replaced

Presenter Sara Pascoe has claimed she was ousted from her role on Great British Sewing Bee and said the BBC chose to replace her with a younger woman.

Sara Pascoe has claimed she did not leave her job on the BBC‘s Great British Sewing Bee role saying she was “replaced me with a younger woman”.

The comedian, 45, had presented the BBC contest in 2022 and 2023 before taking a year off after welcoming her second child. But shortly after returning, it was announced that Sophie Willan, 38, was to take over the year’s Christmas special and series that followed.

She’s now made it very clear it wasn’t a decision she was part of. She was asked on Harry Hill’s podcast: “There’s The Great British Sewing Bee, do you still do that?”

Bluntly, she responded: “No. They replaced me with a younger woman. Showbusiness is harsh.”

Harry went on to ask: You gave it up, right?” But she hit back: “No I didn’t, absolutely not. I’m, I’m very lucky for the work I’ve had, I’m very gracious, I have bought a house, I send love and light to everyone.”

When Sophie was announced, the BBC said: “Sara has been a brilliant, witty and much-loved presence in the sewing room and both the BBC and the Bee team thank her for three wonderful series.”

Commissioning editor Cal Turner added: “We are delighted to welcome Sophie Willan to The Great British Sewing Bee. With her boundless enthusiasm and energy, Sophie will bring her own unique spark to the sewing room alongside Patrick and Esme.

“We’d also like to thank Sara Pascoe for three brilliant series – her humour and charm have been a joy for viewers and stitchers alike.”

And Tom Davies, Executive Producer Love Productions said: “We are so excited to have Sophie join the Sewing Bee team and we cannot wait to see what she brings to the Sewing Room.”

Earlier this month it was confirmed the new series was already being filmed. Judge Patrick Young praised Sophie for her hosting skills and said the show is kept ‘fresh’ by bringing in new presenters.

“Sophie is amazing,” Patrick said. “I was a massive Alma’s Not Normal fan. Quite often, we get told who is going to be coming on, and I had to pinch myself. I was like, ‘Oh my god, I loved Alma’s Not Normal’. She’s brilliant, she’s so fun.

“Esme loves her. She just helps create the most amazing atmosphere on set. We’ve been making the show for a long time. A lot of the crew and everybody behind the scenes are the same, but it’s lovely having somebody come in and give it a little zhuzh.”

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Stephen McGann has opened-up about his character, Dr. Turner, being played by a new actor for the drama’s prequel

Call the Midwife legend Stephen McGann has claimed he “cannot see” the resemblance as a new actor steps into the role of Dr. Turner.

The 12th season of the much-loved BBC period drama, based on the memoirs of Jennifer Worth, concluded earlier this year with a heartbreaking finale. The death of Sister Monica Joan (Judy Parfitt) left viewers devastated, while the future of Nonnatus House remained uncertain due to advances in the NHS.

Before the show returns with season 16, a prequel titled Sisters in Arms is set to air this festive season. The three-part mini-series will be set during the London Blitz and follow familiar characters in the early stages of their careers, including Dr. Patrick Turner.

The adored GP first arrived in Poplar during the debut episode of Call the Midwife, which aired in 2012, and has since remained a favourite among fans. The character will appear in the prequel, with This Town actor Ben Rose portraying a young Patrick Turner.

Speaking about Sisters in Arms, Stephen, 63, has offered a playful glimpse into his marriage with the show’s creator, Heidi Thomas, who thinks Ben Rose is the spitting image of her husband. “I think he’s the image of Steve,” Heidi told Radio Times. “Steve can’t see any resemblance, so the audience are going to have to draw their own conclusions.”

Stephen was quick to chime in: “Do you know what happened? I’m in my house, and when the final casting was confirmed, my good lady wife and my son were conferring, going, ‘Oh, he looks like Dad, doesn’t he? Doesn’t he look like Dad?'”

Heidi laughed: “He does, he does, but you can’t see it, can you, love?” Stephen then confirmed: “I can’t see it at all.”

Stephen and Heidi first crossed paths in 1988 and exchanged vows two years later, when they were both 27. They spent their honeymoon in Tuscany before settling down in a quaint cottage in rural Essex, before moving to Cambridge. The couple share one son, Dominic. As per Stephen’s memoir, A History of My Family in Seven Maladies, he first encountered Heidi when he auditioned for her new play at the Liverpool Playhouse.

What is Sisters in Arms about?

Call the Midwife will turn back the clock to World War II as bombs rain down in Poplar, East London, at a time when the National Health Service was non-existent. Set in 1939, it will see three familiar nuns in the early stages of their careers.

According to the BBC’s synopsis: “In September 1939, Sister Monica Joan is in her prime, Sister Julienne and Sister Evangelina are young and zealous, and Nonnatus House is the beating heart of Poplar.

“Together with Sister Alice, and local GP Dr Kit, the nuns dedicate their lives to mothers, babies and those in need. But there is no gas and air, no penicillin, no cure for TB, and no welfare state. Then war is declared – and life gets even harder.”

It adds: “While bombs rain from the sky, women give birth underground, families are shattered, children run wild, and whole streets are reduced to rubble. But courage, compassion and resilience triumph as the community unites in its efforts to survive.”

Created, written, and executive produced by Heidi Thomas, Sisters in Arms welcomes a new cast, including Coronation Street’s Hayley Cropper star Julie Hesmondhalgh as Sister Alice.

Theatre star Helena Wilson is taking on the role of a young Sister Julienne, though the original actress, Jenny Agutter, will be narrating the miniseries. Ami Metcalf, who played Lynette in the first Christmas special, is returning as Betty Buckle, the first wife of Fred Buckle, now played by Ciaran Bowling. Ben Rose also takes on the role of Dr. Turner.

The BBC has confirmed that Sisters in Arms will air on BBC One and iPlayer this Christmas, though the exact days and times are yet to be confirmed.

Call the Midwife is available to stream on BBC iPlayer