All Creatures star talks "absolutely terrifying" fake baby in season 5
"The real babies were far superior to Jelly Jimmy."
There is a notable new addition to Skeldale House this season on All Creatures Great and Small, after James and Helen's baby was born in 2023's Christmas special.
Baby Jimmy is played, for the most part, by two real-life babies. However, James star Nicholas Ralph and Helen star Rachel Shenton have now revealed they also worked with a prop baby - a "terrifying" model known as Jelly Jimmy.
Ralph said of working with the babies on set: "Yes, two little babies! They were absolutely brilliant. Like any other actor, they took a minute to get used to everything - after all, they were just three months old.
"But after a few days, they settled in, and it was amazing to see them smile when they started to recognise you. They were great to work with - just adorable and so smiley once they got comfortable."
He continued: "We also have Jelly Jimmy - absolutely terrifying! It's ironic they call it 'Jelly' because it felt like he was made of concrete - so heavy! And he was triple the size of one of the babies we worked with, almost like a toddler with a baby’s face.
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"The real babies were far superior to Jelly Jimmy."
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Meanwhile, Shenton added: "We rehearse with Jelly Jimmy, the prosthetic baby, and then we bring real Jimmy in just for the takes.
"So, you have to work out exactly what you're doing, the blocking, where your head's at, with the idea being that we don't do as many takes. And I really like working like that; it kind of brings another focus."
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This season also sees the return of Callum Woodhouse as Tristan, meaning Skeldale House is certainly going to be busy.
However, it seems it isn't going to be a completely easy reunion between Tristan and his brother Siegfried, played by Samuel West.
West said of Tristan: "He's obviously changed. And he's changed in ways that I don't fully understand. He's obviously seen some horrible things which he's not talking about. And he's obviously masking with drink and good humour."
All Creatures Great and Small seasons 1-4 are available to watch on My5. Season 5 will air on Thursday 19th September at 9pm on Channel 5 and My5. You can order James Herriot's All Creatures Great and Small from Amazon.
If you're looking for something else to watch, visit our TV Guide or take a look at the rest of our Drama coverage. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
