‘Call the Midwife’ will introduce its first West Indian midwife as a regular character this year.
The cast are set to start shooting the seventh series of the period drama over the summer months and the creator Heidi Thomas is determined to mix things up a little by bringing in a new medical professional called Lucille.
She said at the BFI & Radio Times Television Festival in London: "We’ll be introducing our first West Indian young regular midwife to Nonnatus House in series seven.
"She’s going to bring stories with her and a different cultural point of view and that’s very exciting."
Heidi is currently on the hunt for the perfect actress to portray Lucille and has admitted the idea behind the character came after she delved deeper into nursing in the 60s.
She said: " My research is continually bringing up new things.
"One thing we’re really looking forward to in series seven is my research has made me very aware of the contributions made by West Indian and Caribbean nurses to the NHS in the early 1960s.
"Elegant, funny and clever, Lucille is swift to settle in and bring a fresh new energy to life at Nonnatus House.
"Casting is currently underway and we look forward to introducing Lucille to our 10 million fans very soon."
Heidi’s new idea came just a few days after Ben Caplan confirmed he was stepping down as PC Peter Noakes, who is married to Miranda Hart’s Camilla ‘Chummy’ Fortescue-Cholmeley-Browne, this year.
He said: "I’m taking a break to concentrate on other things.
"Much as I love playing Peter Noakes, it’s great to go off and play some more edgy characters and show a little bit more diversity."
Despite leaving the show, Ben teased that bosses have left the door open for him and Miranda, who was written out of the fourth series, to return.
Miranda was meant to reprise her role as the beloved Chummy in the medical drama for the festive special and the current on-going series six but she pulled out of the programme at the last minute due to a mystery ailment.
Call the Midwife to get first West Indian character
