Call the Midwife's Helen George has had her future on the BBC series called into question (and she's not the only cast member, as viewers are also wondering whether Olly Rix is leaving Call the Midwife too).
George made it easy for fans to fall in love with her character Trixie from the start. In her debut episode, Trixie revealed her longing for the day she could trade in her nursing rubber gloves and carbolic soap for a cherry-red manicure and lashings of Atrixo hand cream, but not yet, because "there's work to be done".
This statement perfectly summed up the essence of Trixie, just as much as her blonde hair and her fixing the missing button on her garter with an aspirin pill. She is fashionable and classy, yet down to Earth and never afraid to get stuck in.
Since 2012, fans have watched her character grow under the strain of hard times and enlightening moments yet has remained a woman with quick wit and easy humour at her core.
It would be difficult, if not impossible, to imagine Call the Midwife without Trixie's authoritative demeanour and dazzling charm – yet that's what fans have been forced to consider ever since rumours began to circulate that George may be quitting the show.
The speculation began in Nov 2023 shortly after it was claimed that her on-screen husband Matthew was due to leave the show.While there hasn't been an official line from the BBC about Rix's future on the show, speculation seems to lean heavily towards his exit – but what does this mean for George?
Will Helen George leave Call the Midwife?
Digital Spy understands Helen George will not be leaving Call the Midwife at the end of season 13.Trixie is set to stay on the show beyond the current season, irrespective of Mattthew's character arc, so fans can breathe a sigh of relief.Though we couldn't fault the creators if they had been considering the alternative path.
After Trixie's run of bad luck in the romantic department it would seem only natural to assume that if Matthew left, she would follow too. Surely they wouldn't break her heart again?
This sentiment was also suggested in November 2023 with The Sun reporting that: "[Season 13] will end on a cliffhanger, with Helen's character Trixie deciding to leave."
They went on to report that an insider told the tabloid: "Scriptwriters will send shock waves through the fanbase in the new series as Helen and Olly's future on the show looks shaky. Olly's departure has left the cast and crew stunned and upset.
"Now Helen's character commits to leaving the East London setting in the final episode, following her on-screen husband."Since then, there has been no official line from the BBC pertaining to Rix's future on the show, but, as stated above, George will not be leaving any time soon.
This is good news given that fans were already devastated enough to lose Leonie Elliot's Lucille in a shock season 12 exit.
Many may have worried that George's extended West End Tour in The King and I may have led to a conflict in schedule. However the theatre show, running at the Dominion Theatre, is scheduled to finish on March 2, 2024.
Call the Midwife season 14th is rumoured to begin filming in April this year, which roughly lines up with the show's filming dates last year (season 13 went into production in May).This of course means George should be available for the entirety of season 14 filming.
