The Call the Midwife season 15 finale has aired, and there are empty boxes of tissues up and down the country as the nation collectively wept at the demise of Sister Monica Joan.

While her death has sometimes appeared imminent in the past, a strong sense of inevitability has followed the fan-favourite nun for the entire run of the latest season, and Sister Monica Joan has now made her final journey to the afterlife.

It has to be said, her exit was handled perfectly, honouring everything viewers know and love about the long-serving nun. However, Sister Monica Joan is set to return to the Call the Midwife world, so its not goodbye for ever, just goodbye for now.

Excitingly, a younger version of the character will be a focus of the show's prequel - she will of course look a little different, but it'll be incredible to have a first-hand look at the nun at a different stage of life, and find out more about her as a younger woman.

Instead of the usual Call the Midwife Christmas special this year, viewers will instead be treated to the prequel, which not only features a young Sister Monica Joan, but also younger iterations of Sister Julienne and Sister Evangelina.

Set during World War II, the prequel will also introduce three young midwives who arrive at Nonnatus House, fresh faced in the way Jenny Lee skipped up the steps to meet The Order just over a decade later in 1956.

Writer Heidi Thomas tells Radio Times the new recruits will be "all completely new, relatively new to the East End, and they really do get thrown in at the deep end".

"You'll see a lot of women coming into their own," she continues when sharing news of the prequel, adding, "It's a programme that is going to be about strong women above all else."

While Thomas is busy writing Sister Monica Joan as a younger woman, she's still in mourning for Judy Parfitt departing the role.

As Sister Evangelina and a host of other ghostly Sisters led Sister Monica Joan to the afterlife, Thomas even had a tiny cameo as one of the nuns helping her pass over.

"There was a very real moment where Judy and I were sitting alone in this rather scabby dressing room we have in the basement of Nonnatus House," the writer tells Radio Times.

She continues, "She was in her night dress and I was dressed as a nun and she took my hand and her eyes filled with tears, and she said,’ You see, to me, she is a real person.’ I said ‘To me, she is too.’ We had our little moment then."

While Judy Parfitt was pitch perfect in her delivery of Sister Monica Joan's death scenes, it might be a surprise to find out she didn't hugely enjoy filming them.

It turns out that playing out her character's death reminded the actress a little too much of her own mortality.

After turning 90 on the set of the show in November, Judy says it felt like waving goodbye to Sister Monica Joan was like "practicing" for her own death.

Although we remain sad not to see Judy in the role any longer, we'll look forward to tuning in to watch whoever picks up the baton to take on one of the greatest characters in TV history, when the prequel arrives on our screens.

All 15 seasons of Call the Midwife and all Christmas specials are available to view on BBC iPlayer.

Call the Midwife season 15 has come to an end, and never has a finale brought so many emotions with it.

Firstly, although we know the show isn't ending for good and will return for season 16, it's also been confirmed the next instalment will take place in a different setting, and it could look quite different to the one we're used to.

It was also truly devastating to say goodbye to Sister Monica Joan (Judy Parfitt), but there's no denying her send off was perfect in every single way - the cast and crew deserve a huge round of applause for how every aspect was handled.

While we get our heads around what to expect from season 16 and the fact Sister Monica Joan won't be a physical part of it (although she'll most likely be there in spirit,) there's something fans want clarity on: Who is Sister Maude?

In the scenes leading up to her death, Sister Monica Joan revealed to Sister Catherine (Molly Vevers) that she'd been having visions of Sister Maude, a nun she once worked with.

Viewers are wondering whether Sister Maude was once a character on the show, and what her significance is. We have some thoughts and theories on the matter.

Who is Sister Maude on Call the Midwife?

Don't worry if you can't remember Sister Maude or are confused about who she is, because she's never actually appeared as a character on Call the Midwife.

It seems she was introduced purely to build emotion surrounding Sister Monica Joan's imminent death - admitting she was having visions of the dead signalled to viewers that the barrier between life and death was definitely breaking down if dead loved ones were making themselves known.

"The end of life was always more compelling to her than its commencement," Sister Monica Joan says of Sister Maude. Who better to be the first former friend to appear to her than one who was clearly very interested in palliative care?

Speaking of her imminent death, Sister Monica Joan continues to say that she's "Seen Sister Maude as clearly as I see you now, and I know it has begun."

Let's not forget that Sister Monica Joan became a little perturbed during the Christmas special after assisting Mr Fisher with his death, as she wondered who would arrive to greet her upon her own death.

Having given up contact with her family as a young woman to become a missionary nun, after they struggled to accept her choices, Sister Monica Joan teetered on believing she would have nobody to meet her when she crossed into the afterlife.

At the time she was reassured by Sister Catherine that all the Sisters she's known and loved would arrive to greet her when she passed, and introducing the idea of Sister Maude paved the way for the ultimate Sister to be the one to take her hand and escort Sister Monica Joan into the next life: Sister Evangelina.

Having Pam Ferris return for this beautiful cameo made added an extra layer of emotion and nostalgia to the moment Sister Monica Joan's soul left her body.

It was a good to build the narrative that somebody special to her would arrive to do this, building the idea softly with the vision of Sister Maude, whom fans weren't familiar with, before sending in the big guns to "get the job done."

We also have a theory that the mention of Sister Maude could be a soft launch for her character having a main role in the Call the Midwife prequel.

We now understand the prequel will focus on younger versions of Sister Julienne, Sister Evangelina and Sister Monica Joan as they work to continue safely delivering maternity care during World War II.

As Sister Monica Joan describes her former colleague, Sister Maude so richly, already breathing life into a character that sounds incredibly interesting, she really could have just set up Sister Maude as somebody who will be delightful to get to know if she does appear in the prequel.

Whatever happens, we can't wait for the upcoming Call the Midwife film, prequel, and whatever season 16 of the show might bring us.

All 15 seasons of Call the Midwife and all Christmas specials are available to view on BBC iPlayer.

Major spoilers ahead for the Call the Midwife season 15 finale.

Call the Midwife just called time on another incredible eight-episode run, but life for fans will never be the same again.

The show did the one thing we've all been fearing it would do since it premiered back in 2012, and waved goodbye to a legendary character. There isn't a dry eye in the house.

While an excellent job was done of wrapping up storylines including Sister Veronica's longing for a baby, the challenges of Cyril and Rosalind's romance and Sister Catherine's ongoing struggle with life in the Order, a death and a perfect cameo were what really took centre stage.

While we all mourn the loss of a Nonnatus favourite and one of the most memorable TV characters of all time, let's take a look at everything that happened during the emotional season 15 finale.

Call the Midwife season 15 ending explained

It's been wonderful to see the return of the Mullucks family for season 15, especially as Call the Midwife isn't a show that usually offers insight into what happens to patients after their often one-episode story arc ends.

Catching up with thalidomide victim, Susan Mullucks, and her family has been a rare break in form, even if they are continuing to experience multiple family woes and an ongoing battle for rights for Thalidomide victims.

Susan's story played out during season 5, and she made a brief return during season 6 and the 2022 Christmas special.

Her family have been a big part of season 15, and the finale opens with Rhoda Mullucks still recovering in hospital after her episode 7 cholecystectomy (gall bladder removal.)

However, not only has Rhoda had to deal with ongoing difficulties faced by Susan's disability, she's still reeling from eldest daughter Belinda returning from university because she's eight months pregnant.

"You were going to be a history teacher! Who is going to give you a job? You'll be an unmarried mother!" Rhoda shouts from her bed as her daughter quakes in her visitor's chair.

It later comes to light that Belinda always felt like she was just "Susan's sister," feeling attention was diverted to her disabled sibling. Finding her own identity at university and being loved as herself, with attention only on her from the man she fell in love with, led to some "bad decisions" and her pregnancy.

Meanwhile, the Lady Emily Clinic have lured a reluctant Trixie into their ranks. Although she's accepted the role of Matron at the private hospital, the finale sees Mr Scarisbrick trying to get her into partnership with him, hoping for backing of funds from the Aylward estate - something Trixie doesn't have access to.

It's her mother-in-law who controls the finances, who Trixie soon finds out has sadly suffered a stroke and passed away, which could change everything.

Sister Veronica, or Beryl, is still happily lodging with Trixie's brother Geoffrey, while she decides whether to leave the order and pursue her longing for a child.

It was very sweet to see her previously acting like a child in a sweet shop while she tried on the latest in 70s fashion and unleashed her hair from its habit and had it professionally cut and styled.

However, when she wakes in the night soaked in sweat and blames her over heated state on the "continental blanket," it seems the baby decision might be taken out of her hands - could that be menopause calling...?

Yes, Beryl later realises she has indeed entered menopause, tearfully telling Trixie that her body made the decision about having a baby for her, and she'd "left it too late."

Sister Catherine has struggled with so much this season - leaving her beloved family behind, navigating difficult cases as a newly qualified midwife, and witnessing Sister Monica Joan refuse treatment.

Sister Monica Joan was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease that she knew would turn to end stage renal failure without intervention. The nun accepts the latter is her fate, and this mindset is taken quite differently by her fellow Nonnatus residents.

"We'll love her as we always have, just more carefully," asserted Nurse Crane as she was delivered the news of the nun's possible decline earlier in the series. "It's like ravens leaving the Tower of London, the end of the known world," were Dt Turner's thoughts on the Poplar favourite coming close to death.

Sister Catherine failed to understand why Sister Monica Joan would refuse treatment, and this led to a lot of conflict between the pair, until the younger nun finally realises it's not her decision - she stops trying to persuade her friend and mentor to take her medication "out of love and respect."

Sister Monica Joan plans her funeral with Susan's dad, Bernie Mullucks, a funeral director. He takes her out in a wheelchair for a look at the East End markets and to share stories with residents from the place she's called home for so much of her life.

In one of the more uplifting moments of the finale, Cyril and Rosalind's wedding day arrives.

After being unsure whether to wear white on her big day after a contraceptive pill malfunction saw Rosalind fall pregnant, she marries Cyril at the registry office wearing a very white and very 1970s ensemble.

Before they head off for new beginnings, the newlyweds visit Sister Monica Joan before her earthside journey comes to an end.

After admitting she visualised Rosalind's pregnancy secret without being told, and seeing apparitions of deceased nuns she's known in her life, the end edges closer for Sister Monica Joan.

After requesting her first ever gin and tonic and to see the priest for her last rites, the very elderly nun is watched over by Sister Julienne and Sister Catherine as Rosalind and Cyril depart for their life together.

Left alone for a moment, Sister Monica Joan opens her eyes and with a smile, says, "I might've known you'd put in an appearance, Sister Evangelina."

The nation collectively sobs as Pam Ferris makes the perfect cameo, and her character, who passed away in season 5, arrives to escort Sister Monica Joan to whatever comes next.

Telling Sister Monica Joan she's "shilly shallied long enough," Sister Evangelina tells her friend the afterlife will be "everything we were promised." And just like that, the show will never be quite the same again as Sister Monica Joan's soul leaves her body.

In another bittersweet moment, Sister Monica Joan's death is confirmed by newly qualified junior doctor, Timothy Turner, as he starts his new beginning in a new career.

After being "beaten by my own biology" and heading out for a final evening of cocktails and dancing, Beryl realises she needs to become Sister Veronica again and returns to the Order.

Belinda becomes the last patient to give birth in the maternity home before it closes, bringing a little girl into the world. Just afterwards, Sister Julienne calls a meeting to inform the remaining midwives that Nonnatus house is to become "a place of prayer and charity" until she knows what will happen next.

Setting the scene for the upcoming Call the Midwife film, which we know will be set abroad, Sister Julienne announces she knows of three medical missions that would require spending time overseas.

Although Sister Julienne implores the staff to remain with her, Trixie now has some financial control of the Aylward estate after the death of her mother-in-law, negotiating a majority share in The Lady Emily with her newfound status. She appears to have firmly left the Order behind.

Rosalind is to become a mother and Joyce has a very successful interview to become acting Sister at St Cuthbert's Hospital. With so many new beginnings, could we be looking at a very different series when it returns?

As Sister Monica Joan is laid to rest, it seems we could be bidding farewell to one of the most poignant and heartfelt shows as we know it, along with her.

All 15 seasons of Call the Midwife, and all Christmas specials are currently available to view on BBC iPlayer.

If you've seen the Call the Midwife season 15 finale, you'll most likely be sobbing on your sofa, wondering if life will ever be the same again.

Half way through the season it appeared the writing was on the wall for Sister Monica Joan's (Judy Parfitt) death. We hoped we were simply being handed a red herring, and the beloved nun would live to see another year at Nonnatus House.

Devastatingly, this wasn't another tease. Sister Monica Joan has had her final requiem and been escorted to whatever comes after death by old friend Sister Evangelina (Pam Ferris,) in the perfect cameo that wouldn't have left a dry eye in any household tuning in.

And did you spot the Easter Egg in the Christmas special that "foretold" her death? We didn't either, but Sister Monica Joan kindly points it out to Sister Catherine (Molly Vevers,) and to the audience.

"You foretold it," she tells the younger nun of her imminent departure. She recalls Mr Fisher (Henry goodman), the terminally ill guest star for the 2025 Christmas special with whose death Sister Monica Joan was involved.

"When he died, he was met by all who loved him," she tells Sister Catherine," adding, "and you said the Sisters would come for me." And they begin to arrive in the season 15 finale, just as Sister Catherine suggested.

In our opinion, the death of the nun, midwife and Poplar legend, couldn't have been handled any better and was flawless in every way. A masterclass in palliative care, her medical, emotional, and spiritual needs were met with love and tenderness by those caring for her, and her wishes central to it all.

Sister Monica Joan was herself until the very end, determined to handle death her own way - from refusing treatment for her chronic kidney disease and eventual kidney failure, to planning her funeral just how she wanted it, to leaving a long list of final requests.

"I cannot rest, lest my farewell is not managed in the way it ought to be," she tells undertaker Bernie Mullucks, fittingly back for season 15 to give viewers insight into daughter and thalidomide victim Susan's life, while being involved in Sister Monica Joan's death.

Bernie points out that "We generally deal with the deceased," while next making the important point that "caring for the dying matters just as much."

Both characters send such an important message here - we don't talk about dying enough, and there's still so much fear and stigma attached to having frank conversations about death.

It's typical of Sister Monica Joan to be a trailblazer, even back in the 70s - she always had been, and is now normalising death for those watching her final moments.

