Call The Midwife

Actress Miriam Margolyes opened up about a significant change in her relationship, after spending most of it living apart from her partner

Miriam Margolyes has revealed she’s making an “important” change to her long-standing relationship with partner Heather Sutherland. The 84-year-old and her Australian other half, who formalised their civil partnership in 2013, have spent 58 years together, though have never lived under the same roof permanently.

Miriam is based in London and Heather calls the Dutch capital of Amsterdam home, but the pair make every effort to maximise their time together.

Though their professional commitments have kept them geographically separated, the actress has now disclosed her desire for them to finally settle down as a couple.

She revealed: “I believe that but now I want to be with her, now I want us to live together. We are definitely going to.

“We were both very involved with our careers, we were both professional women, she was a professor at a university, teaching and writing and I was an actress and now I make television programmes, as a documentary maker,” she added.

“But, we are old and we won’t have much longer, it’s important to be together to relish the joy of each other’s company.”

The Call The Midwife favourite became even more effusive when describing her “overwhelmingly glorious” partner, admitting she has never tired of Heather’s presence.

During an appearance on the Comfort Eating with Grace Dent podcast, she continued: “I have never thought that she wasn’t sufficient, she is more than sufficient.

“She is overwhelmingly glorious and loveable and much cleverer than me, much, and I think that’s important.

“I don’t want to be the clever one,” the actress concluded. The pair are believed to have first crossed paths through a mutual friend while collaborating on a BBC radio drama during the 1960s.

In the following decade, they purchased a property together in Italy, where they frequently retreat and aspire to make their permanent home.

The Made Me Me star disclosed last year that she’d been dividing more of her time between countries to see Heather, though she must “come home every so often” due to visa restrictions.

Following Brexit, British citizens can stay in the Schengen Area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa or residence permit.

“So I’m thinking I might have to become Dutch,” she told the Daily Mail. “Heather has residency in Europe because she’s lived in Amsterdam for over 50 years, but we want to be together.”

Miriam returns to television this evening with her latest BBC programme, which evolved from what was originally conceived as a podcast into a full documentary.

A film crew shadows the performer as she documents her everyday life and career, from travelling between London and Australia and reconnecting with long-time friends to taking to the stage and even experiencing a royal encounter.

Miriam Margolyes Made Me Me airs tonight at 9pm on BBC Two

Fred Buckle’s tragic past has been discussed on Call the Midwife, but it should be brought to life in the forthcoming prequel series.

Call the Midwife favourite Fred Buckle has long been a cornerstone of the Poplar community yet behind his warm exterior lies a heartbreaking past.

Fred, portrayed by Cliff Parisi, has graced the BBC drama since its debut in 2012, initially introduced as the handyman at Nonnatus House, and audiences have watched him blossom into a devoted family man and cherished friend.

Ever willing to offer a listening ear, the shopkeeper has forged truly wonderful bonds with the midwives and nuns of the convent, and is perpetually on hand to tackle any practical difficulties (Chummy’s bicycle, anyone?).

Fred is contentedly wed to Councillor Violet Buckle (portrayed by Annabelle Apsion), and together they are parents to their adopted son, Reggie Jackson, played by Daniel Laurie. Fred also has two daughters from a former marriage.

Prior to finding happiness with his beloved Violet, Fred was married to Betty, and the couple welcomed two children, Dolly and Marlene, Wales Online reports.

Tragedy, however, came knocking when Betty lost her life during the Second World War as bombs fell relentlessly upon London. Under Adolf Hitler’s orders, the Luftwaffe repeatedly targeted Poplar, devastating the area during what became known as the London Blitz.

In the wake of Betty’s death, Dolly and Marlene had little choice but to stay with relatives and friends while Fred completed his army service.

Overnight, Fred became a widower and sole parent without a home during a period of social upheaval, violence, uncertainty and widespread devastation. The trauma of war and losing his wife would have profoundly affected Fred for the remainder of his days.

In Call the Midwife’s second series, Dolly, portrayed by Ella Smith, turned up in Poplar to see her father alongside her young son, Anthony, revealing that her husband worked as a merchant sailor.

While chatting with the expectant Dolly, a proud Fred recounted how he had made a baby bath for his wife, which triggered a poignant exchange about the past and Betty.

“I often think of her at bath time”, Dolly told her dad, who replied, “Yeah, happy memories.”

