Call the Midwife star Helen George reveals health update following leg injury setback

Call the Midwife star Helen George has shared an update on her leg injury, revealing that she had to undergo an operation after tearing ligaments in her ankle. 

Appearing on The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show on BBC Radio Two last week, the actress said that she has made a full recovery ahead of her return to the stage in The King and I at London's Dominion Theatre next year, in which she will reprise her role as Anna Leonowens.

Back in July, Helen shared a photo that showed the star riding a mobility scooter with her leg wrapped up in a cast.

While chatting to Zoe, the radio host inquired about Helen's injury, to which she explained: "I tore some ligaments in my ankle but I've had an operation and I'm ready to go in time for going back on stage for The King and I."

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Revealing how her injury would have made it impossible to perform, she added: "Because there's a whole dance which is like, 'Shall we dance?', and I'm like 'No, no, I literally can't!'"

Helen, who first played the role of Anna in the UK and Ireland tour earlier this year, will star in the musical for six weeks from January 2024.

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On landing the part, Helen told Zoe: "I almost talked myself out of it, I couldn't believe it. It's such an amazing role."

Helen's ankle injury also came during filming for the 13th series of Call the Midwife. The cast began shooting back in May before taking a brief summer break at the end of July. 

The cast have now returned to set and will wrap filming in November, just a month before the annual Christmas special arrives on our screens. 

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During her interview with Zoe, Helen, who plays Trixie Franklin, teased "a few shocks" in the upcoming episodes. 

When asked what fans can expect from series 13, the 39-year-old said: "We're filming at the moment. So I'm sort of discovering the stories as we go along. It's another exciting year, lots of babies.

"I can't tell you much more than that," she said, adding: "There's a few shocks."

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The update comes amid reports that Helen's co-star, Olly Rix, has left the BBC period drama. 

READ: 10 Call the Midwife stars who left the show and why

SEE: Call The Midwife's Helen George pictured with young daughters after split

Olly, who plays Trixie's husband, Matthew Aylward, has reportedly been written out scripts. 

Neither Olly nor show bosses have spoken out publicly about the reports. HELLO! has reached out to the actor's representatives and the BBC for comment.

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Call the Midwife will return with a Christmas special in December, which will be followed by the new series in 2024.

While the BBC has yet to announce an official release date, if previous seasons are anything to go by, fans should expect to see the new episodes sometime in January.