'It feels like art imitating life!' Casualty’s Charles Venn becomes a grandfather

Charles Venn feels like "art is imitating life" after he became a grandfather in real life, and in 'Casualty'.

The 51-year-old star's character Jacob Masters recently became the legal guardian of his grandchild, after Jacob's son Blake (Kai Thorne) abandoned his child, and Charles is also now a gramps.

He told OK! magazine: "I recently became a grandad myself in real life, so the timing feels like art imitating life!

"Jacob is definitely the most fulfilling character I've ever played and I’ve grown as an actor with him.

“He’s gone through so many challenges in his nine, almost 10, years at 'Holby' and there are still many things unexplored with him.

“Although [laughing] when I started in 2015 I had a lot less grey hair!”

Blake left baby Carter outside the A and E, department and has not been seen since.

Charles admitted that while his alter-ego found it difficult to suddenly take on a full-time grandparent role, he had no choice.

He added: "Of course Jacob takes on the role of guardian, as difficult as that is to do.

"But it’s better than Carter being taken into care. So Jacob’s having to juggle looking after him along with his job – luckily he’s got lovely Jan [Di Botcher] to help him, otherwise there would be no way he could do that.

"In the midst of that, he’s looking for Blake. As a father, the thought of my son out there and I don’t know where he is, it’s not right. Blake has a history with narcotics too, so it’s stressful."