Dolly continued: “They’re the best ones, I’m telling you. I drove past the bombsite on me way over and it brought back the Blitz, like it was yesterday. Me and Marlene being lifted out the rubble by a policeman, still in our nighties.”

With a devastated look, Fred said, “I should have been there, Doll”, but Dolly swiftly interjected: “You were fighting a war, Dad. Trying to stop that sort of thing from happening. And it did stop happening, in the end.”

In series four, Marlene Buckle (Rosie Sanson) appeared in the East End and was instantly irritated to learn her dad was getting married again, with Violet set to become his wife.

Clearly wounded by Fred’s desire to remarry, Marlene spitefully told Violet that her father was exploiting her for commercial gain. This triggered a temporary split between Fred and Violet, but Marlene later acknowledged her error and rectified matters.

As Call the Midwife is producing a three-part prequel to the BBC programme, it would be remiss not to explore Fred’s heartbreaking backstory and introduce his wife, Betty Buckle, to the series.

While viewers are familiar with Fred’s history, witnessing it unfold on-screen would prove deeply emotional, and something loyal fans thoroughly deserve.

The three-episode mini-series, entitled Sisters in Arms, will turn back time to World War II, featuring younger versions of beloved characters Sisters Julienne, Monica Joan, and Evangelina, originally portrayed by Jenny Agutter, Judy Parfitt, and Pam Ferris, amidst the London Blitz. It is scheduled to broadcast during the forthcoming Christmas period.

Call the Midwife is available to stream on BBC iPlayer

Dr. Patrick Turner hasn’t had an easy life and his harrowing backstory should be explored on-screen

Call the Midwife needs to revisit the heartbreaking past of Dr. Patrick Turner in the anticipated new prequel.

The BBC period drama launched in 2012 and is based on the memoirs of legendary nurse and midwife Jennifer Worth.

The plot was originally set in 1957, when the National Health Service was a fairly new concept, with the latest episodes covering the early 1970s.

However, a new series will rewind the clock back to World War II and feature younger versions of beloved characters Sisters Julienne, Monica Joan, and Evangelina, originally portrayed by Jenny Agutter, Judy Parfitt, and Pam Ferris, during the London Blitz.

The three-part mini-series, called Sisters In Arms, is expected to take pride of place during the forthcoming Christmas period.

Fans will no doubt hope Dr. Turner’s character is explored in the prequel, given his previous hints of a troubled past.

The much-loved family man has been a staple of the drama since its launch, and viewers have been gripped by his professional and personal life.

Fans will remember the touching moment when Dr. Turner (Stephen McGann) found love with former nun, Shelagh Mannion (Laura Main), with the couple now raising four children together in their cosy home.

However, it hasn’t always been smooth sailing for Dr. Turner, as it was revealed that he suffered a severe mental breakdown in 1945. The horrors of World War II became too much to bear for the doctor, requiring a five-month stay in a psychiatric hospital.

During series three of the BBC show, Dr. Turner and Shelagh attended an in-depth adoption meeting where he was asked about his career break from April to December 1945.

“I was injured”, Dr. Turner protests before declining to comment further on the reason why he was discharged from the army.

He sternly added, “You must understand. It was the end of the war. I was medical Corps, trying to save lives at the front.”

It was then confirmed that Dr. Turner had been an inpatient at Northfield Military Psychiatric Hospital for five months, where he was treated for war neurosis, now known as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), leaving Shelagh shocked.

“I was worn out. There was too much death. I recovered. I’m recovered”, he bravely confirmed as heartache wiped across his face.

As he failed to tell the finer details of his agonising experience, the Call the Midwife prequel should explore the trials and tribulations of Dr’Turner’s life during World War II.

The former armyman has an extraordinary medical knowledge, but how did he cope with the war? What was Dr. Turner’s experience of a psychiatric ward during the 1940s, at a time when treatment consisted of electroconvulsive shock therapy?

We are so invested in the character that we need to see how his historic experience during the conflict shaped his commitment to being a doctor, serving the gritty community in Poplar and becoming a much-loved character.

Call the Midwife is available to stream on BBC iPlayer

Call The Midwife bosses will replace the much loved festive episode with a prequel show of the historical BBC drama series as it attempts a ‘temporary pause’

Call The Midwife bosses have decided to shake up the Christmas schedule by removing the much loved historical drama from the winter TV schedule. Now, viewers will be treated to a prequel episode titled Sisters In Arms which is said to be replacing the coveted prime time slot.

