Beloved BBC period drama Call the Midwife makes its much-anticipated return this weekend, launching its landmark 15th series. This comes just weeks after viewers enjoyed the show's festive two-part special, which saw some characters embark on a mercy mission to Hong Kong.
From Poplar to Present Day: The Original Midwives
The series, which first aired in 2012, will broadcast eight new hour-long episodes from Sunday, 11th January. The new instalments promise drama as the Nonnatus House team worries over four young children, Sister Catherine tackles her first solo delivery, and the midwives attend a women's liberation meeting.
While the show's heart remains in 1960s Poplar, many of the original fan-favourite faces have moved on. We look at what the stars of series one have been doing since hanging up their nurses' capes.
Miranda Hart: Health Battles and a Secret Wedding
Comedian Miranda Hart charmed the nation as the endearingly awkward Camilla 'Chummy' Cholomondely-Browne. Her character's journey from a shy, bicycle-averse novice to a confident midwife was a central thread until her departure in 2015.
Since leaving, Hart has starred in film adaptations like Emma and The Canterville Ghost, alongside writing books. She has also spoken candidly about her years-long battle with Lyme disease, which she said left her "housebound and bedbound" at times.
In a joyful personal update, the actress revealed in 2024 that she had secretly married her partner, Richard Fairs, whom she met when he came to treat mould in her home.
Jessica Raine: From Jenny Lee to Motherhood
Jessica Raine played the show's original lead, Nurse Jenny Lee, from 2012 to 2014. While her character left to work for the Marie Curie hospice, her voice lives on through Vanessa Redgrave's narration, as the series is based on Jenny's older self recounting her memoirs.
Raine has built a formidable TV career post-Nonnatus House, with roles in Wolf Hall, The Devil's Hour, and The Last Post. On a possible return to Call the Midwife, she told Digital Spy in 2022, "I don't see it happening – but you never know."
Off-screen, she has been married to actor Tom Goodman-Hill since 2015. The couple welcomed their first child in 2019, though Raine keeps her family life intensely private.
Pam Ferris, Bryony Hannah and Ben Caplan: New Chapters
Other original stars have also forged new paths. Pam Ferris, who played the formidable Sister Evangelina until her character's death in 2016, cited the lengthy commute to the new Surrey set as a key reason for leaving. She has since taken a step back from acting, with occasional roles including the sitcom Gavin & Stacey.
Bryony Hannah's Nurse Cynthia Miller had a traumatic exit, leading the character to become Sister Mary Cynthia. Hannah left to focus on theatre, later appearing in shows like Death in Paradise and Disney+'s Rivals.
Ben Caplan, who played PC Peter Noakes, remained on the show until 2017, after his on-screen wife Chummy's departure. He has since starred in series like Silent Witness and Midsomer Murders.
As a new generation of midwives arrives in Poplar, the legacy of the original cast endures, with their stories of secret weddings, baby joy, and career triumphs continuing off-screen. Call the Midwife's 15th series begins on BBC One on Sunday, 11th January.
