When a What's on TV columnist branded Serena "a bit cold-hearted", Russell defended her explaining that she had a great bedside manner, but she did not care what people thought about her, which made her "so scary" [REF].
In June 2012, Serena's work and personal lives clashed when her teenage daughter, Elinor (Charlotte Hope), arrived on the wards with her friend Gabby (Georgina Campbell) [REF].