Her on-screen character has spent years caring for other people's babies, but now Helen George, Call The Midwife star, has revealed that she is expecting her own baby. She announced the news by turning up to the TV Choice Awards with a huge bump.
The 33-year-old, who plays Trixie on the BBC show, surprised onlookers at the event at the Dorchester Hotel in London on Monday 4th September, as she arrived cradling her growing stomach whilst wearing a beautiful black floor-length gown.
The actress is expecting her first child with fellow Call The Midwife co-star Jack Ashton. The couple used to be an on-screen item too on the popular BBC show, but their characters, Trixie and Reverend Tom Hereward, split up three years ago, in season four of the show.
The couple then got together in real life in April 2016, after filming the Call The Midwife Christmas special in South Africa. Jack later confirmed the time frame, saying, "It blossomed in South Africa, I think. Around that time."
(Helen at the TV Choice Awards on 4th September)
Helen split with her husband of three years in August 2015, Oliver Boot, after meeting Jack on the set of Call The Midwife.
And given their confused on and off-screen relationships, Jack and Helen have often been forced to clarify their relationship status.
When live on Lorraine in 2016, Lorraine herself commented on how overlapping the pair's real and not-so-real lives seem to be.
She said, "In the show you were dating Nurse Trixie [Helen]... now you are dating Nurse Gilbert [played by Charlotte Ritchie], but in real life you are dating Helen. That's the confusing bit,"
To which Jack cheekily responded, "As long as I know where we're going."
It's not clear how far along Helen's pregnancy is, but the star has been laying low for months now since Call The Midwife season six finished in March 2017. And as such, fans are unsure if Helen's pregnancy might mean she won't be starring on the brand new season of Call the Midwife, which is set to premiere with a Christmas special in December of this year.
Her character Trixie Franklin is one of the last remaining original characters on the programme, meaning she's been with the programme for around five years now.
However, despite the uncertainty, fans were quick to flock to social media to congratulate the star on her happy news.
One fan admitted the news made her "so happy", while another even dismissed the news of a new royal baby for Catherine and William in favour of Helen's announcement.
[twitter]
[twitter]
Congratulations Helen!
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