Has Mrs Hall left All Creatures Great and Small? Season 6 has already sparked questions about Anna Madeley's beloved character

All Creatures Great and Small fans were in for a shock when season 6 premiered on 27th September after months of anticipation for the new series. Yes, we returned to the picturesque Yorkshire Dales and our favourite vets, but it was immediately clear that things were not as they should be at Skeldale House.

Putting it mildly, Siegfried Farnon was living in complete disarray and we all know this would never be allowed to happen on Mrs Hall’s watch. So where was the beloved housekeeper, played brilliantly by Anna Madeley since season 1? Well, thankfully, All Creatures Great and Small season 6 episode 1did give us some much-needed answers.

Did Mrs Hall leave All Creatures Great and Small?

Yes - and no… Mrs Audrey Hall left All Creatures Great and Small in between the 2024 Christmas special and the premiere episode of season 6 which kicks off four years later chronologically. However, this does not mean Anna Madeley has departed as a cast-member permanently as we soon saw her back in action.

At first it wasn’t clear exactly what had gone on between Mrs H and Siegfried, as he seemed not to think he required her help any longer at home. However, this couldn’t have been further from the truth and his friend and fellow vet James Herriot and brother Tristan Farnon headed off to Sunderland to persuade the housekeeper to come back to Skeldale House.

It turns out that Mrs Hall had gone there to live with her son Edward after he returned from fighting in the war and was spending time with him and her granddaughter. When James and Tristan arrived in Sunderland they didn’t make it clear that Siegfried (whom many fans suspect harbours feelings for Mrs H and vice versa) hadn’t asked them to go to her.

She agreed to come back for a bit to help sort Skeldale House out and Siegfried was stunned to see her again and clearly upset and angry about things. This confused Mrs Hall, but it seems that the vet was still processing her departure and hadn’t dealt with it well.

When he realised she’d been convinced to come back because he wasn’t coping, he was furious and made some cruel remarks. Later, the vet opened up to James about things, saying that Mrs Hall had left them - "What was I supposed to do, pretend to be happy?"

Eventually, Siegfried came to his senses and apologised to her in a fashion most romantic movies would be envious of and admitting that he couldn’t cope without her. He raced to the station where she was waiting for a train back to Sunderland and declared that they hadn’t employed a replacement after Mrs Hall left Darrowby "because they’re not" her.

"We tried to find a replacement," he said. "It could never work. No one could ever work," and when she suggested this was because no one could put up with his "nonsense" he put her straight.

He continued, "Because they’re not you. I understand you might have to live your life. If that’s not here with us, well, that’s up to you. But you should know that we would like it to be. Take as much time as you need."

Their embrace following this exchange will naturally have encouraged those of us in the fanbase who would love Mrs H and Siegfried to get together. Even if there truly is nothing romantic between them, though, their friendship is such a heart-warming one and the vet was lost without her.

It seems like although Mrs Hall left All Creatures Great and Small temporarily, this could possibly have been just part of a plotline rather than because Anna Madeley was actually departing as a cast member. Mrs Hall didn’t give Siegfried an answer on screen about whether or not she’d come back to work for him and they got swept up in the relief and joy of the announcement that the war with Germany had ended.

However, she did go back to Darrowby with him and he told her, "It’s good to have you back" which suggests that Mrs Hall is there to stay. Of course, many All Creatures Great and Small will still spend the remainder of the episodes with their fingers crossed that Mrs Hall doesn’t change mind.

Her son and granddaughter mean a lot to her and they could end up pulling her back to Sunderland despite her bond with Siegfried and her Darrowby friends. All I can say is, I hope not.

All Creatures Great and Small season 6 continues on Thursdays at 9pm on Channel 5 and you can catch up on episodes on My5.