George Rainsford explains Casualty exit

George Rainsford left 'Casualty' to spend more time with his family.

The 40-year-old actor departed the medical drama in February after nine years playing Ethan Hardy and he explained there were a "few factors" behind his decision, including wanting to be at home with wife Jaimi Barbakoff and their two children.

He told the Daily Express newspaper: "There were just a few factors, I was living away from home for a long period and I also was missing doing other sorts of acting roles."

But the actor confirmed there is a possibility he will return to the show in future.

He said: “I spoke to [the producers] about an extended break. As yet, there's no return date planned, but I think the door is open."

One of Ethan's major storylines was his diagnosis with incurable Huntington's disease, and George hoped he was able to raise awareness of the condition through the plot, as he himself had very little knowledge of it before it was brought up by show bosses.

He said: “I just wanted to basically be authentic and make sure I was telling that story correctly.

“I wanted to shine a light on a condition that not a lot of people know about, and I didn't know about to be honest.

“I didn't want to just skirt around the edges and do it generalised, particularly around how you go about telling family members or your work colleagues that you are living with something like that.”

George previously explained his character's condition provided scriptwriters with a "challenge" to ensure it was connected to his storylines without overwhelming them.

He said: "The challenge has always been finding a story that is related, but doesn't necessarily mean that Ethan gets the symptoms

"Once that properly happens, he can't be a doctor and then the character is on his way out."