Call the Midwife has been gracing screens since 2012, and die-hard fans are certain to remember the first episode, when Nurse Jenny Lee arrived in the nitty-gritty community of Poplar in East London.
Turning up at the convent's doors at Nonnatus House, Jenny was optimistic as she embarked on a new challenge as a midwife. The character of Nurse Jenny Lee was based on real-life nurse Jennifer Worth, whose memoirs inspired the hit show.
Call the Midwife was originally set in the 1950s when the NHS was a fairly new concept before moving into the swinging 1960s and now the 1970s. Created and written by Heidi Thomas, the drama debuted on BBC One on January 15, 2012, with Jenny being the first character to be introduced to viewers.
However, the much-loved midwife left Poplar when she wanted to change her career to work at the Maria Curie Hampstead Hospital, in scenes that aired in 2014.
Actress Jessica Raine played Nurse Jenny Lee in the drama and she reportedly left the role to pursue other opportunities, reports The Express.
In 2017, the actress appeared on The One Show and revealed she no longer watched Call The Midwife.
After presenter Matt Baker asked if she'd kept up with the show following her departure, she said: "I don't watch it anymore!" - to the audience's shock and with a bit of nervous laughter.
However, the star assured them she still speaks to her former co-stars as she said: "I’m in touch with lovely Helen [George], and Bryony [Hannah] because we’re a good threesome."
Since departing the show, the 42-year-old actress has gone on to star in Doctor Who, Line of Duty, Wolf Hall, and Fortitude.
In 2022, Jessica landed the role of Catherine Parr in Becoming Elizabeth and in the same year she played Lucy Chambers in The Devil's House until 2024.
Away from the camera, Jessica has been married to TV and movie star Tom Goodman-Hill since 2015, who has starred in blockbusters including The Imitation Game and Everest.
The 56-year-old also starred opposite his wife in Call the Midwife back in 2012, playing the character David Jones. His other TV credits include Cheat, Humans, Mr. Selfridge, and Waking the Dead.
He also starred in the hit Netflix series Baby Reindeer, playing the role of Darrien.
In 2019, the couple welcomed their first son whose name they have chosen to keep private.
Call the Midwife fans have always wondered if Jenny Lee would make a surprise comeback to the show, and the actress hasn't ruled out the possibility of reprising her iconic role.
Speaking to Digital Spy in October 2022, Jessica confirmed a return to Call The Midwife isn't completely off the table.
Explaining if she would return as Nurse Jenny Lee, she said: "Yeah. I mean, never say never. It would have to be pretty cool. She'd have to be in the BBC period drama as Jenny Lee: doing something pretty amazing. Maybe Jenny's in the '60s, having a great time.
"With that, you're very limited with Jenny Lee, because it's Jennifer Worth's story. So you kind of have to be very respectful of that. I don't see it happening – but you never know."
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