Izzie Torres


Isobel "Izzie" Torres is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera Doctors. Izzie has been played by four actresses since her onscreen arrival; Jasmin and Nicole Parkinson between 2008 and 2011, Maizey Corbett in 2012, and Bethan Moore from 2018 onwards. Her storylines in the programme have included being left in The Mill as a newborn, being kidnapped, her feud with stepmother Zara Carmichael and becoming an environmental activist.

Development

Izzie was introduced as a 7-month-old baby in 2008, played by twins Jasmin and Nicole Parkinson. The twins' mother commented: "They loved everything about it. Everything about it from the hotel we stayed in to seeing their on screen family - they loved their on screen mum and dad", and added that the girls split their screen-time equally. The Parkinson twins appeared on a recurring basis until 2011. In an episode broadcast on 13 July 2012, Izzie was portrayed by Maizey Corbett.
On 5 November 2018, Izzie was reintroduced, with the role recast to television newcomer Bethan Moore. Izzie returns due to an offscreen argument with her mother, Lisa Torres, and due to Moore being thirteen, the writers were able to give her character mature storylines.

Storylines

A seven-month-old Izzie is discovered in the reception of The Mill by Julia Parsons, after being abandoned by her mother Lisa Torres. George Woodson takes care of her, and Julia discovers a note from Lisa that reveals Daniel Granger is her father. Daniel refuses to believe Izzie is his child, but later accepts it and takes care of her. Daniel tracks Lisa down, and the pair agree to have joint custody of Izzie. When Daniel and his partner Zara Carmichael are at the funfair, Izzie is taken while on a carousel ride. Zara tracks her down, and returns her to Lisa and Daniel. Lisa decides to move to Nottingham with Izzie following the incident.
Years later, Izzie returns to Letherbridge after an argument with Lisa, and claims that she wants to move in with Daniel. She takes an immediate dislike to Zara, and constantly mocks her. At Christmas, she excludes Zara from the family photo and knocks over the Christmas tree, breaking a bauble given to Zara by her mother. Izzie takes half-brother Joe Granger Carmichael out for a day, to make Zara and Daniel worry that they have gone missing. When they return, Zara and Izzie argue, and Zara slaps her. In return, she phones the police on Zara and angrily calls Lisa to take her away. Izzie returns to Letherbridge to meet Daniel's girlfriend Becky Clarke. Despite Becky trying to make a good impression on her, Izzie is unwilling to cooperate, revealing that she is now a vegan and cannot eat the meal Becky has prepared for her. While on her visit, she reveals that she is in therapy and apologises to Zara for her behaviour. Months later, Joe finds Zara and Daniel in bed together, and phones Izzie to tell her. While staying with Daniel during half term, she sees netting hung across a tree in a car park, and researches its purpose. When she discovers that they were hung in order to prevent birds from roosting there, she plans to cut them down with Daniel and Valerie Pitman. While there, the police arrive, and Valerie takes Izzie home while the police take Daniel into the station for questioning. Izzie worries that their actions have been caught on CCTV, but the owner of the car park declines on pressing charges.

Reception

For her portrayal of Izzie, Moore was nominated for Best Newcomer at the 2019 British Soap Awards.