Call the Midwife fans have grown fond of Doctor Patrick Turner, who works alongside the midwives and nurses in Poplar, since his arrival on the BBC period drama. The general practitioner, played by Stephen McGann, gets rushed off his feet in the show’s Christmas special to help those in need. Ahead of the festive special airing, Stephen detailed filming a particularly worrying medical moment involving actual leeches.
The special centres on Lucille Anderson (played by Leonie Elliot) and Cyril Robinson’s (Zephryn Taitte) winter wedding which involves the use of leeches.
During the feature-length episode, bride-to-be Lucille suffers a facial injury and fears her big day could be ruined.
Doctor Turner attempts to come to the rescue using unconventional leech therapy to suck the wound clean and aid healing – but will it work?
Actor Stephen revealed filming with the leeches, which were often used by Victorian doctors, was incredibly difficult.
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The special is filled with highs and lows as well as “more births than ever” at Nonnatus House.
Talking about his favourite part of the episode, Stephen said: ” I loved seeing the women get tipsy and it was lovely to see the Christmas wedding and also the trajectory of it and all the obstacles involved.”
Series 11, which begins with the Christmas special, is set in 1967 and Stephen recalled being unwell as a child during that year.
He said: “I remember I was a sickly child. I was in the hospital all the time as a kid. I had all sorts of sinus trouble.