Abi Fletcher (Rachel Brady) 2002-2004

First Regular Appearance: 6.1 (#261) It Could Be You  Sunday 6th October 2002

Last Regular Appearance: 7.32 (#324) A Matter Of Life And Death  Sunday 16th May 2004

Duration: EP: 261 - 324  |  SE: 6.1 – 7.32

Position: Physiotherapist / Club Physio (2002-2004)

Last Seen: Watching Harchester finish fourth and qualify for next season's Champions League. Leaves over the summer.

Abi O’Leary grew up in Ireland. She trained in physiotherapy and by spring 2002 was working in Harchester General Hospital. It was at this time that Harchester United’s first team squad were involved in a coach crash on the M1. Transferred to the local hospital, Abi was assigned to Karl Fletcher and Jamie Parker, and struck up an immediate bond with Karl which, as he recovered, developed into a whirlwind romance. Their devotion to each other was such that Fletch and Abi married before Harchester’s new season began. Shortly afterwards, Abi takes up the position of Harchester United’s Chief Physio.

She gets to know the players and people around her at the club, finding a new friend in Tash and remaining a support to Jamie who still struggles to recover from the crash. After a blackmail attempt by her former university pal, and a disastrous stint cooking Christmas dinner for the team, Abi learns with Fletch that manager Patrick Doyle has a bet on the club being relegated. Doyle is shown the door, but Abi doesn’t get away from his actions unscathed, as Jamie holds the team hostage on the final day of the season. He accidentally shoots Abi, and the Fletcher’s learn she will never be able to carry a child. Only days later, Abi discovers Lynda Block has had Fletch’s son Louis while serving her prison sentence, and presents Abi with her only chance to be a mother – by raising Louis whilst she is inside.

Abi, Fletch and Louis are adjusting to being a family when, Harchester’s newly-appointed Chief Executive Pilar Hernandez puts a stop to it by ordering the sale of Fletch. Abi intends to go with Fletch to Saudi Arabia but at the last minute Lynda tells Abi she cannot take Louis there. Abi is heartbroken to watch Fletch leave without her, but at his request, Marcel looks out for her and moves in. The following months take their toll on Abi, where dragged into Pilar and Stuart's skulduggery at the club and missing Fletch all greatly affect her. At her loneliest point on Christmas Day, she and Marcel sleep together, only for Abi to feel desperately guilty and devote herself to Fletch even more. When Fletch returns with a Sheik who will bring much-needed investment to the club, Pilar, desperate to send Karl away before he can become manager and get her replaced, reveals Abi’s infidelity. Fletch cannot forgive the betrayal as he truly loved Abi and resisted temptation himself, but now knows the marriage can’t go on as he can’t trust her. After Fletch returns Louis to Lynda, Abi has lost everything and she returns to her family in Ireland.

Shortly afterwards Marcel comes to find Abi, and she returns to Harchester knowing Pilar and Stuart fixed a game, which got Harchester liquidated. When the newly-returned Tash overhears Abi calling Stuart a cheat, she wrongly assumes Stuart is doing to Viv Wright what Doyle did to Jamie. When the truth is revealed, Pilar accidentally causes the Sheik's assistant to think Stuart needs to be silenced! At this time, Abi has finally given in to her true feelings for Marcel, but he is targeted in mistake of Stuart and Abi wakes up to find Marcel dead next to her. Abi is devastated, and after seeing the truth regarding Marcel’s death revealed, she leaves Harchester, most likely returning to Ireland.