Call the Midwife's Leonie Elliott thanks fans after Lucille's emotional exit

Following this, her husband Cyril (Zephryn Taitte) bought her a plane ticket to Jamaica, where she has gone to visit family for a currently undetermined amount of time.

Taking to Twitter after the episode's emotional scenes had aired, Elliott said: "This season was incredibly difficult to film. Thank you for all your kind words. It's my hope for people watching that if they can see the good in her, maybe they can extend that to people in real life."

She continued: "I care about her deeply. Many share her story of miscarriage and depression, and many share her experience of abuse, racial or otherwise. Many of us face mental health challenges, I hope we can continue to love one another, support and listen to each other. Look after yourselves and each other."

This season has seen Lucille struggle not only with a miscarriage, but also the hostile environment created by the likes of Enoch Powell, as the drama tackled his chilling Rivers of Blood speech.

Elliott has been a part of the show's cast since 2018, when Lucille joined the staff at Nonnatus House in season 7. It has not currently been revealed how long she will be absent from the show, or whether this marks her character's exit for the foreseeable future.

This season of Call the Midwife has also seen some happier news, as the 2022 Christmas special saw Matthew finally propose to Trixie, with the wedding set to air later in the run.

Call the Midwife continues on BBC One at 8pm on Sunday 15th January 2023. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.

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