Making her death wishes clear, she paved the way for Sister Catherine (Molly Vevers, who has been excellent this season,) to start accepting her choices about refusing treatment, while leaving her final days unencumbered by anxiety that her final choices might not be met.

Despite the talk of imminent death, and a lovely journey around the East End in a wheelchair, sharing stories of babies delivered and of days gone by with the locals she's helped so much in her life, we still held out hope even at this point, that Sister Monica Joan would have a reprieve - the idea of the show without her seemed so sad.

The denial continued even as the cake-loving nun announced she wanted to be buried at the Mother House and have her final requiem in the local Poplar church. Sister Monica Joan however, remained as accepting and fearless of her fate as ever.

In the most Sister Monica Joan moment in history, our hope for her future continued when she made the delightful request for her first ever gin and tonic - surely a sip of that would give her the boost she needed to continue?

"I declare myself enamoured!" is the reaction to the nun's first ever taste of the famous beverage, and it seems Sister Monica Joan is now satisfied she's had all the experiences she needs in life.

Changes to her breathing, visions of nuns she once knew, and the writing on the wall is now more of a glaring gate next to the nun's bed with "heaven" emblazoned across it. It was at that point we had to accept this was really happening.

It's sad, but an absolutely beautiful moment when Sister Monica Joan opens her eyes and recognises her friend, Sister Evangelina, sheer joy in her eyes.

Stepping back into character as though she never left, Pam Ferris brings Sister Evangelina at her finest.

"Some of us know when a job needs finishing. You meanwhile, have shilly shallied long enough," is delivered with her unbeatable brand of hard-as-nails no nonsense, yet tender hearted manner.

The afterlife is "everything we were promised, and all that you have worked for," according to Sister Evangelina, who hung up her habit back in season 5. With that, Sister Monica Joan's soul departs her body and she leaves for a well-earned eternal rest.

Leaving her humour and personality to still touch those earthside, Sister Monica Joan's final wishes include an adamance that she be taken to the church on a Costermonger's cart.

Farewell, Sister Monica Joan. Your character has shaped Call the Midwife from the beginning, and will leave a lasting legacy on the show now you've gone. And thank you, Judy Partfitt, for bringing such an incredible character to life.

All 15 seasons of Call the Midwife and all Christmas specials are available to view on BBC iPlayer.

Call the Midwife became the unexpected smash hit of Sunday night television when it premiered all the way back in 2012.

Since the BBC took the risk of putting a show about midwifery based on the memoirs of a very little known former midwife in a primetime slot, it's popularity has never waned - in fact, it's soared, to become a globally adored phenomenon.

But recently, watching has become a little like tuning into other shows based on real life. You know where its headed, however much you're willing the inevitable not to happen.

With the series being rooted in the real history of community midwifery, the timeline moving into the 1970s from where it began in the mid 50s signals the end of Call the Midwife as we know it.

History dictates that the real nuns of Poplar moved out of the East End during the 70s as the NHS moved community maternity services into hospitals and absorbed the work done by missionary Orders like the Nonnatus nuns.

The season 15 finale, airing on March 8, also appears to wrap up many of the character's time at Nonnatus House, and has a distinct feeling of closure.

Is Call the Midwife ending for good?

Call the Midwife will continue, and the show's creators have confirmed its return for season 16. However, fans will be in for a long wait as the show takes a hiatus to focus on the film, announced last year.

While viewers usually look forward to a Christmas special each year and a new series of the show following early in each new year, there will sadly be no festive edition of Call the Midwife this year, and season 16 won't arrive until sometime in 2027.

Helen George (Trixie) and Laura Main (Shelagh Turner,) have been with the show since the very beginning, and it's a huge part of their lives.

In conversation with Radio Times, Helen speaks about how strange it will feel not to return to the set in April, which is when the cast have always come back together to film a new series.

"We’ve all been saying that we’ll feel it most in April because that’s when we usually start filming," she says, adding, "So when that comes around and we don’t, we won’t have the support network and community that work has given us," she says.

Revealing her feelings about the situation, Laura shares, "We’ve always known at the end of filming that we’d see each other again," continuing, "Even that first year, we found out after the second episode that the show would be coming back. We’ve had rare and lovely stability for 15 years. We’ve never had to be upset at the end before."

It's also been confirmed that the show will indeed look quite different when it returns, to truthfully reflect the rapidly changing landscape of maternity services in 1970s UK.

Speaking to Yours at this years TV Choice Awards, creator and writer Heidi Thomas hinted the show would take place in a different setting to the community one that's so key to its identity.

She even offered an update on what would happen beyond season 16, suggesting the show was still set to continue beyond this, despite uncertainty relating to what this will look like.

"I don't think it's the last series in the classic form," she shares, adding, "But we are going to take a break from it for a couple of years."

Heidi continues, "We are going to do a film that involves most the current cast, set in 1972, possibly 1973. We're going to do that first, then we'll return to the current style."

"Series 16 will have a slightly different setting because of changes in NHS. It'll still be in the East End of London but possibly something like a small community hospital or a GP practice, but that's something I'll be working on later this year."

All 15 seasons of Call the Midwife and all Christmas specials are currently available to view on BBC iPlayer.

The following content contains major spoilers for Call the Midwife season 15, including the finale.

Sister Veronica (Rebecca Gethings) has trodden a challenging path during Call the Midwife season 15, as she hung up her habit to decide whether or not to act on her desire to become a mother.

This of course led to huge upheaval for a woman who has made vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, and is essentially married to god.

The seed of the nun not only recognising, but feeling inner turmoil about her maternal instincts, was sewn during the show's Christmas special.

During the festive episode's rescue mission to The Order's branch house in Hong Kong, Sister Veronica and Nurse Crane found a newborn baby abandoned in a cardboard box.

It was immediately clear the nun felt attached to the baby, and viewers witnessed the first signs of her struggle with maternal feelings, knowing she is forbidden to act on them.

Rebecca Gethings who portrays Sister Veronica, said ahead of the Christmas special that her character has "mixed feelings of delight that this baby's going to be okay, but also this illogical wanting of the baby herself."

However, it became clear early in season that the nun couldn't bury these feelings, and she ultimately stepped away from Nonnatus House to decide whether to actively pursuing her dream of becoming a mother.

Does Sister Veronica have a baby in Call the Midwife?

Sadly, the decision to have a baby is taken out of Sister Veronica's hands when she enters the menopause during the season 15 finale.

Her friendship with Trixie's brother Geoffrey (Christopher Harper) has been a big part of her journey, and he was the first person she told of her wish to become a mother.

Meeting him on a park bench for a secret conversation early in season 15, Sister Veronica says, "The thing people don't understand about the life I chose, is that so much is silence."

"It isn't about when we can't speak, it's about what we can't say - what we can never name, because that might expose us." Here, the nun is referring to not having the freedom to voice her desires, because she isn't supposed to have any in her commitment to working for god.

Adding that she can no longer "silence the howling" of her growing need for motherhood, Sister Veronica continues, "I want a child. I want a child of my own, to hold in my arms and keep safe and cherish, always."

With conviction, she concludes, "I want a child before it becomes impossible."

She also asks her friend to call her "Beryl," the name she left behind when she joined the order - another sign she had already internally set the wheels in motion to become her old self again and eschew "Veronica."

By saying she wants a child before it's "impossible," it can be assumed Sister Veronica was talking about becoming too old to become pregnant.

It can also be supposed from this statement that she hoped for a biological child - there's less of a time limit if she were considering adopting, as she could be older and be OK to take this path to motherhood.

She was especially brave to step away from The Order to explore her feelings, as it would be very difficult for a woman like her to be an unmarried mother, even in a time where the stigma surrounding this has dramatically reduced.

However, during the season 15 finale, "Beryl," who was living with Geoffrey and enjoying what life away from religion looked like by going dancing and enjoying cocktails, suddenly woke one night in a sweat.

Initially blaming her heated state on a heavy duvet, she didn't initially realise she was entering menopause.

However, the reality of her situation finally dawns and she has a devastating conversation with Trixie about "leaving it too late" and "being beaten by biology."

It's gut wrenching to hear her speak of the dream that's no longer biologically possible and how she'll never quite get over it.

The decision now made for her, Beryl returns to The Order to once again become Sister Veronica, her dream to be a mother for ever remaining just that - a fantasy never to be realised.

All episodes of Call the Midwife are currently available to view on BBC iPlayer.

We’re still getting over the two heartbreaking Christmas episodes of Call The Midwife, but it’s not long until the show returns to our screens for its 15th season – and we’ve just been treated to our first look.

The first episode of season 15 will air at 6pm on Sunday 11 January on BBC One, transporting us to 1971 as our favourite characters, including Helen George's Trixie Franklin and Renee Bailey's Joyce Highland, lead a march for the Women’s Liberation Movement and burn their bras outside Nonnatus House in a protest.

The women's liberation movement is just one of the issues the new series will spotlight, with the show’s synopsis also revealing that we can expect storylines on premature birth, placenta previa, kidney cancer, tuberculosis and slavery.

These darker storylines mark a change for the usually 'cosy' show, with Jenny Agutter, who plays Sister Julienne, revealing that both the Christmas episodes and upcoming 15th season will be darker as they reflect the times when the 70s felt 'a little dangerous.'

Speaking to The Mirror, she revealed, 'I think the whole of the series is no longer cosy, because one's feeling in many ways, not unlike we are today, with the changes that are happening (in the world). One looks towards a future that hopefully will be better, but it feels a little dangerous.

'Of course, what makes it easier is this community that are actually cohesive and are actually supporting one another, which we look to and hope to have. But yes, it's not a cosy watch.'

While the show may be set to deviate from its usually cosy, heartwarming storylines, we can still expect all the usual excitement from our Sunday night episodes. Meeting them in the 70s, the midwives are carving out a new 'future' for the Order, the show’s synopsis reveals, and after 'battling change,' Sister Julienne “decides to embrace it, work with it, and see what love can do.

"This change of energy reverberates throughout series 15,” it adds.

The show’s showrunner Heidi Thomas promises that 'series 15 of Call the Midwife is one of our most exciting to date,' with it seeing “the dawn of a whole new era,” for our beloved characters before we get to see them in the Call The Midwife prequel and the upcoming Call The Midwife film.

While we’re rewatching our favourite episodes in anticipation of the new season (don’t worry, we’ve got you covered with our TV expert explaining the ending of Call The Midwife season 14), we can hardly contain our excitement at the news Helen George is returning for good as Trixie Franklin in the 15th season.

She will be joined by favourites including Jenny Agutter as Sister Julienne and Linda Bassett as Nurse Phyllis Crane. Judy Parfitt is back as Sister Monica Joan, while a behind-the-scenes image also recently confirmed the return of Teddy Berriman playing Andrew Trottwood, who was left severely disabled after contracting measles as a toddler in season 14.

Season 15 of Call The Midwife will air at 6pm on Sunday 11 January, 2026 on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Here's how to watch Call the Midwife Christmas special if you missed it first time around.

What a week for Call The Midwife fans, with not one, but two hugely exciting announcements made about the show. That's right, after a few months of speculation, the BBC have announced that both a Call The Midwife prequel and a film have been given the green light.

In the midst of sadness that Megan Cusack has left the show as Nancy, and concern that Zephryn Taitte's Cyril could be following, this is the excellent pick-me-up we needed.

While we take a moment to recover from this exciting news, we take a look at what year the film is expected to be set in, and what it could be about.

When is the Call The Midwife film set?

The film will be set in 1972, and is set to feature characters viewers already know from the TV show.

Dame Pippa Harris DBE, who acts as executive producer on the show, says, "In an increasingly competitive viewing environment not only have our loyal fans stayed with us for 14 years, but they’ve been joined by a new, younger generation who have also fallen in love with our characters and the challenges they face."

She adds, "Emboldened by this warmth and enthusiasm, now feels like the right time to expand our world and take our nuns and midwives onto the big screen with our movie."

Lindsay Salt is the Director of BBC Drama. She says, "Call the Midwife has been a jewel in the BBC’s crown for well over a decade, and this feels like the perfect time to further expand on the glorious, perfectly realised world that Heidi, Pippa, Annie and the team have created for the show’s millions of passionate and dedicated viewers.

Whether you’ve been watching from the very start or joined us for one of the more recent series, this is an incredibly exciting time to be a Call the Midwife fan."

What could the film be about?

The crew are currently being quite tight-lipped about what the film will be about, other than revealing it will be set overseas.

Heidi Thomas OBE, creator and writer of Call The Midwife, says, "As the classic Call the Midwife series moves further into the 1970s, it also seems the perfect time for our much-loved regulars to take a short break from Poplar and test themselves in an unfamiliar landscape."

She adds, "The rise in hospital births, and changes in the NHS, have clipped their wings, and this is their chance to take flight and work out what really matters. Whilst the location of the film remains top-secret, I can say it is going to look absolutely fantastic on the big screen!"

From this, it appears that the Poplar midwives aren't needed quite so much in the East End, as contraception becomes widely available and birth rates fall. With births becoming increasingly medicalised, home birth rates also fell significantly during the early 70s - and never recovered.

As trained professionals, it's likely the midwives will want to take their skills to less developed areas of the world that still need them. Spurred on by their religious beliefs and the need to help others, this appears a likely premise for the film.

Like the prequel series, no release date information has been given yet for the film. However, we'll be here to update you as soon as we know when you can watch your East End favourites on the big screen.

As Call The Midwife season 14 came to an end, rumours began to fly that the series could be taking a hiatus and a spin-off could be in the works. While we panicked about one of the greatest shows of all time possibly coming to an end, the show's creators were making incredible plans behind the scenes.

Not only is season 15 going ahead and the 2025 Christmas special being filmed as we speak, but we won't be leaving the world of Poplar and Nonnatus House behind for some time - because a Call The Midwife prequel series has been confirmed.

While we absorb this incredible news, we look at when the prequel will be set, and what it could be about.

When is the Call The Midwife prequel set?

The Call The Midwife prequel will be set during World War II. The action will stay in Poplar and the East End, covering a dangerous and difficult time in the lives of some our favourite original Nonnatus midwives.

Elaborating on her thought process for the prequel, Heidi Thomas OBE, creator and writer of the show reveals, "I have never run out of stories for our midwives, and I never will. But having wept, laughed, and raged my way from 1957 to 1971, I found myself yearning to delve into the deeper past."

