Call the Midwife star Olly Rix, who plays Matthew Aylward, has given a worrying update on his time on the show following reports last year that he would be leaving at the end of Call the Midwife season 13.
In a shock twist, it was claimed by The Sun that Olly had been written out of the period drama, with an insider reportedly saying: "The news of Olly’s departure has left the cast and crew stunned and upset.
"They all thought he was a mainstay on the series after his prominent wedding scenes with Helen last season. Some feel it’s a bit unfair and he is well-liked by everyone. It felt very out of the blue. There is concern now among the remaining cast about not wanting to upset production and people are keeping their heads down.”
While Olly's departure from the show is yet to be confirmed by the BBC, OK! has reported that Olly's dropped hints that his time on Call the Midwife could be coming to an end. He told the publication: "It’s great being part of the Call the Midwife family. For now.
“You’ve got to watch to the end of this series. There are a few surprises ahead, a few bumps in the road. We’ll see how much longer I’m part of the family!”
While Olly could be teasing us with a red herring, things are looking fraught for his character Matthew in recent episodes of the show.
Despite only being married to Nonnatus House community midwife Trixie (Helen George) for eight months after the pair tied the knot at the end of Call the Midwife season 12, their marriage has hit a bump in the road.
Episode 4 of the current season saw the couple argue after a call from Matthew left Trixie distracted at work, leading to her making a mistake at work that could have left a new mother in grave danger. The pair, who also have a son called Jonty from Matthew's first marriage, then fell out when Matthew tried to convince his wife that she should give up her job as a midwife and focus on charity work.
In this weekend's episode, we will see Trixie finally pass her driving test and put pressure on Matthew to purchase a car but, while he puts on a brave face, it is clear he is feeling growing financial pressure.
Could money worries and marriage drama lead to Matthew's exit from the show?
Call the Midwife airs on Sunday evenings on BBC One at 8pm. You will also be able to catch up on iPlayer after each episode has aired, where you will also find all previous series of the drama.
In the US, season 13 will start on Sunday, March 17 on PBS.
