Exclusive: Kacey Ainsworth to take break from 'HolbyBlue'

HolbyBlue actress Kacey Ainsworth will disappear from screens before the end of the next series as she is pregnant with her second child.

The 36-year-old, who plays Holby South's resident Inspector Jenny Black, will head off on maternity leave at the end of the year – an entire month before filming for the second run of the police spin-off drama has concluded.

A source at the show told DS: "Kacey won't be appearing in every episode of the new series.

"The writers are still penning the scripts but they've taken her pregnancy into account and will temporarily write her out toward the end of the run."

They added: "She'll only be missing from the last two or three episodes but she's not being written out of the series forever – she'll be back."

Filming for the second, extended series is due to begin at the end of this month and is expected to be completed in January.

Kacey currently has one daughter, three-year-old Blossom, to partner Darren Hales.