When rumours of a spin-off began at the start of the year, we enjoyed speculating over what it could be about. We believed it could follow a very young Sister Monica Joan, shunned by her family for her decision to become a nun in the late 1800's and her subsequent journey to becoming and East End midwife.

Although this isn't the direction the prequel is moving, we are equally as overjoyed to follow the trials and tribulations of our favourites during the war. Casting for the likes of wartime Sister Monica Joan, Sister Julienne and Sister Evangeline will be an exciting task for the crew.

What will the prequel be about?

Heidi Thomas has also given some info regarding the prequel's subject matter. "The Blitz years in the East End were extraordinary - filled with loss, togetherness, courage and joy," she explains.

Heidi adds, "The bombs fell, the babies kept on coming, and the Sisters kept on going. There will be so much in the prequel for our wonderful, loyal fans, including the appearance of some familiar (if much younger!) faces."

For anyone who has read Jennifer Worth's excellent Call The Midwife book series from which the show takes inspiration, the wartime setting will be an exhilarating prospect.

Worth recalls being told plenty of stories by the Nonnatus nuns about their lives in the East End before her arrival. The wartime and blitz memories they shared with her are especially interesting, and left us wanting to know more about this period of healthcare history.

To see this become a reality and this era of the Call The Midwife universe expanded on, is incredible. While no release date has been given for the prequel, we will be on the edge of our seats waiting for it and will keep you updated.

The future is looking very uncertain for the Nonnatus nuns and midwives, and despite a flurry of exciting festivities seen in the Call The Midwife finale, season 14 of the hit show concluded on a worrying note.

After more births, tangled personal lives and a huge dollop of nostalgia, Call The Midwife season 14 has come to an end. Actress Molly Vevers joined the cast for the latest series, bringing a fresh young face to the line up of nuns, while viewers were eternally concerned that fan-favourite Cyril could be leaving Call The Midwife.

While fears surrounding Cyril were alleviated as the show unfolded, there was a shift towards wondering whether Megan Cusack was leaving the series as Nancy, and now the actress has confirmed Nancy's fate.

It's also totally impossible to ignore the significant note the show ended on, hinting at dire uncertainty for the series as a whole - so let's take a look at everything that happened in the season finale and what could be happening to the nuns and midwives of Poplar going forward.

Call The Midwife season 14 ending explained

To open the Call The Midwife season 14 finale, Nancy and Roger return to Poplar to carry out their nuptials, with plans to stay at Nonnatus House in the run up to the big day. However, when a fire breaks out at the local mother and baby home, the new mums are temporarily housed at Nonnatus and Nancy, Roger and Colette are instead taken in by Miss Higgins.

Schoolgirl Paula, the expectant teen from earlier in the series is one of the mothers from the home housed at Nonnatus, and is nearing her due date - Paula's religious parents were always convinced their teen daughter's pregnancy must have been an immaculate conception.

Paula isn't at Nonnatus House for long, because she's rapidly diagnosed with a urinary tract infection and anaemia by the ever-present Dr Turner, and is sent to the maternity home. Sister Veronica pays Paula's family a visit to see if they'll visit their daughter, but her mother insists she won't be seeing Paula until she's given birth and the baby adopted.

While Nancy gears up for her wedding, Violet notices she's carrying a little extra weight and comments - unnecessarily we might add - that a bride usually slims down before her wedding. Well, there's a reason for Nancy's altered body shape, as she admits to being seven months pregnant!

Nancy reveals it took her a while to realise she was expecting, and swears Violet, Miss Higgins and Phyllis to secrecy, as she's yet to share her news with Colette. She's also concerned about what the nuns would think of her if they find out she's become pregnant outside of wedlock for a second time.

Back at the at the maternity home, Paula's father pays her a secret visit as she becomes ever more scared of giving birth as her due date approaches, and women around her go into labour. Rosalind suggests she's moved to the Mother House as a more appropriate and less intimidating setting, eventually accompanying her there to help her settle in.

Sister Catherine and Sister Julienne are also off to the Mother House where Sister Catherine is to take her vows. Set to take her vows alone, Sister Catherine picks out the wedding dress for the occasion. Back in Poplar, Roger and Nancy agonise over how to break their pregnancy news to Colette, who is actually delighted about it when she hears.

Sister Hilda has sobering news for Sister Julienne over the Poplar midwives receiving funding cuts. Although Nonnatus House has been in this position many times before, this time around feels the most serious.

While Sister Hilda feels the nuns will all be sent overseas as missionaries if the nunneries delivering medical care are closed around the country, Sister Julienne contemplates what will become of her team if Nonnatus House closes for ever.

Meanwhile, Nancy spends her hen night hiding her pregnancy, and feels quite unwell with nausea and stomach pains the following day. When Phyllis caries out a few checks, she asserts Nancy is more further along than seven months, although Nancy refuses to believe this.

Sister Catherine is reunited with her sister, Helen, with whom her relationship became strained when Sister Catherine's entire family failed to comprehend why she'd want to become a nun. The pair chat through their difficulties and then dance on the beach near the Mother House to cement their relationship being back on track.

Trixie, whose own relationship status remains a constant source of discussion among viewers, returns to America to be a bridesmaid for a friend of Matthew's. Nancy, who it turns out was further along than seven months, goes into labour at Miss Higgins' house - she eventually gives birth to a healthy baby girl in the ambulance on the way to hospital.

It's then Paula's turn to go into labour, and concerned her age will make giving birth quite difficult, Dr Turner enlists Rosalind, Sister Veronica and Sister Monica Joan to help with the delivery. As Sister Catherine makes her vows in another part of the Mother House, Paula gives birth to a baby boy.

Once they find out their daughter has given birth, Paula's parents head to the Mother House, while Rosalind and Cyril contemplate what will happen to the baby. Paula's mother finally understands she hasn't dealt with her daughter's pregnancy in the best way, needing reassurance from Cyril that he will find him the best home when he's adopted.

Giving up her baby, Paula returns home with her parents. It's then time for Nancy and Roger to get married, and Poplar is in a celebratory mood for the happy occasion. Just as excitingly as Nancy getting wed, Cyril and Rosalind have their first kiss, after sparks flying between them for the entire series.

Roger looks proud and delighted with his new wife as she walks down the aisle, and on the way to their wedding party they pay their new baby, Melinda, a visit at the hospital. Season 14 comes to a warm and happy conclusion as Nancy and Roger celebrate being man and wife, although the uncertainty surrounding the future of Nonnatus House is bubbling away in the background...

Will there be a Call The Midwife season 15?

Yes, Call The Midwife season 15 was confirmed in 2023, with creator Heidi Thomas saying, "I’m overjoyed by the news that the doors of Nonnatus House will be open for a few more years. Call the Midwife is the pride and joy of all who work on it, but it's our fantastic, loyal audience that matters most."

However, the show has yet to be renewed past season 15, with Thomas most recently revealing to Radio Times that it could take a hiatus. "I do think we might take a break at some point," she revealed, adding, "I'm not in a position to talk about things, really. There is sort of a rolling, ongoing conversation that we always have at this point every year, which is: is there an end point? What are we working towards?"

Realistically, the series has experienced and excellent and very lengthy run, and will need to end fairly soon to remain historically accurate. By the 1970s, numbers of nuns delivering midwifery services in the community were diminishing, as more medicalised births took place, usually at large or local community hospitals.

The series would be unable to continue in it's current capacity, as it doesn't reflect the modernisation of maternity services in line with what actually happened in the 70s, sadly. Whatever the future holds, Call The Midwife will always hold a very special place in our hearts.

The prospect of Megan Cusack leaving Call the Midwife for good is filling fans with dread and the actor has now spoken out about Nancy Corrigan’s future in the BBC drama.

Anyone who hasn’t found out how to watch Call the Midwife season 14 yet has been missing out on some joyful Sunday viewing this winter and we’re certainly not about to miss the finale when it airs on 2nd March. For the last seven weeks we’ve loved returning to our favourite Poplar community and seeing the Nonnatus House sisters and midwives at work as the show moved forward into the 1970s.

Unfortunately, for as many joyful moments there are in Call the Midwife there are poignant ones and although no-one wants to see a cast member leave we’ve been wondering more and more about Nancy Corrigan as season 14 went on. Now Megan Cusack has revealed whether or not she’s leaving Call the Midwife as Nancy after the events of episode 1.

*Warning: Spoilers Ahead*

Is Megan Cusack leaving Call the Midwife as Nancy?

We haven’t seen Nurse Nancy Corrigan make an appearance in season 14 since episode 1 and now it’s very sadly been confirmed that Megan Cusack is leaving Call the Midwife for good. The actor has been part of the BBC drama’s cast since season 10 and she has now explained to Radio Times Magazine that she felt the time had come to take a career "leap of faith" and leave her Call the Midwife family to pursue other projects.

"Sometimes, you've got to step out of your comfort zone to grow," Megan shared. "I've learnt so much, but I'm at the start of my career and I need to take a leap of faith. "It's bittersweet, really. I've made lifelong friendships there and I get to take those with me. But when I think about not rocking up to set and seeing Tim, who's part of the grips team, with his guitar hanging out of his van and serenading people at half six in the morning… It really has been like a family."

She continued, "Yeah, well, she's just a career woman. You know, she's off doing things, she's got a new job, but it doesn't mean you won't get to see her again."

The reason for Nancy’s absence throughout most of Call the Midwife season 14 so far is due to this new job. She was previously offered the same position at Netherditch Hospital in Surrey in season 12 and ended up turning it down after Sister Julienne managed to offer her lodgings for herself and her daughter Colette. The Netherditch job came with a house and the hospital ended up making her another job offer at just the right time.

Love was in the air in the Call the Midwife 2024 Christmas specials as Nancy had a whirlwind romance with pharmaceutical salesman Roger Noble. The couple got engaged and in season 14 episode one they celebrated their news and departed for the countryside, with Nancy promising that the wedding would be held six months later back in Poplar.

She might not have been seen since but Colette returned to London in episode 7 last week for a dress fitting. The wedding is definitely happening, with the BBC’s description of the Call the Midwife season 14 finale mentioning that "Nancy’s wedding plans take a surprising turn".

When is Megan Cusack’s final episode on Call the Midwife?

We don’t currently know for sure when Megan Cusack’s final episode on Call the Midwife will be before she leaves, though our best guess right now is that we’ll be saying a very fond farewell to Nancy, Colette and Roger in the season 14 finale. We already know that Nancy is coming back for episode 8 as she, her fiancé and daughter are seen arriving at Miss Higgins’ house and being ushered inside.

Her wedding is going to happen in the finale too and the show has a history of featuring weddings to round off a series joyfully, like when Nurse Trixie and Matthew Aylward got married at the end of season 12. As Nancy put it in season 14's opening episode, "Why would [she] want to get married anywhere other than home?"

Such a happy gathering of all the community would be a fitting way for Megan to leave Call the Midwife after four years on the show and would draw a line under Nancy’s storyline in a neat way without her having to come back for a one-off exit storyline next series. Of course, it’s always possible that the show could want to keep the season 14 finale uplifting and bring Megan Cusack back for another appearance to bow out, but we think it’s less likely.

Having Nancy leave Poplar after tying the knot with Roger in front of all her friends and former colleagues would be so heartfelt and her romance with the pharmaceutical salesman was a surprise for Megan.

"It was lovely. I never thought Nancy would have a romance, so it's a new element of that character," the star said previously to Radio Times. "And it's been lovely in the sense that it feels like the community of Poplar has allowed her to let her guard down and experience someone loving her."

When Nancy first told her colleagues at Nonnatus House that she and Colette were moving to accept the new job in Surrey and be nearer Roger, who proposed in episode 1, Sister Julienne’s reaction was perfect.

She said, "Our sadness at your departure is completely eclipsed by our happiness for both of you.”

Nancy’s happiness was briefly interrupted by a tense discussion with Roger’s mum, who was initially vehemently opposed to her son marrying a Roman Catholic, unwed mother. She came round eventually and gave Nancy and Roger their blessing, as they were preparing to leave Poplar with Colette. They were thrown a mini party with balloons and food, as Jennifer Lee's Call the Midwife's narration says that "love knows best of all".

Call the Midwife season 14 continues on Sunday 2nd March at 8pm on BBC One and all previous episodes are available to catch-up on now via BBC iPlayer.

Call the Midwife season 14 is in full swing, but fans will have to be patient for episode 7 as it’s not on tonight for a very good reason.

Watching Call the Midwife season 14 has become a much looked forward to part of our Sunday night ritual since the long-running BBC drama returned in January. The show has amassed fans across the world over the past 13 years and its balance of heart-warming moments and thought-provoking real-life issues is what makes it so special. It’s also given us some tear-jerking moments over the years as we said goodbye to some beloved characters.

Season 14 has already had us wondering if Cyril will leave Call the Midwife for good and worrying about the future of Nonnatus House. With only two episodes left before Call the Midwife season 14 ends many fans will have been surprised and a little sad to discover that episode 7 isn’t airing in the usual timeslot this week - and here’s why.

Why isn’t Call the Midwife on tonight?

Call the Midwife isn’t on tonight because the 2025 BAFTA Film Awards are airing during the drama’s usual scheduling slot. Each new episode of Call the Midwife season 14 is broadcast at 8pm on BBC One on Sundays and the BAFTAs is being shown from 7pm-9pm when the next episode of period drama, Miss Austen, will start. Last year the Call the Midwife season 13 finale was also pushed back because of the awards and so this does seem to be a tradition now when it comes to the scheduling of the two programmes.

When is the next episode of Call the Midwife?

Thankfully we don’t have to wait long for the next episode of Call the Midwife season 14 to air as it’s only been pushed back by a week. Call the Midwife will return with episode 7 at 8pm on Sunday 23rd February and anyone who’s been eagerly re-watching or catching up on the episodes so far on BBC iPlayer might have noticed an orange message informing fans about this.

From then on, the show will resume its usual schedule and the finale will air the following Sunday, 2nd March. After this we’ll have to wait until the 2025 Call the Midwife Christmas special to return to Poplar, but at least we know well ahead of the finale that this is coming - and that Call the Midwife season 25 will be following in its wake too.

What can we expect from Call the Midwife episode 7?

