Call The Midwife’s Jenny Agutter thinks it’s ‘sad’ that women have pre-arranged C-sections

Call The Midwife star Jenny Agutter believes it’s ‘sad’ that modern women have pre-arranged C-sections.

Speaking to Radio Times ahead of the latest series, the actress, 68, who has played Sister Julienne since 2012, said: ‘I’ve been to some midwifery gatherings and they’re thrilled at being represented properly. [The show] really does respect and honour them.

‘Now, of course, people say that they’ll have their baby taken out on such a date by C-section, which is sad, in a way.

‘It depends on the circumstances, of course, but childbirth is something to be experienced fully if one can.’

The show is set in the 1950s and 1960s in London’s East End – and focuses on a group of midwives in a nursing convent.

Jenny also spoke about how the premise rings true in today’s Covid-ravaged world.

‘It’s a reminder, as we’re also finding with Covid, that things like poverty and homelessness have created huge rifts in our society that we still don’t deal with.

‘Childbirth is always very emotional, because of the hope that babies will grow up in a better, easier world.’

BAFTA-winning writer Heidi Thomas was asked if she was interested in writing a script based on the memoirs of a 1950s midwife, and admits she didn’t have high hopes for the series back in 2012.

‘I’d just done Cranford and I was looking for another period project,’ she recalled rcently, ahead of series 10. ‘But I didn’t consider a drama set in the 1950s as period – that seemed strange to someone born in 1962. 

‘And the cover of the book had four grubby little urchins on it, so I was worried it would be too twee. But by the time I got to page 17 I knew I had to do it.’

Call The Midwife rakes in regular ratings of more than eight million and every Christmas there’s a seasonal special.

Series 10 of Call The Midwife starts on Sunday on BBC One.