 Fiona Gillies (qv) was the producers first choice to play Clare  Shearer when the character was introduced in 1997. However, she was  expecting a baby at the time and so was unable to accept the role,  which instead went to Yolanda Vazquez (I) (qv). When Vasquez  decided to leave at the end of the 1997 series, the producers  debated whether to kill off her character, but instead they  approached Fiona Gillies. This time she was free to take over the  role.