*Warning: Spoilers for episode 6 ahead*

We might not get to watch Call the Midwife season 7 until 23rd February, but there was a preview of it at the end of episode 6 that gives us an idea of what's to come. The main thing we can expect to see in the upcoming penultimate episode is Nurse Joyce Highland receiving a letter confirming the date of her disciplinary hearing following the complaint made against her by a patient in episode 6.

From the glimpse we saw of Joyce and Sister Julienne sitting down in front of a panel of people at the very end of the preview, it actually seems as though we’ll also see the disciplinary hearing itself take place. It’s a horrific ordeal for Joyce to go through and she voices her scepticism and anxiety about how things will go for her.

"How can I trust in a process that might be as prejudiced as the person who made the complaint?" Joyce says.

She had done everything she could to help Bernie Midgely, the woman who made the complaint, but had faced awful racist abuse from her. Bernie had told Joyce to leave her house without being examined and the midwife had called Miss Higgins and asked for Dr Turner to visit Bernie as soon as possible because she suspected she had deep vein thrombosis. Bernie was later rushed to hospital. Instead of recognising that she’d prevented Joyce from doing her job and thanking her for informing Dr Turner of her suspicions, Bernie decided to make a "major complaint" to the supervisor of midwives.

Speaking ahead of Call the Midwife season 14, as per RadioTimes.com, Renee Bailey who plays Joyce talked about what her character faces and how she copes with this trauma.

"I feel like it's a lot of her balancing all the cases that she deals with, but also the intersections of being a Black woman from the Caribbean in this country, where she's not always going to be wanted, but still having to be a professional and having to paint on a smile and still go to work every day," she said. "[T]hat is a big thing for her this season as well… the mask that you have to wear as a health professional when you're experiencing or witnessing people experiencing things that you might have experienced yourself… and having to just push it all down and still show up."

Viewers will be waiting anxiously to find out whether the disciplinary hearing protects and supports Joyce, like she deserves. At the end of episode 6 fellow midwife Rosalind confided in Joyce that she and local pastor Cyril Robinson were going to go out together. His wife Lucille left Call the Midwife in season 12 and went back to Jamaica and now Cyril has decided to get a divorce.

Joyce kindly warned her friend that she and Cyril are from "different worlds", saying "The people who don’t like him won’t like you and vice versa. And they won’t be afraid of showing it, or saying it. It’s going to be so hard. Too hard, and I don’t want that for you."

Rosalind said that she and Cyril "want" it for themselves and in light of her remark, it’s likely that we might see the two of them go on a date together in episode 7. Meanwhile, we saw Sister Catherine talking about how her peace of mind has “so many enemies” and we can expect to see her make this confession to Sister Monica Joan next episode. On a lighter note, episode 7 will also include Dr Turner and his wife Shelagh taking the final steps to adopt May.

Call the Midwife season 13 came to a moving end earlier this year and fans are eager for the next season of Call the Midwife and the 2024 Christmas special.

The gap between seasons of Call the Midwife might seem like an eternity for fans but it’s always well worth it when the new series starts and we get drawn into the lives of our favourite Poplar community all over again. The journey hasn’t always been easy over the seasons, with plenty of emotional moments that brought tears to our eyes, not to mention the heart-warming words of the narrator in Call the Midwife which are always so meaningful. We’ve seen cast members come and go, wondered whether Fred Buckle would die in Call the Midwife season 13 and now we’re just months away from the 2024 Christmas special airing. After the Christmas special comes season 14 - and so for those curious about when to expect the next season of Call the Midwife and what lies in store in the Christmas episode, here’s all we know so far.

When is the next season of Call the Midwife on?

At the moment there is no official release date for the next season of Call the Midwife but we predict that season 14 of the beloved BBC show will start in January 2025. This timeframe would be in line with all the previous instalments of Call the Midwife, except for season 10 which was broadcast in April 2021, likely due to filming having to be pushed back due to the pandemic. Given this long-established pattern, it would be a surprise if the BBC chose to air Call the Midwife season 14 later on in 2025, but until an announcement is made, this is technically possible.

When is the Call the Midwife Christmas special on?

Ahead of the full, next season of Call the Midwife we can look forward to returning to Popular once again during the festive season with the Call the Midwife 2024 Christmas special. At this point Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas without a Call the Midwife episode and although we don’t yet know exactly *when* the Call the Midwife 2024 Christmas special will air, it’s often been shown on Christmas Day by the BBC in the past. The same could be true this year and even though we’ll have to wait for confirmation to be certain, there are some details we already know about what to expect from the 2024 Call the Midwife special.

Who will be in the Call the Midwife 2024 Christmas special cast?

Earlier this year Call the Midwife shared a sweet picture whilst the 2024 Christmas special was being filmed, showing the actors who play Dr Patrick Turner, Shelagh Turner and May and Angela Turner standing in front of a Christmas tree with a clapper board. So we know that at the very least they will be appearing in the festive episode and alongside the picture, a caption from Call the Midwife revealed that this is the Turner home at Christmas.

"What better way to open up the new season than with the Turners Shelagh (Laura Main), Patrick (Stephen McGann), and their children May (April Rae Hoang) and Angela (Alice Brown) in the cosy festive turner home," they wrote.

This special post was then followed in May 2024 by a series of more photos behind-the-scenes of the festive episode. The pictures showed plenty more familiar faces, including Nancy, Trixie’s brother Geoffrey, Joyce, Colette and Rosalind. It’s thought that most of the existing cast will be back for the Christmas special - and season 14 too - and Dr Turner’s actor Stephen McGann has teased that it’s going to have a balance between fun and "darkness".

What will the Call the Midwife 2024 Christmas special be about?

Until the Call the Midwife Christmas special airs we won’t know what lies in store, but Stephen McGann and Sister Veronica’s actor Rebecca Gethings have dropped some tantalising hints. Speaking to RadioTimes at the National Television Awards, Stephen shared that whilst it will have "all the fun of the fair" that is coming to Popular in the special, it will also have "the normal kind of darkness you would expect with Call the Midwife".

"There will be tears and laughter, it's heart-warming as always. It's about community but yeah, they're always tested at Christmas, it's not just about cuddles and Horlicks," Rebecca added.

Stephen also described the festive episodes of Call the Midwife as being very "special" for him, as he believes that these are the ones each year that people especially "respond to".

"It's a very special episode, Christmas for us in our show, and that's the one people particularly respond to. I think it comes in as part of the festival and the year, which we're incredibly flattered by, but it makes it that bit more special. Christmas is a special one," he said.

When will the Call the Midwife 2024 Christmas special be set?

Excitingly, the Call the Midwife 2024 Christmas special will be set in the 1960s but it’s the last episode of the show that will be. For those who aren’t sure when Call the Midwife is set, the heart-warming BBC drama has been gradually edging forwards in time after season 1 kicked off in 1957. Call the Midwife season 14 will be set in the 1970s and the show has explained how the Christmas special marks a "turning point".

"This yuletide marks a poignant turning point – as it's the last time we'll be filming in the swinging sixties! Next stop: the supersonic seventies!" the caption alongside the clapper board picture declared.

The show’s creator Heidi Thomas spoke about this time shift too, responding, "After all these years, I still get butterflies every time I see the first clapperboard picture from the set. Series 14 is set in 1970, launching us into an exciting new decade. We can’t wait to bring you another season full of touching, exciting, emotional stories from Nonnatus House."

Throughout Call the Midwife, the show has focused on important contemporary issues as it moved from the 1950s through to the 1960s. Now, with Call the Midwife season 14 set to take the show forward into the 1970s, it will no doubt continue to do so, and provide viewers with insight into 1970s British society. The real-life nuns who inspired those who appear in the BBC drama are understood to have remained working in Popular until the mid-1970s when they relocated to Birmingham.

All episodes of Call the Midwife are available to watch now via BBC iPlayer and via Netflix for US-based viewers.

The season 13 finale saw the return of Trixie's brother in Call the Midwife and you might be wondering who plays Geoffrey and what his story is.

The Call the Midwife season 13 finale was every bit as heart-wrenching as we’d been preparing ourselves for after the unexpected farewell between Trixie and Matthew in episode 7. Always a show that sparks questions, perhaps the most pressing one of all this season - is Trixie leaving Call the Midwife? - still doesn’t look to be fully answered. However, we can anticipate that her future on the show will eventually be made clearer in another season of Call the Midwife. 

In the meantime, whilst she struggled to comprehend her situation, Trixie's brother thankfully returned to Poplar to offer some words of wisdom. As fans eagerly look ahead to the 2024 Christmas special (we already can’t wait!) we have all the details about Trixie's brother, what Geoffrey's story is and who plays him in Call the Midwife.

Who is Trixie's brother in Call the Midwife? 

Trixie's brother is Geoffrey Franklin and he made his latest appearance in the Call the Midwife season 13 finale after her husband Matthew Aylward moved to New York in episode 7. Geoffrey is Trixie's older sibling and they also have another brother called Ronald, whom Geoffrey is far less close to. He initially worked as an Osteopath in Malta but later told Trixie about a job opening at Harley Street.

In the season 12 finale he organised Trixie's hen party ahead of her wedding to Matthew. The siblings ended up having a heart-to-heart the night before the ceremony about their father being ill which shed light on Trixie and Geoffrey's bond.

"We always had to light up all the rooms with fun and laughter," Geoffrey said and when asked if he also found it hard, he responded, "Having a flair for something doesn’t make it easy."

The pair discussed real happiness, with the nurse describing it as "quite something" and makes you realise you "don’t have to pretend to be laughing anymore".

"I’ll take your word for it. And you, most adored of all my sisters, are to grab that happiness with both hands," Geoffrey replied, before he and Trixie hugged each other tightly. It was clear from this exchange how much they mean to each other and the unique position they hold in each other’s lives, from their shared, not always happy childhood, to their current situations.

Who plays Geoffrey in Call the Midwife? 

Christopher Harper plays Trixie's brother Geoffrey in Call the Midwife and if you recognise him it might be from his roles in a number of much-loved British TV shows. Christopher has starred in an episode of the popular Inspector Morse prequel, Endeavour, as well as in soap opera Coronation Street as Nathan Curtis from 2016-2018. The Call the Midwife actor has also appeared in Holby City, the 2020 movie adaptation of Sebastian Faulks’s Birdsong, Doctors, cosy crime show Rosemary & Thyme, Roman Mysteries and Upstairs, Downstairs.

What happened to Geoffrey in the Call the Midwife season 13 finale?

Although Trixie and Matthew remain married, she didn’t go with him to the US to start a new life and Geoffrey Franklin arrived back in Poplar on Bonfire Night in the aftermath of this separation. He had been invited to the fireworks celebration by Sister Veronica, who, he revealed he keeps up "quite a lively correspondence" with.

"Please don’t go sloping off on your own, I can’t bear it," he told her as a downcast Trixie looked like she was going to bow out of the festivities. Geoffrey offered to come round and cook for her, offering the options of enjoying his "sparkling repartee" or "companionable silence" - whichever she preferred. 

From this it became clear that if Trixie hadn’t already told her brother what had happened with Matthew, then Sister Veronica had. Trixie ended up brushing off his invitation as something to arrange “soon” and was next seen taking caffeine pills at work after suffering from sleepless nights.

This ultimately led to disaster when she set herself on fire accidentally at work and Sister Julienne had to react quickly to put out the fire as it spread down her apron to her legs. She told her the burns were "entirely superficial" but asked if there was anyone she should "fetch or telephone", to which Trixie sobbed, "Yes, my brother."

Geoffrey ended up delivering some tough love to his sister back at her flat that evening, telling her firmly that he wasn’t in the "mood to indulge" her and tipped the caffeine pills down the sink. Trixie’s brother went on to tell her that they both “run from love” and encouraged Trixie to "run towards" Matthew and not away from him.

Trixie ended up heading Geoffrey's advice and rang Matthew in New York. As a delighted-looking Geoffrey listened in to her phone call from the hallway, Trixie told her husband that she would be with him "soon" as she was "coming out to join [him]".

Whether or not she will go through with this and move to America in Call the Midwife season 14 remains to be seen, especially as Matthew reassured her it would only be for 4 months or so. But if it hadn’t been for Trixie's brother, she might have called time on her marriage already.

How many episodes has Trixie's brother been in? 

Trixie's brother Geoffrey has been in three episodes of Call the Midwife so far, including his most recent appearance in Call the Midwife season 13 episode 8. Prior to this we were introduced to Geoffrey Franklin in the season 12 finale when Trixie and Matthew got married. He also appeared in the 2023 Christmas special when she surprised his sister and brother-in-law by arriving at their flat for Christmas. He’d been meant to spend it with his friend Bernard but it turned out Bernard was getting married to a hairdresser and so plans had changed. 

In the end Trixie told Geoffrey that as much as she loved him, she and Matthew were trying to build something that was just theirs and not please everyone else all the time. Geoffrey moved into Nonnatus House as a paying guest - hence his friendship with Sister Veronica. He also helped secure costumes for the nativity, making it one of the best Christmases ever for Sister Monica Joan.

Will there be another season of Call the Midwife? It’s something you might be wondering as season 13 draws to a close. 

Anyone who hasn’t yet discovered how to watch Call the Midwife where they are has been missing out on twelve years of heart-warming (and admittedly sometimes heart-wrenching) moments. The long-running BBC drama has also sparked a fair few questions in its time too as we feared for the lives and happiness of our favourite characters. As the episodes went along, Call the Midwife season 13 has had us asking one particularly big question - Is Trixie leaving Call the Midwife? 

Now season 13's finale has aired, the next thing on our minds is whether more Call the Midwife is on the horizon. As we continue to reflect on all the emotional highs and lows, we have all the details about what lies in store for the beloved BBC show.

*Warning: Spoilers for season 13 ahead*

Will there be another season of Call the Midwife?

There will be another season of Call the Midwife - and another after that! The BBC confirmed back in February 2023 that Call the Midwife had been renewed for seasons 14 and 15. Because the joyful announcement came over a year ago now many viewers might have still been a little apprehensive about the show’s future as the end of Call the Midwife season 13 drew closer. 

However, the BBC's decision has meant we can look forward to seeing the nuns and midwives of Nonnatus House on our screens until at least 2026. At the time the renewal was announced Heidi Thomas, creator and writer of Call the Midwife, told the BBC she was "overjoyed" by the decision.

"I’m overjoyed by the news that the doors of Nonnatus House will be open for a few more years!" she said. "Call the Midwife is the pride and joy of all who work on it, but it’s our fantastic, loyal audience that matters most. We are a family behind the scenes, on the screen, and in front of the telly, and I’m thrilled that we’re all heading into the 1970’s together."

