She later developed a negative view of Lofty's actions, quipping that "Lofty simply must know what is wrong at the heart of the household" and that he "has a hotline to everyone's innermost feelings". She later sarcastically noted that Lofty is "all-seeing, all-knowing" and able to "[look] within the soul of an 11-year-old boy", who was "his intellectual equal". She did, however, praise Lofty's "calm common sense" as he "[came] to the rescue" following the black alert at a nearby hospital. Mead revealed that he and Beck had received a positive reaction to their characters' friendships from the audience. Catherine Kielthy of What's on TV described Lofty's shift running the ED as a "horror shift". Graham noted that the death of agency nurse, Diana, left Lofty "[moping] in extremis" and "tormented by guilt". She added that it made him "[roam] the emergency department looking like a tormented poodle". At the time of his departure, Mead revealed that the character had made "such an impact" because he is "connected" to the public. In May 2017, Mead told Dainty (Digital Spy) that he had received positive feedback on Twitter from fans of the character, commenting that "I just feel really fortunate that Lofty has connected with the public for the two years I did on Casualty." He added that there was "lots of excitement" surrounding Lofty's reintroduction. Mead was approached at concerts about the character, with fans asking him whether he would reprising the role. TV Choice reporters placed Lofty's Holby City introduction at number four on its list of "Six shows you must not miss!", commenting that Lofty's appearance served as a "surprise". Dainty (Digital Spy) called the introduction "exciting". Viewers were surprised to discover Lofty's sexuality and expressed their delight at his sexuality being explored. Mead and Ames received positive feedback from Lofty's sexuality storyline, although they have also received homophobic comments. Ames stated that he had received several tweets from fans who liked Lofty and Dom's relationship. Tyler (Inside Soap) felt that Lofty and Dom's friendship and romance complimented Dom's previous abusive relationship. References External links Lofty Chiltern on IMDb Casualty (TV series) characters Holby City characters Television characters introduced in 2014 Fictional gay males Fictional nurses Crossover characters in television Fictional LGBT characters in television Male characters in television