character" and compared him to nurse John "Abs" Denham (James Redmond), who was well-received during his tenure on the show. Barry, who wrote Lofty's introduction, thought Lofty resembled a younger, less posh Hugh Grant and described the character as "a bumbly, lovely, nice chap." Elaine Reilly of What's on TV called Lofty a "mild-mannered medic" and a "loveable nurse". Other critics have described the character as "kind", "amiable" and "genuine". Lofty retains similar characteristics when he joins Casualty spin-off series, Holby City. He is described as enjoyable and uncoordinated, while Mead calls Lofty a "happy-go-lucky" character. Mead believed that Lofty is enjoyable because he is a different and unconventional, which appears sweet to an audience. During his on-screen absence, Lofty develops a new-found confidence. Mead said that he returns "a new man". He also stated that another angle to Lofty's personality would be displayed in Holby City. Mead told a reporter from What's On TV that Lofty understands "what he wants from life". Despite Lofty's newly-developed confidence, Mead insisted that he has maintained his personality traits. Mead thought that Lofty had an unconventional method of treating patients and opined that he resembles fictional detective Sherlock Holmes. A BBC Online reporter found Lofty's clumsiness to be sweet rather than a flaw in his characterisation. They also stated that Lofty is not sophisticated, although this can be forgotten because he is warm and friendly. Lofty also does not believe in karma because he has witnessed "too many bad things happen to good people." Backstory and introduction Lofty is a trained nurse who was living with his parents and using their money to party. Lofty repeatedly told his parents that he would apply for a job and find somewhere to live, which he never did. His parents grew tired of him and his father asked him to move out so Lofty lied and told them he had found a house. In May 2017, Mead revealed that Lofty's backstory would be explored, specifically the character's reasons for joining the nursing profession. Lofty's first episode, entitled "The Last Chance Saloon", aired on 1 March 2014. In Lofty's first scenes, it emerges that he is living in the loft of a house owned by his father and rented by Robyn Miller (Amanda Henderson) and Max Walker (Jamie Davis), having stolen the keys to the house. The scenes provided the character with the nickname, "Lofty". Robyn found