For those wondering when Call the Midwife is set, the period drama moves forward one year each season. The events of the latest instalment, Call the Midwife season 13 take place in 1969, so, as Heidi explained, Call the Midwife season 14 and 15 will move the storylines into the new decade and will likely be set in 1970 and 1971.

How many episodes will Call the Midwife season 14 have?

It will come as a relief to long-time fans to know that Call the Midwife season 14 is going to consist of eight 60-minute episodes just like previous seasons. Some beloved dramas have altered their episode count in recent years, including Vera season 13, which only had three and not the more-often seen four. But Call the Midwife has only ever deviated from being eight episodes long twice in the show’s 12 year history (in seasons 1 and 10) and it isn’t going to start doing so again with the upcoming seasons.

When will Call the Midwife return for season 14?

It's been announced that we'll see Call the Midwife season 14 in 2025 and we would expect it to return in January next year specifically. This might not come as too much of a surprise, though, as Call the Midwife has aired in January ever since season 1 first landed in 2012. We also know that Call the Midwife season 13 was filmed in spring 2023 and so if the next instalment follows this pattern, season 14 might commence filming very soon.

Which characters could be back in Call the Midwife season 14?

The Call the Midwife season 14 cast hasn’t been officially confirmed but we would expect to see all of the main cast members return. Despite fears that Trixie could leave after Matthew Aylward and his son Jonty left Poplar for New York in episode 7, she didn't depart on-screen in season 13. Of course, it’s possible that Helen and therefore Trixie could leave and reunite with Matthew in season 14 but we’ll just have to wait and find out. It’s also been claimed that the door has been left open for Olly Rix to return as Matthew too.

We would expect Sister Julienne (Jenny Agutter), Sister Monica Joan (Judy Parfitt), Shelagh Turner (Laura Main), Dr Turner (Stephen McGann) and Fred Buckle (Cliff Parisi) to be back. All of these characters have been part of the show since season 1.

Phyllis Crane (Linda Bassett), Violet Buckle (Annabelle Apsion) and Reggie Jackson (Daniel Laurie) are also long-standing characters who could return, as are Cyril Robinson (Zephryn Taitte), Nancy Corrigan (Megan Cusack), Sister Veronica (Rebecca Gethings) and Miss Millicent Higgins (Georgie Glen).

Meanwhile, Joyce Highland (Renee Bailey) and Rosalind Clifford (Natalie Quarry) were introduced in Call the Midwife season 13. It would definitely be a surprise for them to leave after just one season and so it’s likely they’ll return in season 14 too. Ultimately, the only character we won’t think will be back - or at least not as a series regular - is Olly Rix’s Matthew Aylward.

Will there be a Call the Midwife Christmas special in 2024?

Since the Call the Midwife season 13 finale aired, the show has confirmed on social media that there will be a special in 2024. This won't be the last Christmas special either, as the BBC announced last year that alongside Call the Midwife seasons 14 and 15 there would be Christmas specials as well. There’s been one of these every year since the show began and settling down to watch the midwives of Poplar spreading goodwill and helping the local community is something many of us look forward to every festive season.

Call the Midwife seasons 1-13 are available to watch now via BBC iPlayer.

"Is Trixie leaving Call the Midwife?" is a question that many of us are likely still asking ourselves after she made an enlightening phone call in the season 13 finale.

The latest season of the BBC drama has now drawn to a particularly heart-warming close and if you haven’t discovered how to watch Call the Midwife yet you’ve missed out on some intensely emotional storylines. The couple at the very centre of one of these was, of course, Trixie and Matthew Aylward (Helen George and Olly Rix). They might only have tied the knot last season but their marriage took a turn for the worse as financial troubles escalated out of control. 

This eventually led to the departure of Matthew for New York in episode 7, leaving Trixie behind with the choice to follow him - or not. Following on from this in episode 8 we finally got what appears to be an answer about Trixie’s future on the show and here’s all we know about if she’s leaving and whether Olly Rix could return.

*Warning: Spoilers ahead*

Is Trixie leaving Call the Midwife? 

Trixie hasn't left Call the Midwife yet, but she could potentially leave in season 14. At least, she might if she follows through on her promise to Matthew in the season 13 finale and heads to New York. Thanks to the arrival of Trixie’s brother in Call the Midwife's latest episode, she was persuaded that instead of running away from love out of fear, she should run “towards” her husband Matthew. 

Following this heart-to-heart with Geoffrey, Trixie called Matthew in New York and he shared how much he was missing her and wished she was there with him. She responded simply, “I will be soon. I’m coming out to join you.”

Delighted, but clearly shocked, Matthew laughed and promised his wife that the move wouldn’t have to be forever. So whilst she remained in Poplar at the end of the finale, her desire to join Matthew means that it’s at least a possibility that Trixie will leave Call the Midwife in season 14 at some point. However, it’s not necessarily set in stone as Trixie could always change her mind about going to New York in another season of Call the Midwife. Alternatively, Trixie could leave but continue to appear in some episodes in a recurring role. 

Ultimately, it's at least technically possible (though it would be heart-wrenching to watch) that Helen George could leave Call the Midwife as Trixie at some point in the show’s future. The show has been renewed until season 15 already so fans will have to wait and see if Trixie Aylward remains a beloved regular character until then. 

Are Trixie and Matthew still together in Call the Midwife?

Matthew, played brilliantly by Olly Rix since 2021, left Call the Midwife in episode 7 of season 13, though he and Trixie are still together. He and his son Jonty went to New York for a fresh start after he was forced to fess up to Trixie about his financial situation. Matthew was sacked from the Aylward Estates board in episode 6 after his actions left the family company in debt in excess of £250,000 and he was stripped of his salary at the same time. 

After keeping the truth from Trixie for so long, he finally admitted his money troubles to her and broke the news that they couldn’t move into their new Barbican flat, she couldn’t have her new car and they were utterly dependent on her own salary. Humiliated and feeling like a failure, Matthew viewed a move to New York as a way to start again after he bought warehouses there from his friend Chester. 

He put in his own money and said that if he and Chester join forces he could get a return on his investment within 5 years. He made the decision without consulting Trixie - who was understandably upset.

“I want to rebuild where we are, where we belong,” she told her husband, who replied flatly, “Well, that’s not going to be possible.”

“Oh, you’ve decided that independently have you? Act now and tell the little woman later?” Trixie retorted.

Matthew wouldn’t be swayed and said that he and Jonty were going, although he appreciated that if Trixie needed time to think about it that wasn’t “unreasonable”. He implored her to remember that she loved New York when they were last there, to which she said that she loved it because it had been their honeymoon and she would’ve loved Skegness if they’d gone there instead, because it wasn’t the glamour that she loved but being with him.

This conversation didn’t get them any closer to agreeing and an anxious Trixie refused to lie down in bed that night. Despite Matthew assuring her that him going to New York didn’t change anything, that they were still married and still had a future together, she said she wasn’t so sure.

We next had the heart-breaking experience of watching Trixie say goodbye to her stepson Jonty as he and Matthew prepared to leave the flat and board the plane to New York. Matthew begged his wife to “please come” to the US, adding that she could come tomorrow if she wanted.

“If you haven’t decided what you want, I won’t force things,” Matthew said to her, leaving Trixie tearful and with a lot to consider. By the end of the Call the Midwife season 13 finale, it seemed like she'd finally made her decision and we might well see husband and wife reunite in season 14 if Trixie flies out to America.

Is Olly Rix coming back to Call the Midwife? 

We don't know right now if Olly Rix’s departure from Call the Midwife as Matthew Alyward is permanent, but according to RadioTimes.com, the door is supposedly being left open for Olly to potentially return to the BBC show at some point. This certainly fits with Matthew and Trixie’s phone call in the finale. He reiterated to her that the move to New York didn't have to be forever, suggesting there's at least the potential that Matthew could come back to London at some point.

Initially, Matthew’s trip to New York is just for 3-4 months and will only be extended if things go well, so it doesn’t seem like a permanent move is definitely happening right now. Even if Olly Rix's departure isn't permanent, it was still tough watching Matthew and Trixie say goodbye in episode 7 and Olly Rix and Helen George found their final scenes together in Call the Midwife challenging to film due to the emotional intensity of them.

Olly said it was "something we found quite emotionally exhausting to do", whilst Helen said the scenes were “hard, really hard to work on.”

“We have this set of Matthew's flat, Matthew and Trixie’s flat, which is quite a small set. And we're just in these four walls, and often our scenes would be programmed to be filmed in one day, so there's a sort of pressure on the finality of it all, as well,” she explained.

Call the Midwife seasons 1-13 can be watched now via BBC iPlayer.

"Why wasn't Call the Midwife on and when is it next on?" might be the question on your mind since episode 7 of season 13 moved in the schedule.

If you’ve only just discovered how to watch Call the Midwife then you’ve been missing out on 12 years of poignant stories and heart-warming moments. The latest season certainly hasn’t disappointed and it’s left us wondering everything from does Fred Buckle die in Call the Midwife to what’s going to happen to Nurse Trixie and her husband Matthew Aylward? This couple took a particularly key role in the events of episode 6 which aired on 11th February in the UK. However, fans will just have to wait to see what lies in store for them in episode 7 as Call the Midwife's next episode isn’t airing in its usual scheduling slot.

*Warning: Spoilers ahead*

Why wasn’t Call the Midwife on?

Call the Midwife sadly didn't air on 18th February in its usual scheduling slot of 8pm on Sundays on BBC One because it was rescheduled due to the BAFTA Film Awards 2024. The BAFTAs were broadcast on BBC One from 7pm-9pm, covering the hour-long slot that’s traditionally occupied by Call the Midwife. This means that fans will have to be patient before they get to enjoy Call the Midwife season 13 episode 7 and with the finale of the beloved drama edging ever closer this might prove to be a slightly challenging wait. 

When is Call the Midwife next on? 

After what happened in episode 6 it’s perhaps no surprise that many of us are eager to find out when the next episode of Call the Midwife is on and the answer is Sunday, 25th February. Unlike other shows like Silent Witness which had a recent episode rescheduled to the next night because of sporting fixtures, the next episode of Call the Midwife will air in the usual Sunday scheduling slot after being postponed because of the BAFTAs.

What happened in Call the Midwife season 13 episode 6? 

As all long-time fans of Call the Midwife will know, there isn’t one direct storyline running throughout a single season, but that doesn’t mean that there are certain plot threads that keep being woven in. Now we have many days to wait until episode 7 and Call the Midwife season 13 episode 6 featured a major turning point for Trixie and Matthew Aylward. There have been a few tense exchanges between the couple this season and in episode 6 Matthew finally admitted to Trixie that his finances weren’t what she believed them to be.

It’s taken Matthew a while to come clean to his wife about his money troubles and it only happened after he got an urgent call from his mother Lady Aylward. She summoned him to a meeting with the Aylward Estates board and Matthew had no choice but to attend. 

This was made all the more excruciating for in-the-know fans as Trixie was blissfully unaware and excitedly waiting to pick up her new car later that day. Not wanting to dampen his wife’s joy (at this point at least) Matthew agreed to meet her so that he could be her first passenger.

Unfortunately, Matthew later learned that the total financial debt is now a "figure well in excess of £250,000" and that he's brought the company to the "brink of ruin". Despite insisting that he’d done all he could after he inherited the business, Matthew’s mother took action. He was not only struck off the board but was told that he was no longer going to receive a salary.  

Not knowing why her husband didn’t come to meet her to get her car (and why the car sale didn’t actually go through), Trixie was furious at Matthew and confronted him at home. Matthew told her the truth, prefacing it with the admission, "I kept hoping that I could make it right. That you’d never have to know."

When a devastated Matthew told her, "I'm out of a job. And I'm broke", Trixie showed her understanding nature when she told her husband gently, "No, we're broke." However, it didn't stop the midwife from also being upset and shocked when she learnt that they wouldn’t be moving into their new flat and that he only owns the lease on the one they currently live in. 

She tried to help later on in Call the Midwife season 13 episode 6 when she heard about an old family friend having a job opening but Matthew reacted angrily, hurt that now other people know about their money woes. 

After a major fight they eventually sat down to go through their accounts together by the end of Call the Midwife season 13 episode 6 and Trixie's voice shook as she asked Matthew to confirm that he had signed the deeds for Nonnatus House into the order's name. With her salary their only income the safety of Nonnatus House has never been more important, but Matthew only shook his head.

With so much uncertainty and challenges to overcome for the couple, there will no doubt still be some fans feeling a little apprehensive about Matthew and Trixie's marriage going into Call the Midwife season 13 episode 7. Trixie and Matthew’s storyline was the primary personal plot line for Call the Midwife season 13 episode 6. Alongside this, we also saw Rosalind and Joyce preparing for their exams in the latest episode.

They ended up receiving their results at the end and both passed and were absolutely delighted by the news after all their hard work. Elsewhere in the episode Cyril faced a challenge in his new job as a welfare officer as he is called after two boys are found. Their pregnant mother Deidre is found later and Cyril told her that she is allowed to raise her daughter and they’ll see how well she copes and she might be reunited with her sons too. 

Call the Midwife season 13 continues on Sunday, 25th February at 8pm on BBC One and episodes will be made available to watch on BBC iPlayer after broadcast.

The prospect of seeing Sister Monica Joan die in Call the Midwife is one that is enough to strike fear into the hearts of long-time fans of the BBC drama and the final episode is set to be seriously emotional.

Whether it’s the moment we saw Lucille leave Call the Midwife in season 12 to the horrific scenes of destruction that left us agonizing for a week over who died in Call the Midwife season 11, recent seasons of the BBC drama in particular haven’t shied away from heartbreak. Now there’s just one episode left of the latest series of Call the Midwife and episode 7 left fans in turmoil once again. Sister Monica Joan fell gravely ill and even her friends and colleagues who’ve seen so much in their careers began to fear for her. 

But does Sister Monica Joan die in Call the Midwife and is Judy Parfitt leaving her fan-favorite role after season 12? We reveal what we know so far…

*Warning: Spoilers ahead*

Does Sister Monica Joan die in Call the Midwife? 

