BBC Call The Midwife legend Helen George’s private life – including co-star split

Since her first appearance as Nurse Trixie Franklin in the 2012 premiere episode, Helen George has been a favourite among Call the Midwife fans.

The BBC One period drama, created by Heidi Thomas, has seen Trixie’s character grow from a midwife grappling with alcoholism in Nonnatus House to a married woman and stepmother.

Trixie tied the knot with her dream man Matthew Aylward (Olly Rix) at the end of season 12, and viewers got to see their journey as newlyweds the following year – but it hasn’t been all plain sailing.

Are Trixie and Matthew still together? Fans will have to wait and see as Call the Midwife prepares for new episodes.

Helen’s portrayal of Trixie is undeniably captivating and she’s definitely a fan favourite, so let’s take a look at the actress’s life away from the popular BBC show.

Born on June 19, 1984, in Harborne, Birmingham, Helen, now 40, was brought up by a social worker mother and a father who was a professor of political science.

She studied at the Royal Academy of Music after being a junior associate at the Birmingham Royal Ballet. Before landing the role of Trixie, she had roles in a number of other popular TV shows including Hollyoaks, Hotel Babylon, Doctors, and The Three Musketeers.

Helen’s most notable role to date is in Call the Midwife, although she has also appeared in the short film The Monster, Red Dwarf, Nativity Rocks! and D.I. Ray.

In 2015, Helen took part in Strictly Come Dancing, where she was partnered with Aljaz Skorjanec. The pair put on a commendable performance, finishing in sixth place.

Helen is renowned for her beautiful singing voice and recently made a successful comeback to the stage in The King and I at The London Palladium. She reprised her role as Anna in the production’s limited six-week run earlier this year in London, showcasing her acting and vocal prowess.

The King and I, set in 1860s Bangkok, tells the story of the unconventional and passionate relationship between the King of Siam and Anna Leonowens, a British schoolteacher. In the play, Helen played the British schoolteacher hired by the King of Siam to educate his many wives and children.

Helen was previously married to actor Oliver Boot, but they divorced after three years. Their split happened just weeks before Helen started her stint on Strictly Come Dancing in 2015.

In 2016, Helen began dating Jack Ashton. During the third series of Call the Midwife, viewers saw Trixie, played by Helen, catch the attention of Reverend Tom Hereward, played by Ashton, while caring for pregnant prisoners.

Trixie and Tom eventually fell in love, but their relationship didn’t last. Trixie, being a strong-willed woman, found it difficult to adjust to life as a vicar’s wife and sadly ended their romance.

Helen and Jack, stars of ‘Call the Midwife’, have turned their on-screen romance into a genuine off-screen love story. Their connection was made while filming the show’s special Christmas episode in South Africa back in 2016, sowing the seeds for their eventual real-life relationship.

The couple celebrated the birth of their daughter, Wren Ivy, in September 2017, and expanded their family with the arrival of another girl, Lark, by November 2021.

However, in July 2023, the duo announced their decision to part ways after seven years together. They shared with their followers: “Some months ago, we separated. Our two beautiful girls remain the focus and I respectfully ask for privacy for this next chapter.”

As it stands, Helen is reembracing single life, opting to keep her personal life away from the public eye.

Call the Midwife is set to return with a two-part Christmas special, scheduled to air on Christmas Day at 8pm and Boxing Day and 7.30pm.