'Call The Midwife's Leonie Elliott Posts Letter To Fans About Nurse Lucille's Journey

The secret to Call The Midwife's success is that it isn't a series based on one character. Though the series started as focused on Nurse Jenny Lee (Jessica Raine), and Nurse Trixie (Helen George) has been there since the beginning, the show has been a larger ensemble since Raine's exit. However, it's always big news when a central character exits the series. At the end of Call The Midwife Season 12's second episode, Nurse Lucille (Leonie Elliott) headed home to Jamaica to be with her family, leaving fans wondering if she'd be back or if her exit was also permanent. 

• Warning: Spoilers for Call The Midwife Season 12 follow.

Nurse Lucille has had a rough time of it since getting married to Cyril (Zephryn Taitte). Her fertility struggles have been painful to watch, and her miscarriage left viewers in tears. Season 12 began with her still in a deep depression over losing her baby and being unable to conceive another one. The growing racism exacerbated that in the U.K. and the Nationalist movement that rose at the end of the 1960s. By the end of Episode 2, hoping to save his wife's life before she took it in despair, Cyril bought a ticket home to Jamaica for her, thinking being with her family would do some good.

However, fans should not expect Lucille to return magically healed before the Season 12 finale. When the season concluded in the U.K. in February 2023, Elliott penned a public message thanking her fans for loving Lucille but saying it was time for the character to move on.

The letter reads in part:

This season was incredibly difficult to film. Thank you for all your kind words. It's my hope for people watching that if they can see the good in her, maybe they can extend that to people in real life. I care about her deeply. Many share her story of miscarriage and depression, and many share her experience of abuse, racial or otherwise. Many of us face mental health challenges; I hope we can continue to love one another and support and listen to each other. Look after yourselves and each other.

To be clear, this may not be the end-end for Lucille. The series has been renewed through Season 15 and into the 1970s, giving the Anderson family plenty of time to reunite and return to Poplar, even if it's just a guest star stint. However, with the growing issues in the U.K., Lucille's story of leaving is accurate to the time and as heartbreaking as her exit from the series.

Call The Midwife Season 12 will continue with new episodes (and probably a new nurse to replace Lucille on the ward sooner or later) on most PBS stations airing Sundays at 8 p.m. ET and streaming on PBS Passport and the PBS app. As always, check your local listings.