The prospect of losing any of the nursing sisters at Nonnatus House would be nothing short of heart-breaking at this point and episode 7 left fans fearing that we might see Sister Monica Joan die in Call the Midwife season 12. Played by the brilliant Judy Parfitt since season 1, Sister Monica Joan is a Call the Midwife institution and the latest episode of season 12 saw her receive a shocking diagnosis. 

More used to caring for others than being cared for, Sister Monica Joan was told she had contracted hepatitis and though she didn't die in this episode, it’s not looking good for her.

In Call the Midwife’s 2023 series, hepatitis was spreading quickly throughout Poplar and the medical orderly and retired midwife didn’t escape it. As fatigue set in, the conversations had by her fellow nursing sisters left us concerned that we’ll see Sister Monica Joan die in Call the Midwife before the season is over. 

Gathering at her bedside whilst she was resting, Sister Julienne (Jenny Agutter) and Nurse Phyllis Crane (Linda Bassett) remarked upon how unwell Sister Monica Joan appeared to be. 

“I should’ve realized something wasn’t quite right when she refused to eat yesterday evening,” Sister Julienne said regretfully. 

It was here, noticing that her eyes had a yellow tinge to them, that they decided to call in Dr Turner who revealed his diagnosis of hepatitis. 

“We just have to hope she can fight the infection off,” he told Sister Julienne and Nurse Crane, after expressing his belief that Sister Monica Joan shouldn't be moved from Nonnatus House.

Now this doesn’t sound particularly optimistic - nor does Dr Turner’s pronouncement that even he can’t pretend that her age “isn’t a concern”. For those wondering - does Sister Monica Joan die in Call the Midwife? - the final scenes of episode 7 aren't that reassuring either. 

After seeing a distressed Sister Monica Joan protesting that she can’t be held “captive” and demanding not to be kept in bed, Nurse Crane privately told Sister Veronica, “I think we’d try anything at this point [to help her recover].”

Asked if she fears the worst, Nurse Crane responded simply, “Hepatitis in someone of her age? I think we both know the odds.”

Sister Monica Joan’s final moment in Call the Midwife’s latest episode saw her once again with Sister Julienne and Nurse Crane. Although they attempted to show her a photo, it soon slipped out of Sister Monica Joan’s hands as she told them, “I am weary. Perhaps you could let me in?”

Her two friends exchanged anxious looks as the narrator in Call the Midwife asks what matters most - memory or the love that “feeds and frames it”. Ultimately, whilst we haven’t seen Sister Monica Joan die in Call the Midwife season 12, everything that’s been said by her friends is hinting that it’s at least a possibility that she'll pass away in the 2023 series finale. 

Is Sister Monica Joan leaving Call the Midwife and is Judy Parfitt still in the show? 

Whether it’s Douglas Henshall’s Shetland exit or the rumors of Kevin Costner leaving Yellowstone, the departure of a main actor from a beloved show always fills fans’ hearts with dread. When it comes to whether Sister Monica Joan is leaving Call the Midwife it’s perhaps all-too-easy to fear this will come to pass after episode 7’s storyline. 

If we see Sister Monica Joan die in Call the Midwife then she and her actor Judy Parfitt will be leaving the show as there would no longer be a role for her but to the relief of all, as of episode 7, she’s still in it. 

Opening up to Express.co.uk in December last year ahead of Call the Midwife season 12’s premiere, Judy said, “Oh anything can happen to Sister Monica. She goes through various things, it is really difficult to explain because she has come and gone health-wise.”

The star continued, “I think I have said before when she is tired, or stressed, or upset or ill that she begins to lose the plot, but I do have quite a few varied things to do in this series. It is lovely and very fulfilling”. 

Given that playing Sister Monica Joan is so “fulfilling” for her, Judy’s words could perhaps indicate that she might not be looking to leave Call the Midwife. It could be that if the acting legend isn’t deciding to leave, then fans won’t have to bid a devastating farewell to Sister Monica Joan after all.

Though with her fate set to be determined in the Call the Midwife season 12 finale, the showrunners could still have written in Sister Monica Joan’s death as a key plot-point. All we currently know is that no announcement has been officially made regarding Judy Parfitt’s future on the BBC drama and whether Sister Monica Joan is leaving Call the Midwife. 

She could make an appropriately miraculous recovery in episode 8 but until the delayed finale airs fans will just have to wait and hope they won’t see Sister Monica Joan die in Call the Midwife. After all, with two further series of Call the Midwife now confirmed, there’s so much more that Sister Monica Joan could do as the drama continues if she recovers.

When is the Call the Midwife season 12 finale?

For those anxiously awaiting news of Sister Monica Joan's fate in Call the Midwife sadly you'll have to wait a little longer than usual. Due to the BAFTAs 2023 the Call the Midwife season 12 finale is set to air on Sunday February 26 at 8pm on BBC One. This will bring the current series of the hit BBC drama to a close and reveal whether or not we'll see Sister Monica Joan die in Call the Midwife. Fans can also enjoy watching seasons 1-11 and all 7 episodes of season 12 that have aired so far via BBC iPlayer as they await the finale. 

The narrator in Call the Midwife is the one constant in a show filled with emotional changes and given the historical setting some might be wondering if she was a real-life person. 

Whether you still can’t forget the tension over who died in Call the Midwife season 11 or found yourself in tears as you watched Lucille leave Call the Midwife you’ll know that this long-running drama really makes an emotional impact. The narrator in Call the Midwife couldn’t be more important for this and she has helped frame each episode since season 1. But whilst we’ve seen her on the show at a different stage in her life before, many might’ve forgotten her identity as we haven’t actually seen her on screen for almost ten years.

Here we reveal the actor and the character who is the narrator in Call the Midwife, whether she was a real person and how she inspired the rest of the show…

*Warning: spoilers ahead!*

Who is the narrator in Call the Midwife? 

Just like we saw leading up to, and of course, in The Wonder ending and in the Yellowstone 1923 prequel, narration can make all the difference and the narrator in Call the Midwife certainly adds extra emotion and insight into each episode. The actor behind the soothing voice on the BBC period drama is Oscar-winning actor Vanessa Redgrave who plays an older version of Nurse Jennifer Lee. 

Vanessa has been the narrator in Call the Midwife since the show first started in 2012 and the show wouldn’t be the same without her dulcet delivery of observations about love, life, death, birth and other significant values.

She even made an on-screen appearance as her generally-unseen character in the Call the Midwife Christmas special in 2014. Though Vanessa Redgrave has otherwise remained unseen as the narrator in Call the Midwife. 

Opening up about her time on the show and the process that leads to her narration, Vanessa told RadioTimes.com in 2021, "I see my introduction, and we look at the themes and the footage that’s been shot, and a wonderful hands-on producer fills me in. It’s about times I can remember: I put myself into it."

She continued “They’ve got some lovely actors, not only the nuns in Nonnatus House who are brilliant, but all the characters. I believe in them, I trust them. It is passionately human about the rights and dignity of the poorest and least regarded.”

Who is Jenny Lee in Call the Midwife and was she a real nurse? 

Jennifer ‘Jenny’ Lee was a Nursing Sister in Call the Midwife from seasons 1-3 and was also a real nurse in the 1950s in London’s East End. She was played in the show by the brilliant Jessica Raine, who some might know from her roles as Queen Catherine Parr in Becoming Elizabeth. Sadly for Jenny fans she now only appears in her later life via Vanessa Redgrave as narrator in Call the Midwife and not as a regular character in the show’s current timeline. Jenny Lee left Call the Midwife in the season 3 finale but she didn’t leave the nursing profession. 

Instead, after helping to care for fellow nurse Chummy’s mother Jenny decided to work providing end-of-life care. She also wanted to start a new life with Phillip Worth - the same man who went on to become the real Jenny Lee’s husband. This provided the fan-favorite show character with a glimmer of hope for a new life after Jenny was left shattered by the death of her boyfriend Alec Jennings earlier in Call the Midwife season 3. 

Revealing her decision to leave to her friends at Nonnatus House, Jenny said, “I’m moving away to take up a position as a Staff Nurse at the Marie Curie Hospital. I want to work with the dying.”

Asked if she was sure, she responded that it was what she felt “called to do”. In the closing stages of the episode she departed on a blue bike decorated with balloons, with Phillip walking alongside her as the rest of the Call the Midwife cast bid her a fond farewell. 

Quite appropriately given that older Jenny is the narrator in Call the Midwife, she affirmed that she “never lost touch with the convent or the friends she made there” or lost her desire to tell their stories - hence her continuing narration. 

“It’s been a real privilege to help bring Jenny Lee’s story alive and amazingly satisfying to see how the public have embraced the series, but as is in keeping with Jenny’s story, it’s time for me to explore pastures new,” actor Jessica Raine said at the time, as per The Independent. 

In real-life Jennifer Lee was also a nurse who worked in the East End of London in the 1950s and went on to marry the real Phillip Worth in 1963. She too desired to chronicle her and her friends’ life’s work and she did so - releasing multiple memoirs about her time nursing.

Jennifer sadly passed away in 2011 before Call the Midwife had started. According to The Guardian's obituary for the extraordinary nurse and author, Jenny had been a staff nurse at the London hospital in Whitechapel and lived with an Anglican community - the Sisters of St John the Divine. Like her on-screen counterpart the real Jennifer also went on to work at the Marie Curie Hospital in Hampstead. 

She later reportedly gave up nursing in 1973 and later became a licentiate of the London College of Music and a decade later was awarded a fellowship.

How did Jenny Lee in Call the Midwife inspire the BBC show? 

The real Jennifer ‘Jenny’ Lee, also known as Jennifer ‘Jenny’ Worth after her marriage, was a huge part of the BBC show’s journey as her volumes of memoirs inspired the Call the Midwife drama. One of her memoirs was actually titled Call the Midwife and she went on to release three more, all chronicling her life as a working nurse and midwife in the East End of London.

"So many of those great characters have stayed with me," Jennifer previously said, discussing the publication Call the Midwife. "Most people in London at that time didn't know the East End - they pushed it aside. There was no law, no lighting, bedbugs and fleas. It was a hidden place, not written about at all."

In the opening credits of the BBC show credit is also given to Jennifer, as it reads, “Inspired by the memoirs of Jennifer Worth” ahead of the first scene. 

As reported by the BBC in 2013, Call the Midwife’s screenwriter Heidi Thomas confirmed to RadioTimes that the show would go beyond Jennifer Worth’s memoirs. Instead it would continue to draw inspiration from the world she described as Heidi said she’d received permission from Jennifer to carry on. 

“Don't worry. It doesn't mean the show will end [after the memoir material ran out],” Heidi said. "The characters will be well developed by then and Jennifer was happy for us to continue.”

She also previously told Fast Company about how she approached adapting the memoirs, revealing that sometimes a single moment could inspire entire episodes. 

“When you have memoirs, they tend to be quite fragmentary, and with Jennifer’s memoirs, you might get half a page of memories that give you a whole episode, or you might find three or four chapters that are very, very slight and won’t give you half an episode,” she said. “So it was a case of mixing and matching material and changing story order, and then, of course, we did a great deal of medical research and that led to new dramatic pathways, new characters, and new situations.”

So inspired by Jennifer Worth and her memoirs, the BBC show has continued and is now in season 12, complete with Vanessa Redgrave’s Jenny as the narrator in Call the Midwife. 

Watching Lucille leave Call the Midwife was one of the most emotional moments in season 12 and many might be wondering if she's gone for good.

Ever since it landed in 2012 Call the Midwife has never shied away from delivering poignant and powerful moments - even if that means tragedy striking at the heart of the lives of the show’s regular characters. From the Call the Midwife train crash last year and the prospect of Nancy leaving Call the Midwife looking worryingly possible, fans might have fearing more than a few cast exits in season 12. One of the saddest scenes surely has to be when we saw Lucille leave Call the Midwife. Played by Leonie Elliott since season 7, Nurse Lucille Robinson bid farewell to Nonnatus House, Poplar and her husband Cyril after experiencing some shattering moments. 

But why did Lucille leave Call the Midwife, what happened to her and is she gone for good? We reveal what we know so far about her exit and future in the show…

*Warning: spoilers ahead*

Why did Lucille leave Call the Midwife and what happened to her? 

From why Douglas Henshall is leaving after Shetland season 7 to why Jimmy left Yellowstone, the departure of a fan-favorite actor and character often ignites curiosity. So it’s perhaps no surprise that some fans might be wondering - why did Lucille leave Call the Midwife? UK viewers have already seen her exit and US viewers will soon see it now the season is airing on PBS but, sadly, the answer isn’t one specific thing but several tragic events that lead to her traveling to Jamaica. 

Having been part of the show since 2018, Nurse Lucille Anderson really made an impact and in the 2021 Christmas Special tied the knot with Cyril Robinson. But in the new season of Call the Midwife, Lucille’s storyline took a heart-wrenching turn. 

After experiencing a devastating miscarriage, Lucille and Cyril were struggling to conceive again and outside of their personal heartache things weren’t any easier for the couple. In the aftermath Enoch Powell’s "Rivers of Blood speech" which criticised immigration to Britain, especially from Commonwealth Countries, Lucille faced horrific abuse.  

Everything began to weigh heavily on her mental health until Lucille reached a point where it all seemed too much. This led her to seek medical help and Dr Turner advised her to rest, diagnosing her as being at the point of a nervous breakdown.   

Her devoted husband then dipped into their savings to purchase an open ticket to Jamaica so that she could rest with her much-missed family there. 

Taking to Twitter following the moment fans saw Lucille leave Call the Midwife in season 12, her actor Leonie Elliot expressed how “deeply” she cares about her character. She also expressed her hope that people can show kindness and understanding towards each other, as “many” have similar stories to Lucille. 

“This season was incredibly difficult to film. Thank you for all your kind words. It's my hope for people watching that if they can see the good in her, maybe they can extend that to people in real life. I care about her deeply,” she declared. “Many share her story of miscarriage and depression, and many share her experience of abuse, racial or otherwise. Many of us face mental health challenges, I hope we can continue to love one another, support and listen to each other. Look after yourselves and each other."

Is Lucille left Call the Midwife for good? 

Given the impact Lucille and her poignant exit storyline has it’s perhaps only natural to hope that although we saw Lucille leave Call the Midwife, she’s not really gone. However, very sadly, Lucille’s time in Poplar truly came to an end that day she set off for Jamaica and she is gone for good. Sharing the news after the Call the Midwife season 12 finale aired in the UK, Lucille’s actor Leonie Elliott confirmed that she was permanently leaving the show after six years playing the popular nurse. 