The prequel is set in the period of World War II and it seems it will feature the younger versions of the older characters, who have become fan favourites. The characters may include Fred Buckle, Dr Turner, Sister Julienne, Sister Evangelina and Sister Monica Joan.

It has been speculated that the prequel could also focus on Nurse Trixie Franklin’s story, who is played by the highly acclaimed actress Helen George. In the upcoming show, Helen George’s character will be played another actress reportedly in her teens or early twenties.

READ MORE: Miranda Hart’s ‘secret talks for Strictly Come Dancing job’ after huge reshuffleREAD MORE: Inside Call the Midwife prequel from release window to plot as three nuns return

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The show creator and writer Heidi Thomas confirmed plans of the shake-up, according to The Sun. She previously said: “No, there won’t be a Christmas special this Christmas, not in the traditional mould.” She added: “This is really just a very temporary pause in the usual pattern.”

Showrunner Heidi previously explained: “The opening of new doors at Nonnatus House feels profoundly emotional, and yet just right. I have never run out of stories for our midwives, and I never will.”

She added: “But having wept, laughed, and raged my way from 1957 to 1971, I found myself yearning to delve into the deeper past. The Blitz years in the East End were extraordinary – filled with loss, togetherness, courage and joy.”

Heidi continued: “The bombs fell, the babies kept on coming, and the Sisters kept on going. There will be so much in the prequel for our wonderful, loyal fans, including the appearance of some familiar (if much younger!) faces.

Series 15 of the show took viewers on an emotional journey as Sister Monica Joan died. The character was played by Judy Parfitt since the show first aired in 2012. The plot follows the lives of a group of nurses and midwives in East London, who made it their mission to care for the people of the East End.

Not only is there a prequel to be aired later this year but the hit show will also become a film, set overseas in 1972. However, a release date for the movie has not yet been confirmed.

Speaking to the Radio Times, Heidi said the film is about “strong women above all else.” She then admitted: “Everything changes and nothing changes,” she observed, recognising its connections to the most recent series.”

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Ella Bruccoleri looks unrecognisable from her days at Nonnatus House as she takes on the leading role in new BBC period drama

Call the Midwife star Ella Bruccoleri has landed the leading role in new BBC period drama The Other Bennet Sister.

The 10-episode series, which is based on Janice Hadlow’s novel of the same name, follows the “overlooked” character of Mary Bennet, played by Ella, who looks unrecognisable from her days at Nonnatus House, where she featured as Sister Frances until 2022.

The series begins at Longbourn, where the Bennet family’s five unmarried daughters navigate the rigid expectations of Regency society.

“Her journey sees her leave her family home for the soirées of Regency London and the peaks and vales of the Lake District, all in search of independence, self-love, and reinvention,” the synopsis says.

“The series follows Mary as she steps out of her sisters’ shadows in search of her own identity and purpose, finding herself in the middle of an epic love story along the way,” it goes on.

Fans don’t have long to wait for the show to drop as it had since been confirmed that it will premiere on BBC One at 8pm on Sunday ( March 15) and all episodes will be available to stream on iPlayer.

Speaking to the BBC about her new role, Ella explained: “Mary’s not your typical period drama heroine.

“She lives in a world where, particularly for women, appearance is everything, and she doesn’t understand that value system at all.

“Instead, she turns to literature that offers a different viewpoint. Her favourite book is Fordyce’s Sermons to Young Women, because it argues that women shouldn’t have to be beautiful — they should be intelligent and pious.”

Giving fans further insight on her character, she added: “Mary Bennet has been written off by many members of her family, and as a result she’s written herself off too. When we meet her at the beginning of the series, she’s living with her family in a small village and has never really left that world.

“These are the only people she knows, and she understands herself through the values they impose on her. We know these characters from Pride and Prejudice, but it’s fascinating to see the impact they have on someone like Mary.”

Giving her thoughts on the new adaptation, the star said: “When I read Jane Austen, I’m always struck by how witty it is so witty, with humour in every line.

“Sarah Quintrell really brings that into the scripts, and Janice Hadlow’s book does the same. The novel is very different in style from Austen, but it feels like a genuine extension of Pride and Prejudice.

“Sarah’s scripts tread the line between comedy and drama better than anything I’ve ever read. It feels like a tragicomedy – it doesn’t take itself too seriously, but it’s also not afraid to delve into emotionally weighty material. That feels very true to Jane Austen.”

The Other Bennet Sister debuts on BBC One and iPlayer on Sunday (March 15) at 8pm

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