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Call the Midwife stars' love lives: Helen George's 'awful' divorce, Jessica Raine's whirlwind wedding & more

Plus Victoria Yeates' chateau nuptials and Judy Parfitt's heartbreak

Nichola Murphy
Deputy Lifestyle Editor
February 24, 2023
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Helen George's character on Call the Midwife, Nurse Trixie Franklin, is finally marrying Olly Rix's character Matthew Aylward, and the romantic storyline has got us thinking about the cast's love lives outside of the show. 

In real life, actress Helen went through what she described as an "awful" divorce before welcoming her two kids Wren and Lark with Jack Ashton. Meanwhile, Judy Parfitt has also suffered heartache with her late husband's "lonely" disease.

WATCH: Olly Rix opens up about heartstopping moment in Call The Midwife wedding

On the other hand, Victoria Yeates shared some stunning photos from her 2018 chateau wedding with her followers, and Jessica Rain enjoyed a whirlwind engagement before tying the knot. See everything you need to know about Call the Midwife stars' relationships…

Helen George

helen george oliver© Photo: Getty Images

Before she began dating fellow star Jack Ashton, Helen George was married to actor Oliver Boot for three years from December 2012 until 2015.

The former couple, who met whilst filming BBC drama Hotel Babylon, split ahead of her appearance on Strictly Come Dancing, which she described as "therapy."

READ MORE: Is Call the Midwife star Helen George leaving show after Trixie's wedding?

Opening up about her divorce, she said: "Going through a divorce is awful. I'd been asked to do Strictly and, strange as it sounds, I thought it would be like a sort of therapy after my divorce. I'd spoken to quite a few people who said how it really helped them through difficult times.

"You are focused on this one thing, it's an emotional journey. I was so naïve that I thought no one would be interested in me, so that was a shock. I soon realised I didn’t want all that celebrity stuff."

Judy Parfitt 

judy parfitt© Photo: Getty Images

Judy Parfitt and her late husband Tony Steedman were married for almost 40 years before he passed away in February 2001 following a three-year battle with Alzheimer's.

The actress later admitted that the disease left her feeling "very alone." "That's the thing with dementia. If you’re with somebody who has a serious illness you can usually talk to them, have a laugh every now and then — the person is still with you," she wrote in the MailOnline in 2014.

"With dementia there’s no conversation, there’s no togetherness, no sharing," she added. "It leaves you feeling very alone in a marriage."

The couple met at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre in 1960 and got married three years later. 

Victoria Yeates

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Victoria Yeates surprised fans when she announced she had secretly exchanged vows with musician Paul Housden in June 2018, shortly after filming her final scenes as Sister Winifred.

They got married at a 13th-century chateau in France with Victoria opting for a romantic lace wedding dress featuring floaty sleeves, an embellished belt and a tulle mermaid skirt.

"Loads of the cast came and nipped over between filming," she explained, adding: "After the ceremony, we all ate outside by this river on the grounds. It was quite hippy, simple and all very chilled out."

The couple had been dating for four years before Paul popped the question in 2016 in South Africa.

Jessica Raine

jessica raine tom© Photo: Getty Images

Call the Midwife actress Jessica Raine married Mr Selfridge star Tom Goodman-Hill in London in 2015.

The couple met in 2010 when they both starred in a theatre production of Earthquakes, and Tom was married at the time. They began dating after Tom ended his marriage, and despite Jessica admitting in 2013: "I am not massively interested in getting married," they tied the knot in an intimate ceremony just two weeks after getting engaged. 

Jessica looked elegant in a vintage-style ivory wedding dress with her brunette hair worn up in a braid while her new husband looked dapper in a blue three-piece suit and red tie.

Jenny Agutter

jenny agutter© Photo: Getty Images

Jenny Agutter, who plays Sister Julienne, met Swedish hotelier Johan Tham at an arts festival in Bath after giving up on dating. They had a whirlwind romance and got married in August 1990 before welcoming their son just a few months later in December.

"It saved me," she said of her relationship with the Daily Express back in 2012. "I was thinking: 'Maybe I will just remain single.' And, more worryingly: 'What does the future hold?'

"Then all this came at once with Johan. It came as a shock but it was the best thing that happened."

PHOTOS: Royals' rarely-seen something blue: From Zara Tindall's pedicure to Meghan Markle's heels

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