Call the Midwife cast complex romances from 'Strictly curse' to co-star husbands

25 December 2023 , 19:15

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Call the Midwife cast complex romances from 'Strictly curse' to co-star husbands

Call the Midwife has been a standout success since its launch - but not-so-successful romances have blossomed among the cast.

After launching in 2012, the BBC period drama has continued to excite fans after 12 seasons, and they can't wait for tonight's Christmas special. The show, which follows a group of midwives working in the East End of London in the late 1950s and 1960s, is portrayed by a bunch of talented actors, including Helen George, Miranda Hart and Venessa Redgrave.

But behind the scenes, there has been more drama than in some of the storylines, as on-screen relationships continued away from the cameras. Lead Helen, who stars as Trixie Franklin, was spotted last month with her on-screen husband Olly Rix, who are both rumoured to be leaving the show for its 13th series.

It came after Olly split with his girlfriend Natasha Fagri after seven years together in July while Helen split from her husband, Jack Ashton, in the same month, after first meeting on Call The Midwife seven years previously. The co-stars are said to be helping each other through their respective heartbreak.

Helen and Jack announced their split earlier this year (Dave J Hogan/Getty Images)

Helen was spotted leaving Olly's home (BBC / Neal Street Productions / Laurence Cendrowicz)

In a statement, Helen said: "Some months ago, we separated. Our two beautiful girls remain the focus and I respectfully ask for privacy for this next chapter." A source said the couple had drifted apart, saying: "Helen and Jack’s decision to end their relationship has been amicable, and no one else is involved."

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Olly was seen at his home in West London, with Helen emerging a few hours later with a large bag. She left with her dog Charlie, before reportedly making the ten-mile journey back to her East London home. According to The Sun on Sunday, an onlooker claimed that the actor looked "relaxed", while Helen looked a "little dishevelled" when she left. A spokesperson for Helen told Mirror Online: "Yes, she went to visit a friend for a cup of tea - like all friends do - and as we have always said, there is nothing more to this."

Trixie Franklin star Helen's complicated love life mirrors that of her Call The Midwife character, with the star previously opening up on her tough divorce ahead of her Strictly Come Dancing stint. In 2015, it appeared that Helen had fallen victim to the Strictly curse as reports emerged of her first marriage coming to an end at the same time she finished sixth on the series. The actress was married to Oliver Boot for three years, after reportedly meeting on the set of Hotel Babylon, but it was confirmed they had split before Helen took part in Strictly.

Speaking about her divorce, she previously said: "Going through a divorce is awful. I'd been asked to do Strictly and, strange as it sounds, I thought it would be like a sort of therapy after my divorce. I'd spoken to quite a few people who said how it really helped them through difficult times. You are focused on this one thing, it's an emotional journey. I was so naive that I thought no one would be interested in me, so that was a shock. I soon realised I didn’t want all that celebrity stuff."

Helen has previously explained that 'you don't get to see many other people' when working in TV (Getty Images Europe)

Heidi Thomas and Stephen McGann have been married for 30 years (LightRocket via Getty Images)

The actress went on to fall in love with Jack, who joined Call The Midwife two years after Helen in 2014. Jack starred as Tom Hereward who embarked on a romance with Trixie and subsequently proposed before she called time on their relationship.

It's said the Call The Midwife stars fell in love with each other after travelling to South Africa to film the show's 201 Christmas Special. They welcomed their first child, Wren, a year later before their second daughter, Lark, was born in November 2021.

In 2018, Helen spoke out on her second marriage as she reflected on falling in love with Jack. He's so unbelievably kind and down to earth, and he's such a great dad," she told Hello! "It was a slow process. All of us on the show are mates. We all hang out together and Jack always really makes me laugh."

And speaking about finding love on set, Helen said: "You’re on set for a long time every day and you don’t get to see many other people. We are like-minded people who understand the industry, the career and the long hours."

Meanwhile, creator Heidi Thomas, 58, has been with one of the longest-serving stars of the show for 30 years. She is married to Stephen McGann, 58, who plays the beloved Dr Patrick Turner, and they even have a son together named Dominic.

"I live with Stephen McGann who plays Dr Turner because we’ve been married for 30 years and so he’s the character I know best off-screen,” she told Good Housekeeping. "I never show him scripts or storylines before the other actors see them because I don’t think it’s fair on him to have to keep secrets. He is completely in the dark until he gets that script."

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