The much-loved BBC One drama, Call the Midwife, is set to welcome back new midwife Joyce Highland this Christmas - but you might recognise the actress from somewhere else.
The beloved period drama is returning to our screens this festive season with two special episodes, featuring all your favourite characters.
In the previous season, set in 1969, the nuns and nurses of Nonnatus House were joined by two pupil midwives, Joyce Highland and Rosalind Clifford, who are both set to return for the Christmas specials.
These festive episodes promise a host of medical challenges, including the Hong Kong flu, as well as an escaped prisoner on the loose.
As the local community gears up for a carol concert, there's growing concern that the escapee could be hiding out nearby following a series of break-ins.
Image:
BBC / Neal Street Productions / Sally Mais)London-based actress Renee Bailey portrays midwife Joyce Highland, a Trinidadian pupil midwife characterised as "hardworking, fiercely bright and deeply kind", but who also hides a traumatic past.
During the 13th season earlier this year, Joyce's dark secrets were revealed when her estranged husband Sylvester (played by Benjamin Cawley) turned up at Nonnatus House pretending to be her cousin.
It was soon discovered that Sylvester was actually her abusive ex-husband, intent on taking all of Joyce's hard-earned money before she finally managed to rid herself of him.
Joyce also revealed that she had changed her name and pursued a nursing career to escape Sylvester, but he managed to locate her. Her courage earned her applause from fellow midwives, and she excelled in her exams.
In an interview with Radio Times, Renee described her character: "Joyce is a force. She is driven and knows what she wants. She's come to England from Trinidad and was training in Birmingham before London.
"I've tried to bring in a little more softness as well as qualities that I love in Black women generally. I don't want her to just be this stereotypical idea of what a strong black woman looks like. She has a lot of tenderness."
Renee has previously appeared in roles such as Paris in the BBC Three series Mood, which premiered in March 2022 and explores the influencer world. She also portrayed Laila in eight episodes of the 2022 Netflix series Rebel Cheer Squad.
In 2014, Renee starred in Channel 4's mini-series How to Be a Person, based on real-life stories of adolescence.
Call the Midwife will air on Christmas Day at 8pm, followed by a second episode on December 26 at 7:30pm on BBC One and iPlayer.
English (US) ·