BBC Call the Midwife's Helen George's turbulent love life - split and co-star rumours

The Call The Midwife Christmas special marks the start of season 13 of the much-loved BBC drama, after the last episode showed Helen George's character Trixie's dramatic wedding day

The Call The Midwife Christmas special has become as much a festive tradition as roast turkey, with this year's festive episode kicking off the start of season 14 of the hit BBC show.

Last Christmas, set in 1968, was filled with loads of drama for fan favourite Helen George and with the newly-weds Matthew (Olly Rix) and Trixie (Helen) looking forward to their first Christmas together. Who knows what this year will have in store for Helen's beloved character as Trixie makes a fleeting visiting to Nonnatus House. But it's not just on-screen where Helen experiences turbulent times in her love life, with her real life having its fair shares of ups and downs.

Who was Helen George married to?

Helen was married to actor Oliver Boot, and divorced him after just three years of marriage. The split came weeks before Helen started her stint on the BBC dance competition Strictly Come Dancing in 2015. She then began dating Jack Ashton, after the pair met on the set of Call The Midwife in 2015, a year after Jack joined the cast as vicar Tom Hereward. Helen's character Trixie turned down his on-screen proposal, but the pair fell for each other in real life while filming the 2016 Christmas Special in South Africa. Their little daughter Wren was born in 2017, and their youngest, Lark was born in 2021.

But things weren't meant to be with Helen and Jack. In July this year, the couple stunned fans by announcing they were splitting some seven years after meeting on the set of the 60s show. In a statement at the time, Helen told the Mirror: "Some months ago, we separated. Our two beautiful girls remain the focus and I respectfully ask for privacy for this next chapter."

A source said that the couple had drifted apart. Telling the Mirror: "Helen and Jack's decision to end their relationship has been amicable, and no one else is involved. They have just grown apart as a couple. Until now, only their closest friends and family have known what is going on, but in recent weeks it has been shared more widely. "They are both incredibly committed to working together to be the best parents they can for their two daughters."

Is Helen George single?

Although Helen hasn't officially announced that she's in a relationship at the moment, she was spotted leaving co-star Olly Rix's West London home on a Sunday morning in November. The sighting fuelled rumours of a romance between the two newly-single actors, who are on-screen lovers. The couple met at the start of the show when Trixie delivered Matthew's baby with his then-wife Fiona.

And now, the actors are said to be helping each other through their own real-life heartbreaks, with Helen spotted leaving Olly's with her dog Charlie. She then reportedly made the ten-mile journey back to her East London home.

Olly, 36, became single in July after he split from his girlfriend of seven years, makeup artist Natasha Fagri - the same month Helen and Jack split. According to The Sun on Sunday, an onlooker reported that Olly looked "relaxed", while Helen looked a "little dishevelled" when she left. An insider said: "It's been a tricky year for both Helen and Olly. They have been spending a lot of time together on set, walking their dogs together and chatting a lot. They both have respect for each other as actors and they are supportive of each other and dedicated to their roles on the drama. The changes in their relationships have caused a lot of upheaval." A spokesperson for Helen told Mirror Online: "Yes, she went to visit a friend for a cup of tea - like all friends do - and as we have always said, there is nothing more to this."

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