Jenny Agutter has said it “won’t be quite a normal occasion” when she returns to the Call The Midwife set to film the Christmas special – but promised fans a “wonderful story”.
The actress, who plays Sister Julienne in the hit BBC drama, said she is excited to get back to work as filming has commenced on the festive special of the show’s 10th anniversary series.
The BBC One series, made by Neal Street Productions, will return with a 90-minute episode set in December 1965, which will see Sister Monica, played by Judy Parfitt, get rushed to hospital.
Great news for #CallTheMidwife fans! Actress Jenny Agutter explains how the show has resumed filming for the Christmas special and confirms there will be another series.
Watch ➡️ https://t.co/vn8NeFi106 pic.twitter.com/KlCiI40wCp
— Lorraine (@lorraine) August 20, 2020
A number of safety measures are being implemented on set in an effort to reduce the risk of coronavirus transmission, and pictures have been released of Stephen McGann, who plays Dr Turner, having make-up applied while he wears a mask and the make-up artist wears full PPE including a visor.
Agutter told ITV’s Lorraine: “It won’t be quite a normal occasion because we have got all the social distancing and all of the different restrictions in filming.
“We won’t be able to hug each other as we normally do and we’re very close with the people so it will be strange.
“But what we will produce is the special for Christmas and it’s a wonderful story. I can’t tell you too much about it, but a baby is born.”
NEWS!! Filming commences on the #CallTheMidwife Christmas Special and tenth series!! ❤️🚲👶🩺🎥🎉😃
FULL STORY HERE: https://t.co/YBom4OcqAw pic.twitter.com/7qE7emoJ0R
— Call the Midwife (@CallTheMidwife1) August 18, 2020
She also confirmed she will be back for a 10th series, saying: “Yes we will be going on to series 10. I don’t know what the scripts are yet, they tend to keep them back until the last minute.
“I just get very stuck on stories and ideas and they don’t want changes so we get them very last minute.”
Agutter, who is encouraging people to sign up for the Boycott Your Bed sleepout for Action For Children, also spoke about her battle with shingles during lockdown, saying: “It did have quite an effect, it came into my eye which was annoying, but it made me stressed.
“I think that lockdown has affected different people in different ways and I feel very lucky because I’ve been out in the country and all of that has been very, very easy – the garden around me looking out to sea, very, very lucky – but by the same token there is always that sense of nervousness about what is going to happen next.
“I think everybody has felt that, how long is this going to go on? How long can we stay in? And now it’s beginning to normalise, in a way, and we are getting back to work, which is fantastic, but it won’t be quite normal.”