Taking to Twitter as she did after Lucille left Call the Midwife in episode 2 of the latest season, Leonie thanked fans for all their support during her time on the show. 

“Thank you for embracing Lucille and rocking with me on this journey, it is with a heart full of love and appreciation that I embark on pastures new,“ she wrote. “Having spent 6 years on a truly wonderful show, with a fantastic team I have fallen deeper and deeper in love with Lucille.”

Leonie expressed how “honored” she is to have “represented the pioneering Windrush generation and their incredible impact on British society”. 

Giving thanks to the “uber talented creative team” on Call the Midwife she expressed her gratitude to fans and said she was “super excited for what’s coming next”. 

This statement was met with sadness by fans who were quick to share their support and thanks for the star’s brilliant performance as Lucille on Call the Midwife over so many years.

“Thank you for everything leonie we will miss you and lucille so much, good luck for whatever is next”, one person declared.

Another echoed this sentiment, responding, “Sad to see you leave, precious! You were superb as Lucille! Thank you for giving us strong, proud, faithful and caring Lucille for six years! Sending all good wishes for your next adventure”. 

Whilst someone else remarked upon how “missed” Leonie will be and suggested that her former colleagues would love to welcome her back one day. 

“Ahh this makes me sad Lucille will be sorely missed by everyone!! Thank you for your wonderful performances, best of luck with your future endeavors Nonnatus will always welcome you back!” they wrote.

We might have dreaded confirmation that seeing Lucille leave Call the Midwife was a permanent thing but there were some hints throughout season 12. Lucille’s devoted husband Cyril Robinson remained behind in Poplar and he told Violet Buckle that he’d heard from his sister-in-law that his wife had got a new job in Jamaica. 

“Her sister said she took a job at the town hospital so she could pay her way at her parents’ home,” Cyril explained, before revealing that Lucille had then been offered a sister’s position on the maternity ward.

“And she - she never told you?” Violet asked. “She never mentioned it in any of her letters?”

Cyril might not have answered but his silence certainly spoke volumes. He went on to explain that he’d been told by her sister that Lucille had agreed to stay on in that position for six months.

Cyril went out to Jamaica himself but returned in episode 7. For a few seconds as he paused at the subway exit it seemed like Lucille could’ve been about to appear but instead he’d come back alone and later sighed sadly as he picked up a letter addressed to Mr and Mrs Robinson. This signaled that Lucille was likely gone for good from Call the Midwife even before Leonie’s message. 

“Lucille is still in Jamaica,” he told Violet and Fred Buckle. “She’s fine. She’s taken to her new job and it’s doing her good to be with her family. She sends her love.”

Asked about his decision to come back without her, Cyril responded, “I have a good job here and some good friends. This is my home.”

So it seems that whilst Lucille has left Call the Midwife for good, Cyril has no intention of leaving Poplar at the moment. Unfortunately that means no happy reunion for the couple quite yet if they both want to live in different countries. But fans can likely expect to see Cyril back for Call the Midwife season 13. 

How to watch Call the Midwife season 12 and from the beginning 

For those who've been wondering where to watch Call the Midwife in the US, season 12 has now started on PBS for US fans to enjoy - only a few weeks after the latest series drew to an emotional close in the UK. Each new episode of Call the Midwife season 12 is released at 8pm ET on Sundays on PBS and you can also enjoy previous seasons of the BBC show on Netflix in the US if you're tempted to re-immerse yourself in your favorite moments. 

If you’re based in the UK and have yet to dive into Call the Midwife then simply head to BBC iPlayer as this is where seasons 1-12 are available to stream now.

But if you're abroad when you want to watch Call the Midwife then you won’t be able to watch like you normally would due to regional restrictions. Luckily there’s an easy solution and you can use a VPN to continue watching. This is a handy bit of software that changes your IP address so that you can access on-demand content or live TV just as if you were at home.

Our sister site, TechRadar, has tested all of the major VPN services and they rate ExpressVPN as the absolute best. They say, “It’s compatible with all of your devices, supports most streaming services, and ranks among the fastest. You can even install it on devices like an Amazon Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Xbox, and PlayStation. So for a one-stop-shop, you can’t go wrong with Express.”  

Call the Midwife season 11 concluded in February 2022, and the new series is set to be released early in the new year of 2023. 

Since 2012 when Call the Midwife first began airing, fans have been hooked to this beloved show that combines heartaching and heartwarming moments. The finale of season 11 featured the Call the Midwife train crash which left fans on the edge of their seats and many wondered if their favorite characters would survive this ordeal.

Ahead of the Call the Midwife Christmas Special, and the release of season 12 in the new year, here is a quick recap of season 11 and what happened in that finale.

What happened in season 11 of Call The Midwife?

Fans are wondering who died in Call the Midwife season 11 and what else happened. Here is a swift recap of the previous season ahead of season twelve. 

Following the shocking train crash that viewers did not see coming, Lionel Corbett and Dorothy Carnie were the characters who did not survive. In the final, it was revealed that Lionel, the train driver, was the husband of Edina, a woman giving birth at Nonnatus House. It was revealed that Lionel had a brain tumor which was what caused him to fall ill and crash the train. Dorothy was the tea lady on the train whose injuries were too severe to survive. 

Other characters such as Sister Julienne and Dr. Turner were injured but survived thanks to trainee medic Timothy Turner who found them in the wreckage and tended to them.  

What to expect from Call the Midwife season 12

The episode description of episode 1 of season 12 tease a new arrival, "It is April 1968 and change is coming to Nonnatus House. The sisters intend to make a good impression on new recruit Sister Veronica. It's clear she is no shrinking violet and will ruffle a few feathers."

The episode will also explore real historic events taking place at the time. The BBC description reads, "Racial tensions cast a shadow over Poplar following Enoch Powell’s incendiary ‘Rivers of Blood’ speech. Nancy and Trixie team up to support terminally ill patient, and Fred is saddened to receive an official letter confirming the disbandment of the Civil Defence Corps."

In season 12 of the show, it is likely that Sister Julienne and Dr. Turner will still be recovering from their injuries from the previous season and dealing with the trauma of the crash. This traumatic event will likely be affecting other members of the cast as they learn to get back to normality.

It has been reported that two key members of the cast will also be leaving the show. Sister Hilda, played by Fenella Woolgar, and Sister Frances, played by Ella Bruccoleri, will be leaving the show according to reports from the Mirror. This will likely be another key aspect of the Christmas episode, and season 12 going forward.

Creator, writer and executive producer Heidi Thomas told Radio Times that fans can expect drama and new ideas in the new season. "It’s an incredible privilege to be able to look back on a decade of Call the Midwife, and yet know that our journey is still very far from over. We are thrilled to be going on for a few more years!" said Heidi as she teased, "Like Nonnatus House itself, we have a proud past but an even more exciting future – full of old favourites, fresh faces, higher hemlines, new ideas. The stories we tell are like babies – they never stop coming, we love them all, and we vow to do our best by every single one."

How to watch Call the Midwife season 12

Call the Midwife Series 12 will begin on New Year's Day in UK. The episode will kick off just one week following the Christmas Special and will jump straight into 1968. Call the Midwife Series 12 begins on Sunday, January 1, at 8 pm on BBC1.

Each year the hit BBC show Call The Midwife turns its fans into blubbering messes with its Yuletide edition. However, news that the Call The Midwife Christmas special 2022 will see the loss of TWO beloved characters may just be too much for its devoted viewers to handle. SPOILER ALERT for anyone wanting it all to be a surprise, best avert your gaze now.

After the Call the Midwife train crash in the penultimate episode of season 11 of the period drama, fans were left on a knife's edge wondering who died in Call the Midwife's epic finale. Especially as the show has made it abundantly clear throughout its 11 seasons that not one character is safe from the cruel hands of fate.

Fate needn't mean shuffling off this mortal coil, but it can mean shuttling off somewhere else and according to reports - two midwife nuns will be on their merry way. Needless to say, snow won't be the only thing falling on the 1960's streets of Poplar this festive period, as there's a lot of weeping forecast ahead of the beloved characters' departure.

Sister Hilda, played by Fenella Woolgar, and Sister Frances, played by Ella Bruccoleri, will be leaving the show according to reports from the Mirror, after being sent back to the Mother House for very different reasons. 

Seemingly, Sister Hilda will already have departed before the Call The Midwife Christmas special 2022, as she was called away for God’s work. Whereas Sister Francis will be sent off to recover after falling off her bike and injuring herself in the snow while attending to a birth emergency.

As any loyalists of the emotional rollercoaster of a show are all too aware - few nuns return from the Mother House. However, an insider told the Mirror, “Ella and Fenella are off doing other things now - but that doesn’t mean they won’t come back again at some point. They’ll both be missed.”

On top of losing two hit characters, who've been a part of the cast since 2019, it's been revealed that the Call The Midwife Christmas special 2022 will feature one of its most challenging ongoing storylines - the Thalidomide scandal. Though a harrowing watch, the show's creators received high praise for their depiction of the pharmaceutical scandal, which saw 10,000 babies affected by the drug worldwide. Per the Science Museum, around half of these babies died within months of being born, with those who survived and their families left to live with the effects of the drug. 

It's not all painful storylines that feature in the Call The Midwife Christmas special 2022 as one of the original midwives Trixie Franklin, played by Helen George, makes her return. Trixie, whose battle with alcohol addiction featured in the series, is set to finally get her ring as her long-time boyfriend Matthew Aylward, played by Olly Rix, finally pops the question.

Who died in Call the Midwife was the question on many anxious fans’ minds ahead of the season 11 finale and it turned out to be one of the most dramatic episodes of the show so far.

Ever since it first landed in 2012, Call the Midwife has had us hooked with its blend of heart-warming and devastating moments. Nothing showcased this more clearly than the penultimate episode of season 11, which made for seriously tense viewing. Fans were left terrified after the Call the Midwife train crash left several fan-favourite characters’ fates unknown. For historical fiction lovers who’ve been working out how to watch The Gilded Age or excitedly waiting for the Downton Abbey sequel, there’s never been a better time to catch-up on the epic highs and lows of Call the Midwife after *that* season finale. 

But who died in Call the Midwife, who survived and who was the episode dedicated to? We reveal all the heart-stopping moments of season 11 episode 8…

*Warning: spoilers ahead!*

Who died in Call the Midwife? 

Going into the season 11 finale it was clear that many tears would be shed, with many fans wondering who died in Call the Midwife after the shocking cliff-hanger ending of episode 7 left things looking incredibly bleak for not only those aboard the train but the entire community. Revealing the outcome of the train crash no-one saw coming, it emerged that two characters tragically lost their lives—Lionel Corbett and Dorothy Carnie. 

Lionel, played by former EastEnders star Marc Elliot, was the train driver whose sudden illness at the wheel saw him become unresponsive, leading the train to crash upon arriving at Poplar. Whilst many viewers might’ve expected Lionel to be counted amongst the dead due to the heavy damage sustained, things took an even more emotional turn as Lionel was revealed to be integral to a subplot in the episode.

In the Call the Midwife finale, fans saw a woman named Edina give birth and it was then revealed that she was Mrs Lionel Corbett. Having just given birth to her son, she was informed that her husband would never meet their baby and that she was now a widow by the midwives. In the depths of grief, Edina was told that Lionel had died from a brain tumour, giving her the small comfort of knowing the crash wasn’t due to his recklessness.

The other character who died in Call the Midwife was Dorothy Carnie (Stephanie Jacob), who had been serving tea to passengers on the train. Despite the best efforts of Sister Julienne (Jenny Agutter) and Dr Turner (Stephen McGann), the injuries she sustained during the crash were just too severe.

But whilst the loss of Lionel and Dorothy was keenly felt in the finale, for many people there was a huge sense of relief that there weren't two more characters who died in Call The Midwife this time...

Which Call the Midwife characters survived and are they still injured?

Despite fears that two of the most long-standing and loved Call the Midwife cast members could be leaving, thankfully both Sister Julienne and Dr Turner survived. This means plenty more brilliant acting from Jenny Agutter and Stephen McGann to look forward to, but things weren't looking good for their characters ahead of the finale. 

The pair had been travelling back from a conference on the train with Nurse Nancy Corrigan when it crashed and the final scenes of episode 7 didn’t give much hope that they would survive, with the Sister unresponsive and Dr Turner barely moving. 

In the Call the Midwife finale, however, both were eventually pulled from the train and taken off for urgent treatment after trainee doctor Timothy Turner arrived to help as a medic. Making his way through the wreckage Timothy found his father and Sister Julienne just in time, believing that the sister was experiencing a heart attack.

Fans could then breathe a sigh of relief after a week of anxious waiting, knowing that both fan-favourites had survived. Though neither Dr Turner nor Sister Julienne will be back at work any time soon as they continue to recover from their injuries, including his concussion and her broken ribs, as well as her advanced state of shock mistakenly identified by Timothy as a heart attack.

Despite the eventual relief of knowing that both made it through the Call the Midwife train crash, fans were still left devastated by the emotional turmoil of the episode. 

“My emotions are all over the place and feel like I’ve run a marathon after watching call the midwife!” one fan wrote as they reflected on the incredible highs and lows of the finale. 

“What an episode of call the midwife tonight. Emotional mess. Credit to Heidi #CallTheMidwife”, another said, giving a special shout-out to Call the Midwife writer Heidi Thomas.

“Oh thank god!! 🙏🏻☘️☺️💕☘️☺️💕☘️”, a third person wrote, posting two pictures of Dr Turner and Sister Julienne safe and sound. “This series is exceptional in every way! All the characters have stolen my heart ❤️ @StephenMcGann #JennyAugtter”.

Someone else reflected on their sense of loss now that Call the Midwife season 11 is over as they praised the show’s huge range of moments. They declared, “How am [I] going to spend Sundays now? 😂 @CallTheMidwife1 has the ability to capture every emotion & leave you guessing till the end. It's phenomenal ❤️❤️”.

With a Call the Midwife 2022 Christmas special and two more seasons already confirmed for the hit BBC show, we can’t wait to see the Call the Midwife cast return later this year. And after the dramatic season 11 finale set such a high bar, there'll surely be even more emotional rollercoasters in store when they do...

Who is Kev Corbishley from Call the Midwife? 

