Call The Midwife reveals fresh look at Helen George ahead of Christmas special with a twist

Helen George in Call the Midwife
Helen George in Call the Midwife (Neal Street Productions/Olly Courtney/BBC)

Call The Midwife is the gift that keeps on giving. Set to return with a Christmas special, the BBC has shared a first-look photo of Helen George, Jenny Agutter and Stephen McGann as they prepared for a festive feast.

The caption teased: "Today we're delighted to announce that our new two-part Christmas Special will air in a very special place in [the] viewing schedule over the festive period! We can confirm that Part 1 of our special episode will air at 8pm on Christmas Day, with Part 2 following on Boxing Day at 7:30pm! Mark those calendars!"

Fred Buckle (CLIFF PARISI) in Call the Midwife
The Christmas special will be made up of two parts (Neal Street Productions / Olly Courtney / BBC)

With December just around the corner, fans have been awaiting the return of Call The Midwife. The Christmas special began shooting in April, with the cast and crew posting from behind the scenes.

The show's official Instagram account explained: "We begin our filming season in Christmas 1969 before we move on to the new year, and our new series 14 episodes. This yuletide marks a poignant turning point - as it's the last time we'll be filming in the swinging sixties! Next stop: the supersonic seventies!!!"

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Promising plenty of drama, the BBC has released an official synopsis for the two-parter. It reads: "All the regular, well-loved characters will return for a Christmas set in 1969 where the Nonnatus midwives are in their element, all busy delivering babies and doing the job they are most dedicated and committed to.

Joyce Highland (RENEE BAILEY)Nurse Crane (LINDA BASSETT)Rosalind Clifford (NATALIE QUARRY), Shelagh Turner (LAURA MAIN) Nancy Corrigan (MEGAN CUSACK) Trixie Aylward (HELEN GEORGE) in Call the Midwife
The episodes will start in 1969 before taking fans through to 1970 (Neal Street Productions / Olly Courtney / BBC)

"The funfair comes to Poplar, adding a burst of colour and excitement to the frosty landscape but there are other visitors to the borough - including influenza and the Hong Kong flu. As Poplar also prepares for a carol concert, the neighbourhood is gripped by the news of an escaped prisoner and fears grow that he may be in the local area after a spate of break-ins.

"The Turner children are caught up in the fever surrounding the Blue Peter Christmas appeal to collect dinky cars and scrap metal. Trixie makes a fleeting visit to Nonnatus House and is delighted to see her brother Geoffrey, and Miss Higgins has her grandson Harry stay for Christmas. Violet hosts a mince pie competition but the Buckles' preparations for Reggie's homecoming are thrown into turmoil."

Following the Christmas special, fans will be able to tune into series 14 of the period drama, which premieres in 2025. As of November 22, the cast has finished shooting the next instalment, which promises more "joy, tears, warmth, humour and heartache".

Helen George as Trixie in Call the Midwife
Helen George is expected to appear in both the Christmas special and series 14 (Neal Street Productions/Olly Courtney)

After the season 13 finale, fans became concerned that Helen George would not be returning as Trixie, after the character felt compelled to join her husband, Matthew, in New York.

Helen George as Trixie Franklin and Olly Rix as Matthew Aylward in Call the Midwife
Olly Rix has left the series (Laurence Cendrowicz)

Thankfully, the actress has confirmed that she will be in both the Christmas special and season 14. The fate of Trixie's marriage to Matthew remains to be seen, considering that actor Olly Rix has officially departed.