Call The Midwife’s Stephen McGann has to use his bedside best manner as he comforts co-stars Helen George and Jack Ashton after they split.
The actress, 39, and her partner, 36, who were together for seven years, are said to have ‘estranged’ and decided to go their separate ways ‘a few months ago’.
Stephen, who plays Dr. Patrick Turner in the hit BBC period drama, is married to the show’s writer, Heidi Thomas.
The actor said: ‘We are all like a family. Helen is fine, I love Helen and Jack.
Confirming the split last week, Helen told The Mirror: ‘A few months ago, we split. Our two beautiful girls continue to be the center of attention and I respectfully ask for privacy for this next chapter.
Helping out: Call The Midwife’s Stephen McGann has to use his best bedside manner as he comforts co-stars Helen George and Jack Ashton after they split
Separation: The actress, 39, and her partner, 36, who were together for seven years, are said to have ‘estranged’ and decided to go their separate ways ‘a few months ago’
While a source added: “Helen and Jack’s decision to end their relationship has been an amicable one, and no one else is involved, they have just parted ways as a couple.”
“They are both incredibly committed to working together to be the best parents they can be to their two daughters,” they said.
MailOnline has contacted Helen’s representatives for further comment.
Helen met Jack while they were both starring in the hit BBC drama series Call the Midwife.
Helen has played Trixie Franklin on the show since 2012, while Jack joined the series two years later as Tom Hereward.
The couple’s characters embarked on an on-screen romance and Tom proposed to Trixie, before she ended their relationship.
In real life, the couple were said to have fallen in love after traveling to South Africa to film the show’s 2016 Christmas special.
A year later, they welcomed their first child, Wren, before their second daughter, Lark, was born in November 2021.
In May 2021, Helen gave rare insight into her relationship with Jack, telling how working in the same industry helped their romance.
She told the Daily Mail: ‘It’s not like you have time to have hobbies at the weekends. You’re on set for a long time every day and you don’t get to see many other people.
“We are like-minded people who understand the industry, the career, and the long hours.”
Prior to her affair with Jack, Helen was married to actor Oliver Boot for three years before separating in 2015.
Helen met her former partner on the set of the BBC drama Hotel Babylon, and the couple married in December 2012.
The married couple confirmed that they had separated in September 2015, telling the Mirror: “I can confirm that Helen separated from her husband some time ago.”
The news of her split from Jack comes days after Helen revealed that she had broken her leg on Sunday.
The actor said: ‘We are all like a family. Helen is fine, I love Helen and Jack.
Co-stars: Helen met Jack while they were both starring in the hit BBC drama series Call the Midwife and began dating while filming in South Africa in 2016.
Family: The couple of seven years (pictured September 2021), who share daughters Wren, six, and Lark, two, are now focused on co-parenting their two children.
He took to Instagram to update his followers, sharing a photo of his right leg in a cast and riding a scooter.
The star remained in good spirits and kept an optimistic smile on her face as she smiled for the camera, but she has not said how she was injured.
Captioning the post, he simply wrote ‘Speedy’.
Helen wore a fitted black dress and black adidas Samba sneakers, carrying a Saint Laurent bag over her shoulder.
Despite sitting still, the actress didn’t let her injury stop her from having a good time as she shared a snapshot from Soho House Festival.
She seemed very animated as she posed alongside actress Pippa Duffy and writer Vikki Stone for a sweet snap.
Helen also recently teased the return of famous faces for the latest episode of Call The Midwife.
The actress admitted that it would be ‘incredible’ to have some old characters back on the show.
Among the favorites to appear in the BBC drama is Miranda Hart.
The star played nurse-midwife Chummy between 2012 and 2015, but left after failing to “deliver the schedule to make it work,” she said at the time.
Speaking to RadioTimes about the possibility of a reunion with characters from the past, Helen said: “We’ve talked about it, wouldn’t that be nice?
Exciting: Helen also recently teased the return of famous faces for the latest episode of Call The Midwife
“Like at the end of Titanic, all the characters come in and it’s just beautiful. It would have been amazing to have everyone.
Teasing the reunion plans further, he continued: ‘Look, you’ll have to wait and see. But it will be nice at some point, maybe at the end of the last series, to bring some of the old faces back, for sure.
The BBC recently confirmed that the show will return for two more seasons, keeping it on the air until at least 2026.
The show is set in the 1950s and 1960s in London’s East End, and centers on a group of midwives in a nursing convent.
