Helen George has addressed comments made about her baby bump on Call the Midwife.
The actress plays Nurse Trixie on the BBC drama, and was pregnant during filming of the currently airing 11th season, with ingenious filming used to hide the bump.
A handful of viewers criticised her decision to keep working while pregnant, claiming it ruined “the aesthetics” of the show – which is about pregnancy and women’s health.
George addressed the comments on her own Twitter, saying: “I’ve seen too many ridiculous comments about my pregnancy whilst filming @CallTheMidwife1 ( also thank you for the lovely comments!) Women get pregnant, our bodies change. But we have the right to work if we choose to do so. How about just supporting it, and don’t question it?”
I’ve seen too many ridiculous comments about my pregnancy whilst filming @CallTheMidwife1 ( also thank you for the lovely comments!) Women get pregnant, our bodies change. But we have the right to work if we choose to do so. How about just supporting it, and don’t question it?
— Helen George (@helen_george) January 30, 2022
One such tweet from a viewer, which has since been deleted, read: “It’s very unprofessional in my opinion. It’s not as if it’s filmed all year round. It’s a short window. She should quit if she wants to be pregnant while filming. It ruins continuity and the aesthetics of the show.”
Co-star Olly Rix, who plays George’s on-screen love interest Matthew, also took to Twitter to defend his co-star, replying to the viewer’s post: “Take a bow… Dumbest f***king tweet of the night.”
Many fans also came out in support of the actress.
“You are both amazing! I legit can’t imagine loving a show that centres women’s needs / agency / perspectives / experiences with pregnancy and childbirth — while also thinking one of the workers involved should have to choose between having a baby and her own livelihood? What?” one tweeted.
Another added: “A programme which is all about pregnancy and midwifery, and people are complaining that one of the main characters is pregnant in real life? Make it make sense.”
The series continues on Sundays, with the latest episode featuring a tragic and powerful storyline.