Call the Midwife star lands brand new role in EastEnders – two years after leaving hit drama
A CALL the Midwife star has bagged a brand new role in EastEnders – two years on from leaving the show.
Leonie Elliott starred as Nurse Lucille Anderson in the BBC period drama from 2018 to 2023.
The character left Poplar after deciding to focus on her mental health, following a miscarriage.
At the time, Leonie penned on social media: “Thank you all for embracing Lucille and rocking with me on this journey, it is with a heart full of love and appreciation that I embark on pastures new.”
More recently, EastEnders fans were stunned to see the actress pop up in Walford.
Appearing as inquisitive journalist Charlotte, she tried to get an exclusive interview from Bianca Jackson (Patsy Palmer).
Sharing their suspicions, a fan wrote online: “Definitely not who she says she is.
“Didn’t recognise her at first she played Lucile in Call the Midwife.”
Another simply added: ” “She used to be on call the midwife.”
Bianca and her sister Sonia (Natalie Cassidy) are getting back to normality after months of chaos.
Sonia’s ex-fiancé – and father of her baby daughter Julia – Reiss Colwell (Jonny Freeman) murdered his comatose wife Debbie last summer.
Earlier scenes showed he had been facing mounting debts and money woes.
As the storyline progressed, Reiss allowed Sonia to be blamed for the killing.
The fan favourite was therefore sent to prison for a crime she didn’t commit.
To protect his secret, the murderer later ambushed Bianca when she uncovered the truth.
For weeks, Reiss kept her chained and hidden away in a lock-up – with no release in sight.
Dot Cotton’s (June Brown) great nephew ultimately met his end in the 40th Anniversary.
Reiss died after being crushed by a falling bathtub in the explosion-destroyed Queen Vic.
Call The Midwife: A breakdown
Call The Midwife first came onto the airwaves in 2012 and has been seen by millions. But what is it about?
Series one: Set in early 1957 and it explored the ‘Baby Boom generation, which included themes of poverty and post-war immigration.
Series two: Set in 1958 and it showed gas and air being introduced for pain relief for the first time. It ended with the Nonnatus House building being condemned.
Series three: Set in 1959 and it depicted gruesome conditions such as cystic fibrosis, polio and it showed the midwives in the context on prisons.
Series four: Set in 1960 under the threat of nuclear warfare and the emergency response guidelines issued by the local Civil Defence Corp. Other themes included LGBT rights, and syphilis.
Series five: Set in 1961 and it shows the care of patients with conditions such as Typhoid and strokes. We also saw the effects of thalidomide, the introduction of the contraceptive pill.
Series six: Set in 1962 and domestic violence was at the centre of the season. Other themes included FGM (female genital mutilation), mental health issues and interracial marriage. It was also notable for the introduction of Reggie, a recurring character with Down Syndrome.
Series seven: Set in 1963 and we see Nurse Lucille Anderson for the first time. We also see the show address conditions such as dementia, huntington’s disease, leprosy and meningitis
Series eight: Set in 1964 and it bravely covered the issue of abortion, which was not legal for another three years in 1967. Sickle cell disease, cleft lip, cleft palate and intersex people also featured.
Series nine: Diptheria was at the centre of the ninth instalment in 1965, and it was notable for featuring a blind expectant mother. But the role of Nonnatus House within the community also came into question.
Series ten: Set in 1966, Nonnatus House has a rival in the form of the private Lady Emily Clinic in Mayfair. PKU, diabetes and the controversy surrounding abortion were central themes.
Series eleven: Set in 1967 amid the housing crisis and a scabies epidemic. The show was rocked by a train crash right next to Nonnatus House.
He confronted and threatened Sonia and Bianca while his ex went into labour.
Bianca shoved her former captor away, telling him to drop dead, as rubble landed nearby.
He remarked: “That was close”, as the bathtub fell down shortly afterwards.
EastEnders continues on BBC One and iPlayer.