Call the Midwife fans baffled after spotting unlikely star in festive special
Viewers of Call the Midwife were left confused after they spotted an unlikely star in the festive special. The beloved BBC show aired the first of its two Christmas specials on BBC One on Christmas Day, with the second to air at 7.30pm on Boxing Day on BBC One.
But some fans were left surprised when The Traitors star Madelyn Smedley took on a starring role in the long running drama. She took on the role of a heavily pregnant woman named Dilys Shaughnessy whose family found themselves evicted just before Christmas.
The eldest Shaughnessy child, Karen, was on a ward at St Cuthbert's where she received treatment for a hole in the heart. She is allowed to go home, but the family move back into a rat-infested room with no light or heating.
But things go from bad to worse when Pete catches the Hong Kong flu, followed swiftly by Dilys. Young Karen is left to look after her siblings alone - trying to keep the baby going with the last few scraps of corned beef she can find.
Fans watching the festive special were surprised but loved that Maddy appeared in a big role in the BBC show.
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One shared: "Lady from The Traitors in this episode" while another commented: "Not Maddy from The Traitors being in Call the Midwife's Christmas Special".
One fan wrote: "OMG Maddy from #TheTraitors is actually acting in the #CallTheMidwife Christmas special!". Another viewer shared: "MADDY FROM THE TRAITORS ADDING ‘EVICTED WOMAN’ TO HER RESUME! #CallTheMidwife".
Maddy was one of the original cast in the very first series of The Traitors back in 2022, where she revealed herself to be an actress during her time as a Faithful.
Maddy, 32, stayed in the hit BBC1 gameshow until the penultimate episode and is remembered for repeatedly saying that Wilf Webster was a Traitor from the very start. Despite being correct, she was not listened to and he came very close to winning the entire prize fund.
After Maddy had gone, Wilf was finally exposed as a Traitor during the final instalment, meaning he came away empty-handed.
She explained at the time that she’d wanted to win the prize money to help out her own mother, explaining: "My mum has brought us up on her own and when we were younger, we were in a council house and I feel like I’ve owed her a lot of money over the years, so I’d love to give her some of the money. I feel like my mum's always been so selfless and I’d love to give her some back."
Since appearing on the The Traitors in December 2022, Maddy has given birth to her first child, daughter Shelby Rae. She has also enjoyed a guest role in Hollyoaks and a part in Channel 4 comedy Big Boys.
Call The Midwife continues on BBC One on Boxing Day at 7.30pm. All episodes can be found on BBC iPlayer.
