A surprise axing has sent shockwaves through the Call the Midwife set according to reports.
It has been claimed by The Sun that Olly Rix has been dropped from the BBC One show and will be written out, despite the fact his character Matthew Aylward only married Helen George’s character, Trixie Franklin in Call the Midwife season 12 earlier this year.
Call the Midwife season 13 is set to hit our screens later this year with a Christmas Special, while the rest of the season is likely to land in January 2024.
But if reports turn out to be true, it looks like Trixie could be heading for heartache once again.
Trixie has traditionally been unlucky in love over the years and fans were thrilled to see the much-loved character find her happy-ever-after as she married Matthew in an elaborate wedding that featured in the season 12 finale.
According to reports Olly was told about his character's departure from the show last week — with filming for the new series already underway.
An insider reportedly told The Sun: "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.”
Olly's departure from the show is yet to be confirmed by the BBC and how his character Matthew will exit remains to be seen, but some good news for fans is that the show's future has been secured with three more seasons on the way, meaning we will have the drama on our screens until at least 2026.
Call the Midwife traditionally returns to our screens with a special episode on Christmas Day, followed by a new season starting in January in the UK on BBC One and March in the US on PBS.
