
In S17 E2, after Raf lost his nerve in theatre in the previous episode and told ward manager Fletch he was struggling because his wife Amy had slept with Harry and that he could be the father of her unborn child, Fletch vowed to help Raf get his life – and career – back on track. Keen to get Raf dealing with challenging cases, Fletch urges him to treat Eric, who has serious facial injuries. When Eric reveals he can’t see, Raf realises his injuries are worse than first thought – but the nervous registrar is unable to reassure Eric that he can save his sight. When Raf tells Fletch that he’s still in no fit state to perform such complex eye surgery, Fletch is cruel to be kind and tells Raf he can’t let a man go blind just because he has marriage problems. Raf knows he has to prove himself as a surgeon. In S17 E4, Raf tries to adjust to life as a single man, he finds his moves are a tad rusty and a romantic encounter leads to unexpected trouble on the ward. In S17 E7, Raf proves to be a good friend to Serena following the recent death of her mother. In S17 E9, now 32 weeks’ pregnant, Amy knows she has to plan for the baby’s arrival, so she asks estranged husband Raf to be her birthing partner. But she gets a shock when he responds by asking for a divorce. But she doesn’t have time to dwell on things as, not long afterwards, Amy throws up – and it’s Harry of all people who takes her to see obstetrician Mr Thompson. Amy’s worried when he diagnoses high blood pressure – and stunned when he then confirms she’s in labour. With Amy’s blood pressure rising and the baby becoming distressed, Mr T says she needs a Caesarean. Although Raf and Harry don’t know which of them is the baby’s father, when they hear Amy’s in labour, they both make sure they’re by her side as a healthy baby boy arrives. As an overwhelmed Harry leaves, Amy develops complications but urges Raf to go and watch over the baby. Initially reluctant, Raf manages to bond with the newborn, believing it could be his son. Later, Raf visits a sleeping Amy and talks fondly about the baby and admits he suggested a divorce because he can’t forgive himself for the problems in their marriage. Little does he know, Amy’s heard it all. In S17 E10, Serena learns that Raf and Harry still don’t know which of them fathered Amy’s baby, Callum and she decides to lend a hand in getting the ball rolling. Amy confides in Serena that she wants to go ahead with the paternity test and Serena fast-tracks the results; the baby is Harry’s. As Harry comes to terms with becoming a father and tells her he will support them and be a part of his son’s life, Amy drops the bombshell that she is leaving Holby and moving back to Singapore. In S17 E11, Raf treats a pair of bickering panto stars for whom the drama has spilled over onto the ward.
Memorable Moments
Pinterest – Raf di Lucca – Joe McFadden
Extra Images
