Call the Midwife’s Jenny Agutter shares Sister Julienne axe fears

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This month, the popular BBC show returned for its 12th season after making its TV debut 10 years ago. Although Call the Midwife has remained a firm national favourite for over a decade, one star didn’t believe it would be a hit.

At the start of the new year, viewers got to revisit Nonnatus House as the 12th series kicked off at the end of the 1960s.

Throughout the years, fans have watched the nurses, nuns and midwives help deliver babies to the expectant mothers of Poplar.

Along with getting to know the much-loved characters such as Nurse Trixie Franklin (played by Helen George) and Nurse Lucille Anderson (Leonie Elliott), the BBC show has also covered women’s health issues from the time along with medical breakthroughs of the day.

However, actress Jenny Agutter, who has played Sister Julienne from the start of the series, never thought the programme would take off as much as it has.

The 70-year-old confessed: “I didn’t see this happening. I thought we’d do six episodes and that would be it.

“I was sat on a bus once when the woman next to me said, ‘I didn’t want to disturb you, but I have to say, I watch Call The Midwife and I have a particular interest in it because I was a nun for seven years.’

“I thought, ‘Oh, my goodness, I’ve been a nun longer than her.’”

Speaking to Good Housekeeping for their February issue, the actress added in order to carry on her acting career, she had to compromise a lot.

She added: “Of course, there was guilt. There’s always that niggle that you’re spending too much time away.”

However, Jenny explained the reward was she gets to really enjoy her time at home when she returns from her time away.

The first episode of the new series started on January 1 and saw Rebecca Gethings join the cast as Sister Veronica.

It looks as though viewers can expect to see the newest addition ruffle some feathers as Rebecca confessed her character isn’t one to shy away.

Speaking to Radio Times, she said: “She doesn’t wait to be invited in. She just kind of bustles in and gets going because, in terms of her ministry, she’s not worth anything unless she’s making a change.”

So far, the series has shown the racial tensions growing in Poplar after a snippet of Enoch Powell’s infamous Rivers of Blood speech was played over the radio.

The speech caused a ripple effect across the community, which was shown in scenes with nurse Lucille and one woman in labour called Mrs Pickard.

While she was in labour, another woman of Asian descent called Mrs Patel entered the hospital and was rushed into the delivery room before Mrs Pickard.

Furious she wasn’t getting the same treatment as Mrs Patel, she went on a rant to Lucille about immigrants taking jobs and scolded that “they” should all go home.

Not wanting to offend Lucille, she told her she wasn’t speaking about her but her comments didn’t go unnoticed.

Lucille swiped back and told the expectant mother she had come to Britain to make it her home and didn’t expect to be made to feel unwelcome.

Walking out of the labour, viewers later saw her confess to Cyril she wanted to return back home to Jamaica, worrying fans she’ll soon be leaving the show.

Call The Midwife continues Sundays on BBC One from 8pm.

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