If you're wondering who is Kev Corbishley from Call the Midwife is, then you're probably not alone. The long-running drama dedicated the season 11 finale to him, sharing a poignant message ahead of the credits that read simply, "In memory of Kev Corbishley 1965-2022". 

Taking to Twitter, one viewer wanted to know more about the tribute, asking, "Loved tonight’s episode. Can you tell me about the tribute at the end of the credits please?"

In response, the Call the Midwife official account kindly commented back, "A dearly loved member of our crew who died very recently. He will be missed. xx ❤️"

According Express.co.uk, Kev reportedly worked in the Camera and Electrical department on Call the Midwife and had been part of the series crew since 2020. The Call The Midwife season 11 finale is said to have been the last he worked on and it's clear he is dearly missed by the cast and crew of the beloved show.

How to catch up on Call the Midwife seasons 1-11 

It's with a heavy heart that fans must brace themselves for 10 Call The Midwife-free months ahead before the Christmas special 2022. Though that doesn't mean that you can't enjoy all the highs and lows of this hit show, from the latest season to the one that started it all. If you loved the pacing of the Chloe BBC ending or already know what happens in No Return and are looking for something just as emotional, but more historical, then Call the Midwife is hard to beat. 

All of the previous episodes and all past seasons from the very beginning are also available to watch via BBC iPlayer. But if you’re abroad when you fancy watching it then sadly you won't be able to watch the show as you normally would at home, thanks to regional restrictions. 

Luckily there’s an easy solution and you can use a VPN to continue watching this hit drama. This is a handy bit of software that changes your IP address so that you can access on-demand content or live TV just as if you were at home. Our sister site, TechRadar, has tested all of the major VPN services and they rate ExpressVPN as the best. 

They say, “It’s compatible with all of your devices, supports most streaming services, and ranks among the fastest. You can even install it on devices like an Amazon Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Xbox, and PlayStation. So for a one-stop-shop, you can’t go wrong with Express.”

Now you know who died in Call the Midwife and which of your favourite characters have survived, there's plenty of time to re-live all the most tear-jerking, life-affirming and downright joyful moments so far. Especially given what creator, writer and executive producer Heidi Thomas has previously teased about the show's future, as revealed by Radio Times.

"Like Nonnatus House itself, we have a proud past but an even more exciting future —full of old favourites, fresh faces, higher hemlines, new ideas. The stories we tell are like babies—they never stop coming, we love them all, and we vow to do our best by every single one," she excitingly declared.

The Call the Midwife train crash left fans desperate for the emotional season finale as more than one character’s fate is left unknown. 

Anyone who’s been holding on excitedly for the Downton Abbey sequel to land in theatres and can’t get enough of Julian Fellowes’ The Gilded Age, if there’s one period drama that should already be on your radar, it’s Call the Midwife. The long-running BBC show is set in London’s East End in the 1950s-60s and was originally based on the memoirs of nurse and midwife Jennifer Worth. Now in its eleventh season, the emotional storylines, character relationships and topical subjects make this a firm favourite with fans. Though the latest episode has left many viewers terrified about what the finale has in store after a train journey ended in disaster. 

But what caused the Call the Midwife train crash and have any of your favourite characters survived?  

The Call the Midwife train crash explained

With the Call the Midwife season 11 finale almost here, fans might have been expecting the long-running drama to start upping the intensity in the penultimate episode, just like in fellow historical show Ridley Road. Though what they got was an emotional rollercoaster sure to have left more than a few viewers in tears after a Call the Midwife train crash left lives hanging in the balance ahead of the final episode. 

This includes several of the BBC show’s most beloved characters—Dr Turney, Sister Julienne and Nancy Corrigan. The three colleagues boarded a train home to Poplar from Chelmsford after attending a conference on midwifery and obstetrics, having decided against driving.

In a moment that couldn’t seem more foreboding looking back, Dr Turner even remarks upon how the train was “much easier” and he was “glad” he didn’t drive. Though it wasn’t long before the respected doctor and fans were left bitterly regretting this fateful choice. During the journey the train driver is seen taking some kind of medication before taking ill.

Becoming unresponsive whilst at the wheel, it wasn’t long before Dr Turney and Sister Julienne both realised something was very, very wrong with the erratic movements of the train. Whilst fans were left holding their breath as they hoped for a resolution in time, instead they were horrified to watch a Call the Midwife train crash unfold.

With the driver no longer in control of the speeding train, it collided with another one rather than stopping for it. It soon became all-too clear that things didn’t look good for anyone on board, with the train wrecked and the driver believed to be dead. Now with just one episode left in Call the Midwife season 11 we’re all left wondering a truly terrible question—did all three main cast members survive this shocking incident?

Who dies in the Call the Midwife train crash?

Dr Patrick Turner - played by Stephen McGann

Dr Patrick Turner has been a much-loved member of the Call the Midwife cast since it’s very first episode back in 2012. As the local physician in Poplar, he’s become well acquainted with the midwives and nuns and his loss would be deeply felt if he was to become one of the Call the Midwife train crash’s victims. 

Following the incident, episode 7 ended with the doctor lying on the ground and moving very slightly. So it seems that he's survived the initial crash, though he's certainly not out of the woods yet. If Dr Turney were to die this would add another layer of emotion and intensity into the finale as he would’ve passed away before making things up with his son Timothy. 

Before heading to Chelmsford the two had fallen out after Timothy returned from university with glandular fever and Dr Turney advised him to rest.

Furious at his illness and terrified it would impact his studies, Timothy snapped at his father that things had “changed since [his] day” at medical school.

Ultimately the row ended when Timothy left the room believing his father would never remember how hard studying was and Dr Turner left for the conference. Knowing how much the two love each other, it would make for a heartbreaking twist if Dr Turner and Timothy’s relationship was left on this sour note.

Alternatively, a reunion between father and son if the doctor survives would inject some much-needed joy back into the show in the final episode.

Sister Julienne - played by Jenny Agutter

Just like Dr Turney, Sister Julienne has been there from the very beginning, played by acclaimed actor Jenny Agutter. Though her fate after the Call the Midwife train crash is just as uncertain, if not more so, than her colleague. At least Dr Turner was shown moving at the end, whilst in comparison, Sister Julienne is shown to be completely unresponsive in her train seat.

Of course, this doesn’t necessarily mean that this is the last fans see of Sister Julienne in the show. And there’ll likely be many hoping that she is simply unconscious and will recover after being attended to by the emergency services called to the scene.

Nancy Corrigan - played by Megan Cusack

Though she was also involved in the train crash, Nancy Corrigan is the only one of the trio to be shown to have made it out relatively unscathed. She was in the train bathroom applying lipstick when the crash happened, leading her to hit her head against the mirror. In the aftermath of the impact, Nancy was seen emerging into the corridor with a bloody and bruised face. 

Thinking of her colleagues Nancy headed towards the compartment where she left Dr Turney and Sister Julienne sitting. Calling their names desperately, she attempted to get through the door to reach them, before a fellow passenger grabbed her arm and guided her to safety. Her survival is certainly a beacon of hope going into the final episode that the other two could also emerge, injured, but alive.

How to watch Call the Midwife  

If you’re looking for something more historical and heart-warming, but just as compelling as Trigger Point ITV or the Chloe BBC ending then why not give Call the Midwife a go? With characters you can’t help but root for, emotional storylines and the joy of seeing new life brought into the world, this BBC drama has it all. The Call the Midwife season 11 finale will air at 8pm on BBC One on Sunday, February 20th. All of the previous episodes and all past seasons from the very beginning are also available to watch via BBC iPlayer. 

But if you’re abroad when Call the Midwife airs then sadly you won't be able to watch the show as you normally would at home, thanks to regional restrictions. Luckily there’s an easy solution and you can use a VPN to continue watching this hit drama. This is a handy bit of software that changes your IP address so that you can access on-demand content or live TV just as if you were at home. 

Our sister site, TechRadar, has tested all of the major VPN services and they rate ExpressVPN as the absolute best. They say, “It’s compatible with all of your devices, supports most streaming services, and ranks among the fastest. You can even install it on devices like an Amazon Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Xbox, and PlayStation. So for a one-stop-shop, you can’t go wrong with Express.”

With the Call the Midwife season 11 finale now just a week away, fans will be keeping their fingers crossed that Sister Julienne and Dr Turney pull through. But with so many locals injured by shattered glass in the aftermath of the incident and fellow passengers thought dead, even if they do survive, things will likely get a whole lot more emotional before the show's conclusion...

Call the Midwife has been renewed for three further seasons, the BBC has confirmed.

The popular drama, which is aired on the BBC and PBS in America, follows the journey of a group of nurse midwives working in the East End of London is due to premiere season 10 in the UK this weekend. Ahead of season 10, episode one airing, fans are delighted to learn that there will be a further three more seasons of the show.

Series nine was set in the late 1950s and according to insiders, the coming series will cover the years 1967-1969, with filming for the next series expected to begin soon with the view of airing it next year.

Series 11 had already been confirmed by the BBC but now, fans will be treated to a further two seasons after the BBC confirmed the news on the Call the Midwife Twitter account. They wrote, 'Two more series (plus Christmas specials) of multiple award-winning #CallTheMidwife are planned for @BBCOne'

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Meanwhile, Heidi Thomas, creator, writer, and executive producer, said, “It’s an incredible privilege to be able to look back on a decade of Call The Midwife, and yet know that our journey is still very far from over. We are thrilled to be going on for a few more years! Like Nonnatus House itself, we have a proud past but an even more exciting future - full of old favorites, fresh faces, higher hemlines, new ideas. The stories we tell are like babies - they never stop coming, we love them all, and we vow to do our best by every single one."

Pippa Harris, the executive producer for Neal Street Productions, added, “We are all delighted by this vote of confidence from the BBC, and are looking forward to delivering more laughter, tears, and babies for our loyal fans. Over the past ten years, it has been an honor to see how warmly the show has been embraced by audiences around the world, thanks to the skillful writing of Heidi Thomas and the brilliant work of our cast and crew.”

And fans cannot contain their excitement. One tweeted, 'Brilliant news. Congratulations. One of the best shows on TV and well-deserved @CallTheMidwife1' Another put, 'Great news. It's a heartwarming show but also manages to cover a lot of serious issues in a very sensitive way' and a third added, 'This is amazing news. I love the show it’s my favorite it shows how things used to be from the war on wards Iv laughed and cried watching it. A genuine family show.'

When is Call the Midwife on?

Call the Midwife Season 10 returns to BBC One on Sunday 18th April and will see Nonnatus House tackle the perils of nuclear testing and the joy of the 1966 World Cup, thanks to its creator Heidi Thomas, who is married to its star Stephen McGann who plays the role of Dr Turner.

Sneak preview images show star Helen George in character as Nurse Trixie after she lands a promotion to become Sister at a private hospital.

Fans watching the show in America will have a little longer to wait to screen series 10 as this will be aired by PBS in October 2021. But if you cannot wait until then, here's a look at the trailer for the series...

Call the Midwife Season 10 synopsis:

Change is on the horizon in Poplar. Sister Julienne (Jenny Agutter) must determine whether a private clinic venture that will generate much needed income for Nonnatus House is a suitable workplace for the Sisters, and enlists the help of Trixie (Helen George).

The plan causes great tension between Sister Julienne and Dr Turner (Stephen McGann) who is strongly against private health care. Their first falling out in over 20 years is felt by all, in particular Shelagh (Laura Main) who feels caught in the middle. Trixie, however, is thrilled to be challenged professionally and agrees to spend six weeks at the Lady Emily Clinic.

Lucille (Leonie Elliott) and Sister Frances (Ella Bruccoleri) are startled when a baby boy is born without legs below the knee. Sister Frances alerts Dr Turner, who frets this could be another Thalidomide case. Perturbed by the event, he determines to uncover the cause.

Meanwhile, with the Church’s financial support, Cyril (Zephryn Taite) moves into the flat above the Buckle’s paper shop, while Sister Monica Joan’s (Judy Parfitt) crisis of faith continues to weigh heavily on her mind.

Series creator Heidi Thomas continues to lead the writing team and serve as Executive Producer alongside Pippa Harris and Ann Tricklebank. Executive Producer for the BBC is Mona Qureshi with Ann Tricklebank as Producer.

Call The Midwife returns this Sunday at 8pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

Jenny Agutter, one of the veteran stars of BBC's hit drama Call the Midwife, has opened up about how one of her family member's health battles once inspired a storyline on the show.

The 66-year-old, who plays Sister Julienne in the show, revealed to The Mirror that her niece, Rachel, has cystic fibrosis. Back in the show's third season, Sister Monica Joan (Judy Parfitt) discovered a new born baby was suffering from the same condition, after the child's parents were struggling to identify what was wrong.

Little was known about cystic fibrosis at the time, in the 1950s, meaning it was a difficult thing to diagnose and treat.

Jenny said, “One of the wonderful things about Call The Midwife is that we are seeing our future being shaped,

“Historically, it is very accurate and the scripts are wonderful at identifying the changes in healthcare which were good, and the problems which are still relevant today.”

The actress' niece Rachel was similarly diagnosed months after being born, after her parents realised she wasn't putting on any weight.

In the interview, Jenny revealed that there have been huge medical leaps since Rachel was born though, with expectations about how people can live with the condition improving all the time.

She said, “When Rachel was born, the median age for survival was about eight, and only a few people got into their teenage years. But in the past 40 years we have seen so many changes in medication, therapy and treatments for CF.”

Rachel has now recently celebrated her 40th birthday, which Jenny credits to medical advances and her own determination to stay healthy.

She said, “She [Rachel] has worked hard to remain healthy and kept moving along with the improvements in treatment and care,”

Jenny also confessed that despite her suspicions her parents carried the CF gene, she didn't get tested herself until after she fell pregnant in 1990, with her son Jonathan.

The actress admitted, “I really should have been tested before I got pregnant, because I knew I had a 50-50 chance of being a carrier. But marriage and babies came rather on top of one another, and I wasn’t even sure I could get pregnant.”

“I worried all the way through the pregnancy, and then he was born early, on Christmas Day.”

Cystic fibrosis: The facts

Cystic fibrosis is an hereditary condition, caused by a faulty gene, which results in mucus building up in the lungs and digestive system. It can now be picked up at birth if the necessary tests are done.

While there is no cure for the condition, medicines can be used to help improve the symptoms and reduce the chance of complications, while physical activity is also said to help clear mucus from the lungs.