Helen George, the actress famed for playing Trixie Aylward in the BBC drama Call the Midwife, has issued a stark warning that feminism and women's rights are under severe threat in modern Britain.
A Warning from Poplar to the Present
George, 41, expressed her fears in a recent interview, linking the rise of nationalist sentiment, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, and controversial social media influencer Andrew Tate to a dangerous 'anti-feminist mood'. She described watching the patriarchy grow stronger as 'really terrifying'.
The timing of her comments coincides with the return of Call the Midwife, which launches its new series on Sunday 11 January. The upcoming episodes, set in 1971, will see the nurses of Nonnatus House actively involved in the Women's Liberation movement, including the symbolic act of bra-burning.
Fears of a 'Handmaid's Tale' Future
George drew a direct parallel between current political trends and the dystopian fiction of The Handmaid's Tale. She worries that the combination of toxic masculinity, the popularity of figures like Tate, and the debate around issues like abortion rights could erode women's freedoms.
'I feel like we're being hoodwinked into it,' she said. 'I feel like we could turn around in a few years time and it's The Handmaid's Tale... We think that we have all this power as women but it's coming for us.'
She specifically highlighted abortion rights, legalised in the UK in 1967—a topic the show has covered—as a key battleground. George pointed to restrictive laws in some US states as a warning, stating that limiting access leads to danger and death.
A Pause for the Beloved Drama
This new series will be the last for the main cast for a while. The show is taking a break after its January run, with a prequel series set during the Blitz scheduled to air next year. The main cast, including George, Jenny Agutter, and Judy Parfitt, will instead focus on filming a movie version of the BBC show later in 2026.
George suggested the pause was a necessary 'reset' to bring a 'fresh breath of air' to the long-running programme, with the film offering a new creative opportunity.
Her powerful comments blend the historical struggles depicted in Call the Midwife with a urgent contemporary message, framing the fight for women's rights as one that is far from over.
