Come On In!

The Call the Midwife star, 34, plays Sister Winfred in the popular BBC drama. She will also star in the second film instalment of Fantastic Beasts, which is out next year

How do you take your tea?

I’m really fussy with my tea. I like it strong with a drop of milk. I’m so picky about it that I was doing a play once, and a guy who was working there was making my tea for me. I don’t normally let anyone make it for me in case it’s milky or watery. He asked me what colour it should be and I said, ‘The colour of a manila envelope.’ The next day I found him with an actual envelope he’d brought in so he could make the tea the right colour for me! Isn’t that the sweetest thing ever?

Who would you like to drink a cup of tea with?

I think the spiritual author Eckhart Tolle. I’d like to ask him how he wrote The Power of Now and how manages

to stay so peaceful!

What’s happening with Winifred in the new series of Call the Midwife?

It’s lovely because Winifred is becoming much more of a main character on the show. She’s a bit angrier this time around – she gets frustrated with herself when she can’t do things properly. Elsewhere in the show, waves are made when new midwife Lucille turns up. She’s from the West Indies, and she faces a lot of racism when she arrives in Poplar. It’s an issue that absolutely should be covered.

How is your mum doing? [Victoria’s mum Maria had a stroke in 2015].

Spirits-wise, going to the Life After Stroke Awards together really helped her. It was the first night away we’d had together since her stroke. The lengths you have to go to to take someone in her position away are extraordinary and it’s not something that people immediately think about. You have to have a special room and carers. The good news is that it’s easy to get round in London as all the black cabs have ramps! The next thing we’re looking forward to together is my wedding.

When is the big day?

I’ll be getting married [to composer Paul Housden] in the summer, in the south of France. My mum is really excited because it means she’ll get to see her brothers and sisters, as she’s one of eight. I’m quite prepared – the only thing we have left to do

is the wine and food tasting!

What’s your New Year’s resolution?

I want to keep up a yoga routine – it really helps me to beat stress and anxiety.

The new series of Call the Midwife will air in 2018