Helen George has revealed she called her daughter "Chris Evans" for the first three weeks of her life. The Call the Midwife star shared the story on her podcast, Mystic Mates, explaining that her daughter Wren arrived three weeks early, before a name had been chosen.
Early Arrival Led to Unusual Name
Speaking to her co-host, Yvette Robinson, on the podcast, Helen explained: "So when I was pregnant with my first child, Wren, she came three weeks early, and she was there for the baby shower that Yvette threw for me because she was there early."
She continued: "We were like, 'Well, do we cancel it?' I was like, 'No, no, everybody's coming. It's booked.' But for the first three weeks, because she was early, we hadn't decided on a name for her, and because she'd come out with this bright red hair, and it was such a surprise to us, we called her Chris Evans for the first three weeks of her life."
Helen also described the baby shower cake Yvette made for her: "Yvette made this cake for me, which was fabulous. It was my tummy of me wearing a tiger print bra, which is quite apt, and Chris Evans coming out of me with a dummy."
Wren's Reaction and Family Life
Asked what Wren, now eight, thinks about her 'first name,' the actress said: "She thinks it's hilarious, and she met him this morning, and she was like, 'Hi.' He was like, 'Oh, hi. You were called Chris Evans once upon a time.' She was like, 'I know.'"
Helen shares her two daughters, Wren and Lark, with her former partner and Call The Midwife co-star Jack Ashton. Following their split in 2023, the duo have continued to co-parent.
Earlier this year, Helen appeared on BBC Radio 4, where she praised her ex: "I would like to shout out the father of my daughters, Jack. We split the children 50/50. He is an incredible and reliable father who also juggles as much as I."
Juggling Motherhood and Acting
During the interview, the BBC favourite also opened up about her approach to parenting while performing in the West End, as she did for High Society: "It is a juggle, and I make mistakes. I have to forgive myself for that because I am a good mother."
She added: "The way I tackle it is that I have to bring my children on this ride. They have to be in the dressing room after school. They have to have their bath in my dressing room, be put to bed in the dressing room, and then I take them home."
Mystic Mates with Helen George and Yvette Robinson is available on all major platforms.
