Our real-life baby has changed us, say Call The Midwife stars
CALL The Midwife stars Helen George and Jack Ashton have said having a baby has changed their feelings about the series.
Helen and Jack, who are in a relationship off-screen, announced the birth of their daughter Wren in October after finishing filming the popular BBC drama’s Christmas special.
Helen, who plays midwife Trixie Franklin, said of the programme: “I definitely felt more emotional.
“I mean I love babies and I’ve always found these scenes emotional, but it’s something else watching it this time.”
Jack, who plays the Rev Tom Hereward, said fatherhood “enlightened” him and the lack of sleep helped him channel his emotions on-screen.
He said: “To be honest, I don’t really get involved with the childbirth aspect of this show.
“But yes, it’s certainly enlightened me a lot and it absolutely changes you as a person.”
Asked if he would now request more scenes with babies, he joked: “Or less!”
He said: “Going back when Wren was so young and having no sleep certainly changed my acting.
“It’s certainly a lot easier to act emotion when you haven’t slept for 48 hours, so I’ll keep that one as I go through my career.”
This year’s Call The Midwife Christmas special will see the characters battling the coldest winter on record in 1962/63, which brought the country to a standstill.
The midwives struggle to provide the best care for their patients and Jennifer Kirby, who plays Nurse Valerie, says there are “many, many repercussions” from that.
“Valerie helps a young mother give birth in the weather conditions in a tiny little caravan and there’s lots of fallout from that,” she revealed.
“And then there’s also another storyline with Jenny Agutter (Sister Julienne) and guest-starring Anita Dobson (Mabel), which is brilliant by all accounts. And dealing with a loss in the family and what that entails.”
Stephen McGann, who plays Dr Turner, praised the show’s writer and creator Heidi Thomas – his wife – who “isn’t scared to go to those places” in the “deeply emotional” show, which will be shown on BBC One at 7.40pm on Christmas Day.