I had real-life midwife crisis
HE’S had five years of holding newborns, thanks to his role as the resident vicar in Call the Midwife.
But when Jack Ashton’s own baby arrived, courtesy of his BBC co-star partner Helen George, he admits he could remember only one crucial tip – don’t drop the baby.
Jack and Helen, who play Rev Tom Hereward and glamorous midwife Trixie Franklin in TV’s highest-rating drama, welcomed daughter Wren in September. And once over his initial nerves, Jack found the on-screen training kicked in. He says: “It enlightened me a hell of a lot. Quite a few times I had to hold the babies in the show, especially with christenings. “We have a midwife who
comes to advise us. She’s like a baby whisperer and would always say, ‘Jack, you need to relax a bit’.
“Having had our baby a while now I can scoop her up in one hand. I’ve learnt a lot.”
And he adds: “It’s a lot easier to act with emotion when you haven’t slept for 48 hours.”
In the show, Tom and Trixie broke off their engagement two years ago and have both found love with new partners.
In real life, they got together while filming the last Christmas special in South Africa.
See this year’s on December 25, 7.40pm.