Raffaello "Raf" di Lucca is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama Holby City, played by actor Joe McFadden. He first appeared in the sixteenth series episode "Prince Among Men", broadcast on 28 January 2014. Raf is a Registrar General Surgeon, who joined the Acute Assessment Unit staff. He was introduced along with two other regular characters by the show's executive producer Oliver Kent in a bid to "shake things up". McFadden's casting was announced in September 2013, and he began filming the following month. He initially received a one-year contract with the show. To help him prepare for the role, McFadden watched open-heart surgery. McFadden departed in the nineteenth series episode "Group Animal, Part Two", broadcast on 7 December 2017, and returns for a single episode in the twenty-second series, broadcast on 21 July 2020.
Raf is portrayed as "highly driven", passionate, moral and "very sensitive". McFadden took inspiration for some of Raf's personality traits from his Italian brother-in-law. Raf specialises in trauma and uses cutting-edge techniques in his work. The character's introductory scenes saw him save a young patient's life with improvised equipment, leading to conflict with the hospital's CEO Guy Self (John Michie). Raf's wife, consultant pharmacist Amy Teo (Wendy Kweh), was introduced two months later and it soon became clear that their marriage was strained by their fertility issues. Amy later conceived a child with Raf's rival Harry Tressler (Jules Knight), following a one-night stand.
Raf struggled to comprehend Amy's infidelity and McFadden called the situation "tragic". Raf embarked on a revenge scheme against Harry and attempted to ruin his career by risking a patient's life. The storyline divided the audience, with some believing Harry deserved everything he got, while others thought Raf had gone too far. Following the end of his marriage to Amy, Raf became more humble and he began to lighten up. He also developed a close friendship with Adrian "Fletch" Fletcher (Alex Walkinshaw). In June 2015, nurse Cara Martinez (Niamh Walsh) was introduced to AAU, and she and Raf had a brief "will-they-won't-they" romance, which became popular with fans. Raf later begins a relationship with Essie Harrison (Kaye Wragg), which results in their marriage. Shortly after, Raf dies after being shot by Fredrik Johansson (Billy Postlethwaite).
Casting
On 17 September 2013, Daniel Kilkelly of entertainment website Digital Spy announced that actor Joe McFadden had joined the main cast of Holby City as new registrar Raffaello "Raf" di Lucca. McFadden's casting was announced alongside Petra Letang, who joined the cast as healthcare assistant Adele Effanga, and David Ames, who returned to his role as Dominic Copeland. The show's executive producer Oliver Kent said Raf's introduction would help to "shake things up" and hoped viewers would warm to him, Adele and Dominic. McFadden had previously appeared as a patient in Holby City'''s sister show Casualty, which is set in the same fictitious hospital. Of his casting, McFadden stated "I'm absolutely thrilled to be joining the cast of such a successful show and becoming part of the staff at Holby City. I'm looking forward to scrubbing in and showing off Raf's innovative lifesaving skills!" McFadden began filming in October and was initially contracted for a year. To prepare for the role, McFadden watched open-heart surgery. He developed a respect for the surgeons he met, and gained some insight into why his character might have such a large ego. He also watched episodes of 24 Hours in A&E and Grey's Anatomy.